Symbolism was a movement in literature and the arts originating with a group of French poets in the late 19th century. Jean Moréas published The Symbolist Manifesto in 1886. As a conscious theatre movement, symbolism was short-lived, roughly coming to the fore between 1880 and 1900. It was widely considered a revolt against the theatre…
Epic theatre, the non-realistic theatre style which emerged in early 20th century Berlin with director Erwin Piscator and playwright and director Bertolt Brecht, produced epic theatre plays that were understandably different in structure and form to what audience’s were previously used to. Epic Theatre Plays Narrative Dramatic form refers to structure, the formation of a…
History The beginnings of Western theatre date back to Ancient Greece in the 6th century B.C. The earliest performances occurred in 534 BC at a play festival honouring Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility. For hundreds of years, ancient Greek theatre was performed exclusively at this outdoor play festival. The City of Dionysia…
Key quotes from The Holy Theatre, the second part of Peter Brook‘s seminal text, The Empty Space. The Holy Theatre explores the place of ritual and the holy in what was then contemporary theatre (1968). Among others, Brook analyses the works of Samuel Beckett with his existential characters, themes and symbols, while also examining the…
This post explores key quotes from The Deadly Theatre, the first part of Peter Brook’s seminal text, The Empty Space. The Deadly Theatre is the bad theatre of Broadway and the West End, the commercial theatre with deadly directors and deadly actors performing works by deadly playwrights, all existing within a machine and adhering to…
Erwin Piscator was born Erwin Friedrich Maximillian Piscator on 17 December 1893 in the German state of Prussia. Like Brecht, Piscator studied at Munich University. He began acting for the theatre in 1914, but was soon drafted to the front line during World War I. After the war, Piscator staged works at various Berlin theatres…