This post contains forty Poor Theatre exercises divided into five main activities, each focusing on a separate aspect of Jerzy Grotowski’s theories. All of these activities are beginner-level, serving as a suitable introduction to the form. Intermediate-level and advanced-level exercises will be covered soon in future posts. The following five activities include suggested exercise time lengths, totalling more than six hours of content.
Poor Theatre Activities | Poor Theatre Exercises
Activity 1: Physical Exploration and Fluidity
Objective
These exercises are designed to underscore Jerzy Grotowski’s fundamental concept of Poor Theatre, which places the actor’s body at the core of theatrical expression.
Grotowski argued that the essence of theatre doesn’t reside in elaborate sets or costumes but in the actor’s physical capabilities.
In line with this, the following exercises involve body sculpting and transforming into inanimate objects to make students aware of their physical potential.
Through this hands-on approach, students gain an experiential understanding of how the human body can serve as a versatile instrument for conveying narrative and emotional depth, resonating with Grotowski’s key ideas.
Materials
A spacious room clear of any obstacles, allowing free movement and potential interaction with the surroundings.
Comfortable clothing that allows unrestrained movement, facilitating the exploration of a wide range of postures and shapes.
Full-length mirrors (if possible) to aid students in observing and adapting their physical transformations.
Warm-Up
Initial Relaxation (3 minutes)
Begin by guiding students to centre themselves in the space, closing their eyes and focusing on relaxing different muscle groups sequentially from head to toe. This will help in releasing any tension and grounding their presence.
Dynamic Stretching (7 minutes)
Proceed to lead them through dynamic stretches and mobility exercises, focusing particularly on the neck, shoulders, spine, and legs. These exercises should encourage fluid movements, promoting an active range of motion and preparing the body for subsequent activities. Utilise movements such as neck rolls, shoulder circles, and gentle spinal twists, gradually increasing the pace to enhance blood flow and muscle readiness.
Body Sculpting
Formation of Pairs and Ground Rules (3 minutes)
Have students pair up and establish a sense of trust and understanding. Brief them on the importance of consent and gentleness during this activity.
Sculpting Exercise (17 minutes)
In this segment, students sculpt each other’s bodies into different shapes and postures, utilizing only non-verbal communication. Encourage them to explore the full potential of their physical forms, experimenting with varying levels, tensions, and angles. Students should be urged to think outside the box, creating abstract, unconventional, and evocative shapes. The purpose is to understand the body’s limitless possibilities for expression and foster a deeper connection with their physical selves.
Transformation Exercise
Selection of Objects (5 minutes)
Request students to select an inanimate object that intrigues them individually. This could range from everyday items to more abstract or complex structures.
Embodiment Exercise (15 minutes)
Guide students through gradual transformations where they embody the characteristics of their chosen object using their bodies. Facilitate this process by encouraging fluidity, smooth transitions, and keen observation of the nuanced characteristics of the object. The goal is to fully morph into the object, capturing its essence through physical representation. Students should focus on a seamless transition, showcasing a journey of transformation that is both compelling and visually poetic.
Feedback and Reflection
Sharing of Experiences (5 minutes)
Conclude the activity by gathering the students in a circle to share their experiences. Encourage them to articulate their discoveries about their physical capabilities and the sensations they encountered during the transformations.
Reflective Note-Taking (5 minutes)
Ask students to spend a few minutes jotting down personal reflections on the activity, noting any personal discoveries, challenges, and thoughts on how this exploration of physicality can be translated into theatrical performance, fostering a richer, more dynamic stage presence.
Activity 2: Emotional Authenticity and Vocal Experimentation
Objective
These exercises draw upon Jerzy Grotowski’s emphasis on the actor’s emotional and vocal expressiveness as essential components of the theatrical experience.
Grotowski’s work frequently explored authentic emotional states, advocating for an honesty that could transcend mere representation. He believed that the voice is not just an auditory element but a vessel for emotional truth and the actor’s internal life.
The exercises reflect these principles by encouraging students to engage in vocal exercises that explore various emotional nuances. Through emotional recall and vocal sculpting, students understand the depth and range of their vocal expressions, connecting their internal emotional states and outward vocal presentations.
Materials
A quiet, comfortable room conducive to concentration and introspection, equipped with soft lighting to create a conducive atmosphere for emotional exploration.
A sound system to facilitate the playing of various soundtracks that may assist in invoking certain emotional states.
Seating arrangements in a circular formation to promote connectivity and a collective experience among the participants.
Voice Warm-Up
Breathing Exercises (5 minutes)
Start by guiding students through breathing exercises focused on using the diaphragm to establish a foundation of controlled, relaxed breathing integral to vocal projection and modulation.
Pitch Variation Exercises (5 minutes)
Progress to pitch variation exercises, where students explore a range of vocal pitches, from low, resonant tones to high, piercing sounds, facilitating the discovery of the full spectrum of their vocal capabilities.
Resonance and Articulation Exercises (5 minutes)
Conclude the warm-up with exercises targeting resonance and articulation. Students should be guided to project their voice from different resonators (chest, throat, head) and practise articulating words clearly and precisely.
Emotional Recall
Personal Memory Recollection (10 minutes)
Have students sit in a circle and individually recall personal experiences that evoke specific emotions (e.g., joy, sadness, anger). Encourage them to delve deeply into their memories, re-experiencing the nuances of the emotion with intensity.
Vocal Expression of Emotions (10 minutes)
Following the recollection, students are then encouraged to express these emotions vocally. They should explore various vocal dynamics, including pitch, volume, and pace, experimenting with different vocal textures and subtleties to authentically convey the emotional intricacies. Guide them in noting the visceral responses and vocal manifestations corresponding to each emotion.
Vocal Sculpting
Formation of Small Groups and Scenario Assignment (3 minutes)
Divide the students into small groups and assign them different scenarios, rich in emotional content, that they need to represent vocally.
Creation of a Soundscape (17 minutes)
Within their groups, students collaborate to create a soundscape using their voices, embodying the various emotions and scenarios presented by the teacher. Encourage them to utilise different vocal techniques learned earlier to construct a complex, layered acoustic environment that vividly illustrates the assigned scenario. This task should encourage creativity, cooperation, and the construction of a cohesive vocal narrative.
Discussion and Reflection
Group Sharing and Analysis (5 minutes)
Bring the class together in a circle for a discussion where students analyse their emotional journey and the authenticity of their vocal expressions. Encourage them to share the strategies they employed, the challenges faced, and the discoveries made during the vocal sculpting activity.
Personal Reflection (5 minutes)
Conclude with a moment of personal reflection where students jot down their observations regarding their vocal potential and the facets of emotional authenticity they experienced. This written reflection should be a critical document, recording their growth and revelations during the activity.
Activity 3: Ensemble Work and Spontaneity
Objective
These exercises directly relate to Jerzy Grotowski’s emphasis on collective creativity and group dynamics in theatre.
Grotowski’s approach often involved intense ensemble training, aiming to foster a deeply connected and intuitive group of performers capable of collective expression. He believed that for theatre to be genuinely impactful, the ensemble must function as an integrated organism, with each actor’s contributions seamlessly complementing and responding to those of the others.
These exercises cultivate unity and spontaneous interaction among students by engaging them in collective creation and improvisation exercises.
Materials
A spacious room that allows for freedom of movement and interaction amongst the students.
A set of assorted prompts or stimuli could encompass a diverse range of elements, including words, images, or objects, curated to provoke varied emotional and intellectual responses.
Audio-visual equipment (if available) to document the improvisational performances for further analysis and reflection.
Group Warm-Up
Synchronisation Exercise (5 minutes)
Begin with an exercise where the group moves in sync, focusing on achieving harmony and cohesion. Students should be attentive to each other’s movements, adjusting their pace and rhythm to maintain a simultaneously operating state.
Mirroring (5 minutes)
Progress to a mirroring activity where pairs mimic each other’s gestures, expressions, and movements, fostering heightened awareness and connectivity.
Group Sculpture (5 minutes)
Move to group sculptures, where the class forms groups to create dynamic, interconnected sculptures using their bodies. This activity should encourage creativity, physical connectivity, and a cooperative spirit, setting the stage for the subsequent collective creation segment.
Collective Creation
Prompt Exploration (5 minutes)
Distribute the curated prompts or stimuli among the students. Allow them a few minutes to individually explore their assigned stimulus, considering the potential narratives or characters that can emerge from it.
Scene Development (15 minutes)
Facilitate the collaborative development of spontaneous scenes, where students work off each other’s impulses and contributions. Urge them to weave a cohesive narrative, exploring diverse interpretations and representations drawn from the stimuli.
Improvisation exercise
Setting Up Improvisational Scenarios (5 minutes)
Instruct the students to set up various scenarios based on the prompts, fostering a space where spontaneous dialogues and movements can evolve.
Engagement in Improvisational Scenes (15 minutes)
Guide students to engage in improvisational scenes, responding to each other’s words and actions with authenticity and spontaneity. Encourage them to fully immerse themselves in the narrative, allowing an organic flow of dialogue and movement and fostering a live, electric atmosphere that thrives on the unpredictability and freshness of improvised performance.
Analysis and Reflection
Group Discussion (5 minutes)
Gather the students for a group discussion where they analyse the collaborative process, reflecting on the discoveries made about ensemble work and spontaneity in Poor Theatre. Promote an open dialogue where students can share their observations, insights, and the nuances of their experience during the collaborative creation.
Individual Reflection and Journaling (5 minutes)
Conclude with a period of individual reflection where students are encouraged to jot down their insights, noting the strengths and areas for growth identified during the activity. This journaling will foster a deeper personal engagement with the learning process, paving the way for continued exploration and development.
Activity 4: Character Development Through Personal Memories
Objective
These exercises are based on Jerzy Grotowski’s concept that actors should use their feelings and memories to create believable characters.
Grotowski believed the best acting comes from real emotions, and he often used exercises that helped actors dig deep into their own experiences.
In these exercises, students are asked to recall and use a personal memory to shape a character they create. This helps them understand how to bring genuine emotion and depth to their performances, just like Grotowski advocated for in his teachings.
Materials
A comfortable room furnished with seating arrangements that allow for both group discussions and individual reflections.
Writing materials for each student, including notepads and pens, to facilitate the detailed documentation of their thought processes and creative developments.
Audio-visual recording equipment (if available) to document the performances, allowing for a comprehensive analysis and reflection during the feedback session.
Memory Retrieval
Guided Meditation (5 minutes)
Begin the activity with a guided meditation where students are encouraged to centre themselves, focusing inward to access their repository of personal memories. This meditative process should facilitate a relaxed, focused state conducive to retrieving vivid, detailed memories.
Memory Selection and Exploration (10 minutes)
Ask students to recall a vivid memory from their past. Encourage them to choose a memory associated with a specific emotion or significant event and explore it in depth, considering the sensory details, emotional nuances, and the broader context of the memory.
Character Creation
Character Blueprint (10 minutes)
Students then utilise the insights from their memory exploration to create a character blueprint. This blueprint should encompass the foundational attributes of the character, including their background, personality traits, and motivations, grounded in the emotional and sensory details of the selected memory.
Physicality and Vocal Trait Development (15 minutes)
Further, students delve into the physicality and vocal traits of the character, exploring how these attributes can be shaped by the emotional nuances and situational contexts derived from their memory. This should be a detailed exploration, considering elements such as posture, movement dynamics, facial expressions, and vocal modulation, aiming to craft a character that embodies a rich, complex human experience.
Monologue Development
Structural Planning (10 minutes)
Students develop a monologue that encapsulates their created character’s experiences and emotional landscapes. Initially, they should focus on planning the structural elements of the monologue, considering the narrative arc, thematic focus, and the character’s emotional journey.
Monologue Writing (20 minutes)
Following the planning phase, students engage in the writing process, crafting a monologue that integrates elements from their memory, seamlessly blending personal insights with creative interpretation to construct a compelling, authentic narrative.
Performance and Feedback
Monologue Performance (20 minutes)
Allocate time for each student to perform their monologue, encouraging them to fully embody the character, bringing to life the depth and complexity envisioned during the creation process.
Peer Analysis and Feedback (10 minutes)
Following the performances, facilitate a feedback session where peers critically analyse the character portrayals. Focus should be on the performance’s depth, authenticity, and emotional resonance, fostering a dialogue that encourages reflective thinking and collaborative learning.
Activity 5: Spatial Awareness and Audience Relationship
Objective
These exercises tie into Jerzy Grotowski’s ideas about the importance of the space in which theatre happens and how actors relate to their audience.
Grotowski believed that every part of the theatre space was vital and that actors should use it fully to connect with the audience, even referring to the actor-audience relationship in Poor Theatre as a “communion”.
In these exercises, students experiment with different ways to use space by arranging objects and performing in an ‘uneven terrain,’ as Grotowski would encourage. They also focus on how they interact with their audience within that space.
By doing this, students learn firsthand about the role of space in making a performance more engaging and meaningful, echoing Grotowski’s ideas.
Materials
A spacious room adaptable for diverse configurations, facilitating the exploration of various spatial dynamics.
A selection of random objects such as chairs, tables, curtains, platforms, etc., to create a dynamic and varied performance space that encourages creative exploration and interaction.
Note-taking materials for students to document observations and reflections during the critical analysis phase.
Space Configuration
Theoretical Introduction (5 minutes)
Commence with a brief theoretical discussion highlighting the significance of spatial awareness in theatre and the nuanced relationships between space, performers, and the audience. Introduce concepts such as proxemics (the study of human use of space) to provide students with a foundational understanding of the topic.
Practical Setup (5 minutes)
Following the introduction, instruct the students to arrange the room with the provided objects, creating an uneven and dynamic terrain that serves as the performance space. Encourage them to consider the different possibilities of audience-performer interactions and spatial configurations that can facilitate varied narrative experiences.
Spatial Exploration
Individual Exploration (10 minutes)
Students explore the space individually, sensitising themselves to the configured setting’s different spatial relationships and dynamics. This should involve a conscious observation of the effects of spatial elements on their physical movements, emotional responses, and potential narrative implications.
Group Discussion (10 minutes)
After the individual exploration, regroup the students for a brief discussion where they share their observations and insights regarding the spatial dynamics encountered, fostering a collaborative learning experience.
Interactive Performance
Performance Creation (25 minutes)
Divide students into small groups and instruct them to create short performances that effectively utilise the space and objects to convey a narrative or thematic exploration. The emphasis should be on crafting interactive experiences where the spatial elements significantly shape the narrative dynamics and audience engagement.
Performance Execution (15 minutes)
Allow each group to present their performance, encouraging them to focus on creating a dynamic interaction with the perceived audience within the configured space, exploring different levels of engagement and immersion.
Critical Analysis
Peer Feedback (10 minutes)
Following the performances, facilitate a critical analysis session where peers provide feedback on the effectiveness of space utilization and the depth of audience-performer relationships established during the performance.
Reflective Discussion (10 minutes)
Conclude with a reflective discussion where students critically analyze the experiences, drawing connections between the theoretical concepts introduced earlier and the practical explorations undertaken. Encourage them to consider the potentials and limitations of various spatial configurations and audience engagement strategies, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexity of spatial dynamics in theatre.
