The Drama Teacher's Guide To Poor Theatre (1 Premium Resource)

The Drama Teacher’s Guide to Poor Theatre (eBook/PDF) is the latest addition to the recently launched series of premium resources from The Drama Teacher at the highly regarded Teachers Pay Teachers website. As the name suggests, these ‘premium resources’ are generally of a higher quality or offer more comprehensive and detailed explorations on particular drama education topics than can be provided here on the website in a single blog post. Resources vary from educational drama games, activities and exercises to infographic posters and teacher manuals.

Jerzy Grotowski and his concept of Poor Theatre swept the world in the 1960s and 70s, as he developed arguably the most complete actor training system since Stanislavski. This strict, rigorously physical system trained actors who could precisely control their bodies in performance to the finest detail.

Grotowski’s Poor Theatre methodology, which rid theatre of all its excesses, leaving only the actor paramount in a non-traditional space, soon became a staple on high school and university theatre courses curricula in many countries.

The Drama Teacher’s Guide to Poor Theatre (ebook/PDF) Extracts

Extract 1

In 1959, Jerzy Grotowski and his close collaborator, Ludwik Flaszen, established the Theatre of 13 Rows in Opole, Poland, which was later renamed the Laboratory Theatre. Their decision to create an experimental theatre company stemmed from Grotowski’s dissatisfaction with traditional theatrical practices and his desire to assemble a dedicated group of performers who could explore performance in depth and with precision. The Theatre of 13 Rows initially took its name from the thirteen rows of seats in its intimate performance space, symbolising a deliberate limitation of audience size to encourage a deep connection between actor and spectator.

From the outset, Grotowski envisioned theatre as a laboratory—a space for rigorous, systematic experimentation. Central to this concept was the idea that theatre should be a process-oriented activity rather than just a medium for artistic presentation. Productions were regarded as living explorations instead of finished products, emphasising rehearsal processes, actor self-discovery, and communal creativity over public recognition. Grotowski described his theatre as a centre for ongoing research, focusing intensely on actor training, collective ensemble work, and the essence of theatrical expression itself.

The Laboratory Theatre’s artistic mission focused on eliminating the excesses of theatre and seeking purity of performance through a strict economy of means. By systematically removing superfluous elements—decorative scenery, elaborate costumes, conventional props, and technological enhancements—the theatre aimed to reveal a direct and authentic connection between the actor and the spectator. This intentional reduction enabled audiences to concentrate fully on the actors’ physical and vocal expressivity, highlighting the human body as the primary vehicle of meaning.

Extract 2

Central to Poor Theatre was Grotowski’s conceptual framework, Via Negativa, or “the negative way,” a principle that guided actor training and creative processes. Rooted in a philosophical tradition stretching back to medieval mysticism, Via Negativa involved systematically eliminating barriers and obstructions—physical, psychological, and emotional—that limited actors’ expressivity and authenticity. Instead of adding skills or techniques, Via Negativa emphasised removing unnecessary physical and emotional habits, promoting a state of heightened self-awareness, spontaneity, and creative openness.

Practically, Via Negativa was implemented through rigorous training exercises to dismantle habitual behaviours, tensions, and expressive blockages. Actors engaged in intensive physical exercises, breath work, vocal drills, and improvisational tasks designed to eliminate restrictive habits and emotional inhibitions. Through sustained repetition and disciplined practice, actors gradually stripped away layers of artifice, achieving a state of pure, authentic emotional expression.

The principle of Via Negativa reflected Grotowski’s belief that authentic expression emerged naturally when inhibitions and learned behaviours were systematically removed. He saw the actor’s role as a process of self-revelation and self-discovery rather than the artificial construction of characters or emotional states. By adopting this negative approach, Grotowski framed Poor Theatre as a radically honest, introspective practice, which significantly influenced contemporary understandings of actor training.

This 30-page 12,000-word eBook, The Drama Teacher’s Guide to Poor Theatre (PDF instant download), can be purchased for only $9.99.