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Practitioner focus: Jerzy Grotowski

Delving into the work of one of the most influential practitioners in theatre history, Beccy Thompson provides us with a whistle-stop tour of Grotowski, complete with exercises for your class
 
Akropolis, 1962
Akropolis, 1962 - Labratory Theatre/ The Grotowski Institute Archive

The Polish director Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999) has been considered one of the leading practitioners of the 20th century, yet he is not commonly taught in school drama. He rejected that theatre was entertainment, instead seeking to focus on authentic communication between actors and spectators, that could insight change through experience. Grotowski has been noted for his influence on experimental theatre in the US and on other practitioners including Eugenio Barba and Peter Brook; the latter paying tribute to Grotowski's work in his infamous book The Empty Space. With his company The Laboratory Theatre, Grotowski's work went through various phases, arguably the most well-known being the Poor Theatre.

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