Research theatre in contemporary Europe : an analysis of the means of continuation

Abstract

The thesis will investigate ways in which the theatre of research manages to continue in the twenty-first century. Though the thesis will restrict its scope of discussion to certain European realities in the inter-century decade ( 1996-2006), the modus operandi that twentieth-century theatre practitioners such as Konstantin Stanislavsky, Jacques Copeau, and Jerzy Grotowski have managed to achieve within their socio-cultural contexts will provide a wider historical background. The thesis will adopt as case study the practice of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards. This will serve to underline the crucial role played by person-to-person transmission of knowledge, as well as the structure of a long-term theatre company in securing the continuation of the theatre practice. Having analysed two inherent mechanisms of survival, the thesis will move on to discuss strategic ways applied by research theatre groups to negotiate a balance between an 'inner' practice and a 'dominant' European socio-cultural and economic context. These are funding (both project funding and long-term funding), the opening of cultural centres, offering educational services, and creating links with academia. The Centre for Theatre Practices Gardzienice will illustrate the issue of research losing its priority as a principle for theatre practice. This will give a context for the discussion of the possibilities of research being decentralised both within its own mechanisms of survival as well as by entering a more 'marketable' context. This thesis aims to (i) outline the theatre practitioners and the recurrent characteristics that give identity to the theatre of research, (ii) identify the inherent and strategic mechanisms adopted by research-based practitioners in order to safeguard the continuation of their practice, and (iii) indicate future possibilities of research-based theatre.