From Greece to Rome : the change in spatial dynamics

Abstract

As such, the theatre is itself a language, coupling verbal with visual images, which assists humanity to understand itself - to define its culture - rather than a craft for the gifted few or a recreation for a privileged elite. The twentieth century marks a turning point in all the arts, especially theatre, as its very essence is questioned. If one takes a bird's eye view of twentieth century theatre and reflects upon the great theatre theorists and practitioners, such as Artaud, Grotowski, Copeau, Beck, Stanislavsky, upon dancers such as Isadora Duncan, and also artists such as Cezanne and Van Gogh, one cannot help but realize that in their different ways, they all followed one pointer. Furthermore although they tried to achieve this milestone differently, their paths cross at this very significant search. What was this search that they all tried so hard to engage in? It was a search to return to a spiritual level with their art. To this end, they attempted to strip their art from the centuries of materialism that had been imposed upon it, and instead go back and understand art in a totally different context. Both painters such as Cezanne and Van Gogh, as well as theatre directors such as Copeau and Grotowski sought locations of solitude in order to work and reflect upon the most complicated organism, the human being. Theatre directors tried to link the human actor, the audience and, most important of all, the human encounter in a more simple, intimate, and spiritual way, in order to reach a state of reflection on humanity itself: [....] Our productions are detailed investigations of the actor-audience relationship. That is, we consider the personal and scenic technique of the actor as the core of theatre art.