Jerzy Grotowski

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that for many performers, acting is merely a stereotypical portrayal of humankind, with no direct link to the soul of the individual. The paper contends that this type of performance, though capable of universal identification, severely lacks the realism that is so significant to life upon the stage. The paper discusses how Jerzy Grotowski recognized this condition in much of what people attempted to call theatre.

From the Paper:

"For many performers acting is merely a stereotypical portrayal of humankind, with no direct link to the soul of the individual. This type of performance, though capable of universal identification, severely lacks the realism that is so significant to life upon the stage. Jerzy Grotowski recognized this condition in much of what people attempted to call theatre. He saw that actors lacked a spiritual connection to their work and that this personal element of performance separated theatre amateurs from a sense that theatre was, in essence, a religious experience that transcended mere acting and brought true life to the stage. Grotowski, like Stanislavski, believed that actors needed to go beyond what was historically expected of them in relation to the generalizations of the craft."

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