Abstract According to the paper, Artaud's theories are based in part on Cambodian and Balinese dance, extolling a form of "total theater," where visual images, gesture, light, sound and noise take precedence over the written or spoken word. The writer compares this work to that of Jerzy Grotowski's whose approach to theater centers on the actor. The paper finally reveals the commonality of Artaud and Grotowski: the element of shock.
From the Paper "Our "theater of cruelty" production has the spectator in the center surround by the spectacle of the play (Artaud 81). Sound and violent physical images swirl about the viewers. Images of crime, love, war, and madness all assault the audience in a revolving spectacle which spreads its "visual and sonorous outbursts" (Artaud 86) over the entirety, reigniting its tired psyche with "intense and sudden shocks to revive our understanding" (Artaud 86). Costumes are ritualistic; masks are often but not always used; musical instruments enhance the work, from ancient drums to the newest synthesizer's sonic extremes; and lasers and very special lights play their part as the "fusillades of fiery arrows" (Artaud 95) that Artaud dreamed. All can now be realized with our current technology."
Abstract "Antonin Artaud's theater of cruelty techniques are springboards for the director's imagination. His theories, based in part on Cambodian and Balinese dance, extol a form of "total theater," where visual images, gesture, light, sound, and noise take precedence over the written or spoken word.
From the Paper "Antonin Artaud's theater of cruelty techniques are springboards for the director's imagination. His theories, based in part on Cambodian and Balinese dance, extol a form of "total theater," where visual images, gesture, light, sound, and noise take precedence over the written or spoken word. This potent combination is used to disturb the subconscious of the audience and kindle their imaginations. These images are often shocking, but as Artaud explains, "We are not free, and the sky can still fall on our heads; and the theater exists to remind us of this fact" (Artaud 79).
Alfred Jarry's King Ubu displays "the spirit of profound anarchy which is the root of all poetry" (Artaud 42), and this can be seen in Act IV of the play as Pa Ubu states,
We'll stay on top of this hill and we'll not be so..."
Abstract In this essay, the writer analyzes the different forms and purposes of theater offered by Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht in their works and philosophies. The writer discusses the purpose and goals of the two playwrights and their impact on audiences.
From the Paper "The theater of Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht is radically different with respect to the purpose and goals of the respective playwrights with respect to the impact of their works on audiences and society. If Artaud's theater of cruelty and Brecht's epic theater are distinct then so are their goals for audience impact. Artaud hoped by showing images of man's cruelty to man, audience members would experience a form of delirium whereby they would experience trances and inspiration leading to personal change ... "
Tags: Epic Theater, theater of cruelty, individual, society, truth, psyche, illusion, social change, revolution, interaction, audience
Abstract This paper contends that theater can be dangerous on a variety of levels. The paper presents Plato's main concern, that art distracted otherwise reasonable people from using their reason to rule the other faculties. This concern appears to be a prominent feature in the dangers posed by the theater as expounded by Artaud and Boal. Artaud's theater concentrates mainly on the psychological aspect. It places people in touch with the primitive and instinctive to the detriment of reason. While the advantage here is that repressed emotions are revealed to be examined and possibly healed, it is also possible that a permanently broken psyche may result. The paper discusses Boal's theater, on the other hand, that poses a variety of levels in terms of both danger and healing. There is a psychological aspect that may be seen as similar to Artaud's theater. At the psychological level, Boal also addresses the subconscious in terms of dissatisfaction. In extreme cases, this may lead to a breakdown between the desired state and the state of dissatisfaction. The mental and physical aspects of danger are detailed in the paper.
From the Paper "The theater is probably the medium of art by means of which the most prominent of social sentiments can be depicted. Furthermore the theater lends itself to a variety of forms, including the highly experimental. One of the most recent evolutions in theater has been including the audience in the setting and theme of the play. Indeed, among the most modern thinkers is Augusto Boal, who takes this paradigm a step further in allowing the audience to actively take part in the creation of the very events within the play. The idea that art in whatever form could pose a danger to society and its way of life originates with Plato, whose main concern was with the art of poetry. Plato's thought was embedded in the politics and social structure of his time. According to him, then, the danger of poetry lay in the fact that it could distract citizens from their duties as citizens in the Republic. The role of poetry during Plato's time then was more or less the same as the role of theater today."
Abstract This paper is based on how surrealism came into existence and how it revolutionized the form of art in the 20th and 21st centuries. It also highlights the contributions of many noteworthy figures in this arena by looking at the works of Antonin Artaud, Man Ray, and Salvador Dali.
From the Paper "Surrealism is the by-product of the defunct dada movement, which
is termed as an inhuman artistic reaction against the inhuman world created during world war one. This is because all movements were characterized by rage, extinguishing the age of dada, and many of its leaders, especially Andre Breton took up the new surrealist movement. Surrealism emerged at the beginning of the 1920's, a period characterized by the confused and inert perplexity of a collective bourgeois dedicated to nothing less than the mustiness of the balance sheet."
From the Paper " In The Theatre and Its Double Antonin Artaud proposed a 'theater of cruelty' in which "violent physical images pulverise, mesmerise the audience's sensibility, caught in the drama as if in a vortex of higher forces" (63). He held that a new kind of play was needed, one that would depart from the standard word-based, dialogue-bound plays that had dominated Western theater for many centuries. In place of this type of play Artaud suggested a theater in which the specifically theatrical elements of a play's presentation--visual, aural, spatial, as opposed to mere lines of dialogue--be given the primary role. He held that incantation, ritual, exaggeration and fresh combinations of effects would provide the surprise and shock that would generate a visceral reaction in audiences for whom the spectacle would be meaningful as traditional plays no longer were. Artaud seldom.."
From the Paper "Since the late nineteenth century playwrights, directors, and theorists of all kinds have very frequently considered theater as a primary means of working toward the betterment of the human race. Whether they proposed to convey important ideas or actually effect change in the audience these writers tended to hold that the theater was the proper vehicle for such efforts because it spoke, as it were, directly to the individual sitting in the audience. Feelings could be roused, arguments could be vividly presented in verbal or visual terms, and the makers of drama could work on the individual in a setting where every effect--verbal, visual, and aural--was under the theater's control. Despite sharing the notion that the theater was the optimum setting for such communication and general notions of improving humanity, the various theories of theatrical..."
Abstract Butoh is a Japanese art form that emerged in 1959 as a response to western oppression. Western political dominance had a serious impact on the aesthetic sense of dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, who developed a new form of dance that comprises strange body movements, gestures and jerks. This paper provides an overview of the history and make-up of Butoh and shows how it is also accepted as a form of movement therapy.
From the Paper "Artaud rejected the views, beliefs and values of the theatre of his time. He was not interested in projecting reality and sanity as they were accepted by the mainstream theatre-goers. For him, artistic skills represented the ability to fully embrace the unknown, the untried and the unseen. Artaud did not view insanity as a problem. Everything that treaded on the dangerous was found exciting as it opened a new medium of expression and challenged the classical traditions of Japanese theatre."
Tags: ohno, kabuki, koto, artaud, deconstruction, theory
