Artaud Lesson.

“Theatre of cruelty means a theatre difficult and cruel for myself first of all […]

We are not free. And the sky can still fall on our heads. And the theatre has been created to teach us that first of all.” 

Based on ritual and fantasy, this form of theatre launches an attack on the audience’s subconscious in an attempt to release deep-rooted fears and anxieties that are normally suppressed.

He wanted his audiences to feel things they would similarly to their worst nightmares.

“How can one expect to fully understand who they are when they haven’t gone back to their most basic instincts: terrified, vulnerable…When you back a wild bear into a corner you provoke it’s true nature. Why should mankind be any different?”

lTheatre of Cruelty usually minimises the text by emphasizing screams, inarticulate cries, and symbolic gestures.

lIn order to shock the audience and thus evoke the necessary response, the extremes of human nature (often madness and perversion) are graphically portrayed on stage. 

TASK

lIn groups, share your weirdest dreams.

lYou will then choose the best one and use Tableau, Movement and Sound/words to recreate your dream for performance.

lIt does not have to be a story or make sense (it is better if it doesn’t!)

lYour intention should be to make your audience nervous/uncomfortable/scared.

HOMEWORK

lRe-create your first piece now thinking about Artaud’s style:

lExternalising Emotions through exaggerated movement.

lAffect the audience as much as possible!

lUse of light/sound/music/screams to provoke feelings/reactions from audience.

l"The theatre must make itself the equal of life --- not an individual life, that individual aspect of life in which CHARACTERS triumph, but the sort of liberated life which sweeps away human individuality and in which man is only a reflection. The true purpose of the theatre is to create Myths, to express life in its immense, universal aspects, and from that life to extract images in which we find pleasure in discovering ourselves."

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