the empty space: a book about the theatre: deadly, holy, rough, immediate

Holy art is an aid to this, and so we arrive at at definition of Holy Theatre. Religious teaching - including Zen - asserts that this invisible-visible cannot be seen automatically - it can only be seen given certain conditions. This is what theater and all art making should be addressing- the bringing to light the dark recesses of the human experience to perform rituals that ask the questions about why we are the way we are how can we change or accept the less damaged aspects of human nature what does being in community with others mean.

Holy Theatre is 'The Theatre of the Invisible - Made - Visible.'

Deadly Theatre is the theatre of repetition. The Critics play the society column game of declaring the big budget shows as overwhelming hits without any true critical analysis. Brooks posits that the Audience would rather acquiesce here in order to avoid feeling left out of a cultural loop designed by an elite who have embraced Deadly Theatre. The Audience accepts this Deadly Theatre because they have sought out an honest experience, and rather than accept the disappointment of the less than authentic encounter, they feign excitement and appreciation. The Actors do not move past the emotional facades of the roles, playing the surface knee-jerk reactions that they get from text, resulting in stereotypical portrayals. The Directors rely on the old clichés and gimmicks of the past without exploring the texts for their deeper meanings. This affects all aspects, permeates every level. It's the theatre of imitation, trying to mimic the box office successes of the past. In The Empty Space, director Peter Brook outlines his theories on the theater by exploring four different meanings of the word theater - Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate.ĭeadly Theatre is the theatre of commerce set up to make money for its producers.

The empty space: a book about the theatre: deadly, holy, rough, immediate