jerzy Grotowski

" Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999) was the founder of the Laboratory Theatre in Wroclaw, Poland, an experimental theater in which attention is focused almost exclusively on the actor and his/her message, rather than on such props as costumes, music, and makeup, which were eliminated.

Grotowski's radical departure from the usual theatrical approach resulted in highly disciplined and rigorously demanding performances. Best known among the Laboratory Theatre's efforts were Wyspianski's Akropolis, Byron's Cain, Caldoron's The Constant Prince, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, and an original piece, Apocalypis cum Figuris. All of the plays are about human suffering and treat that suffering so painfully that great demands are put upon the actor and spectator.

Grotowski's methods, which put great emphasis on preparation, exercise, and physical conditioning and discipline, were questioned by some, praised by others. There can be little doubt, however, that he had considerable impact uponcontemporary theater."
                                         Grotowski made his directorial debut in 1958 with the production "Gods of Rain" which introduced Grotowski's bold approach to text, which he continued to develop throughout his career, influencing many subsequent theatre artists
                                        Grotowski preferred to have a more authentic experience for both the
 actors and the audience.Rather than having sound effects, he used the actors’ bodies and voices to make the sound (Wiles 145).Furthermore, he refused to use heavy lighting designs or use electronic media.Also, his costumes would be“autonomous[in] meaning until the actor wears it and gives it a referent by manipulating itphysically (Wiles 145).in going with these preferences, Grotowski developed what hecalledPoorTheater.

With this, he attempted to have a poverty of the stage, which included the aforementioned preferences in regards to technical design.However, the mainpurpose of this poor theater was to highlight the relationship between the actors andthe audience.In trying to reach this goal, Grotowski developed a series of physical andpsychological exercises.At the end of these exercises, which he called via negativa,the actors were to have reached an undisclosed goal (Wiles 146).The exercises weremeant to force the actor to dispose of their “preconceptions, clichéd habits, mimeticreproductions of banal realistic behavior, and all the ‘proper’ techniques of breathing, speaking, and moving taught in conventional acting schools (Wiles 146).”These aremeant to be stripped away from the actor so that the actor can find his/her true self.