ABSTRACT

Robert Wilson is an American–European director who is also a performer, installation artist, writer, designer of light and much more besides – a crossover polymath who dissolves both generic and geographical boundaries and is a precursor of globalisation in the arts. This second edition of Robert Wilson combines:

  • an analysis of his main productions, situated in their American and European socio-cultural and political contexts
  • a focused, detailed study of Wilson’s pathbreaking Einstein on the Beach
  • a study of Pushkin's Fairy Tales as the foremost example of his folk-rock music theatre in the twenty-first century
  • an exploration of his ‘visual book’, workshop and rehearsal methods, and collaborative procedures
  • a study of his aesthetic principles and the elements of composition that distinguish his directorial approach
  • a series of practical exercises for students and practitioners highlighting Wilson’s technique.

As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners offer unbeatable value for today’s student.

chapter 1|48 pages

A working life

chapter 2|44 pages

Method, elements and principles

chapter 3|35 pages

Einstein on the Beach

chapter 5|34 pages

Practical exercises