ABSTRACT
A position in religious studies for Jerzy Grotowski as a modern Western guru can be seen because of the stylistic choices he made that are in common with those of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff. Grotowski’s position as a guru working in theatre was not only informed by his interest in Gurdjieff’s work but also by his respect for the work of another New Age teacher, Madame Blavatsky. Vasquez uses the work of sociologist and anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu to explore the charisma of religious specialists. Frequent references have also been made to Grotowski’s charismatic presence in public seminars. The possibility of viewing Grotowski as a guru undoubtedly raises all sorts of tensions regarding definitions, meanings and complexities within religious studies. By recognizing Grotowski as a key figure in the New Age and in the work of embodied spirituality in the last fifty years, it might be possible to return to older historical links between the theatre and the sacred.
