ABSTRACT

Twentieth Century Theatre: A Sourcebook is an inspired handbook of ideas and arguments on theatre. Richard Drain gathers together a uniquely wide-ranging selection of original writings on theatre by its most creative practitioners - directors, playwrights, performers and designers, from Jarry to Grotowski and Craig. These key texts span the twentieth century, from the onset of modernism to the present, providing direct access to the thinking behind much of the most stimulating theatre the century has had to offer, as well as guidelines to its present most adventurous developments.
Setting theory beside practice, these writings bring alive a number of vital and continuing concerns, each of which is given full scope in five sections which explore the Modernist, Political, Inner and Global dimensions of twentieth century theatre.
Twentieth Century Theatre: A Sourcebook provides illuminationg perspectives on past history, and throws fresh light on the sources and development of theatre today. This sourcebook is not only an essential and versatile collection for students at all levels, but also directed numerous devised shows which have toured to theatres, schools, community centres and prisons.

part |2 pages

Part I THE MODERNIST DIMENSION

chapter |8 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 1|3 pages

ALFRED JARRY

From Of the Uselessness to Theatre of the Theatre (1896)

chapter 2|3 pages

ADOLPHE APPIA

From A New Art-Material (c. 1902)

chapter 3|2 pages

GORDON CRAIG

From Rearrangements (1915)

chapter |4 pages

F.T.MARINETTI, E.SETTIMELLI AND B.CORRA

From The Futurist Synthetic Theatre (1915)

chapter 5|2 pages

ENRICO PRAMPOLINI

From Futurist Scenography (1915)

chapter 6|3 pages

TRISTAN TZARA Speech from The First Celestial Adventure of

Speech from The First Celestial Adventure of

chapter 7|3 pages

GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE

From Prologue to The Breasts of Tiresias (1917)

chapter 8|2 pages

WALTER HASENCLEVER

The Task of Drama (1920)

chapter 9|2 pages

VALESKA GERT

From I am a Witch (1950)

chapter |3 pages

STANISLAS IGNACY WITKIEWICZ

From On a New Type of Play (1920)

chapter 11|2 pages

IVAN GOLL Preface to Methusalem or The Eternal

Preface to Methusalem or The Eternal

chapter 12|2 pages

EL LISSITZKY

From The Painter on the Stage Progresses Towards Architecture (1922)

chapter 13|4 pages

SERGEI RADLOV

From On the Pure Elements of the Actor’s Art (1923)

chapter 14|2 pages

OSKAR SCHLEMMER

From New Stage Forms (1928)

chapter 15|3 pages

DANIIL KHARMS

The Oberiu Theatre (1928)

chapter 16|2 pages

GERTRUDE STEIN

From Plays (1935)

chapter 17|3 pages

EUGENE IONESCO

Notes on the Theatre (1953)

chapter 18|3 pages

ALLAN KAPROW

From Events (1966)

chapter 19|4 pages

ROBERT WILSON

From Speech Introducing Freud (1969)

chapter 20|5 pages

TADEUSZ KANTOR

From Impossible Theatre (1972)

chapter 21|5 pages

RICHARD FOREMAN

From Unbalancing Acts (1992)

part |2 pages

Part II THE POLITICAL DIMENSION

chapter |8 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 22|4 pages

BERNARD SHAW

From Preface to Mrs Warren’s Profession (1902)

chapter 23|8 pages

SERGEI EISENSTEIN

From A Personal Statement (1926)

chapter 24|3 pages

ERNST TOLLER

Post-war German Drama (1928)

chapter 25|4 pages

VSEVOLOD MEYERHOLD

From The Reconstruction of the Theatre (1929)

chapter 26|6 pages

ERWIN PISCATOR

From Basic Principles of a Theory of Sociological Drama (1929)

chapter 27|2 pages

WORKERS’ THEATRE MOVEMENT

‘Agit-Prop’ Style (1932)

chapter 29|5 pages

ATHOL FUGARD

The Coat (From Notebooks 1960/1977)

chapter 30|5 pages

ARIANE MNOUCHKINE

From Meetings with the Théâtre du Soleil (1974)

chapter 31|5 pages

JUDY CHICAGO

Womanhouse—Performances (1975)

chapter 32|3 pages

HÉLÈNE CIXOUS

Aller à la mer (1977)

chapter 33|3 pages

CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN

Art in the Dark: A Letter to Artforum (1983)

chapter 34|5 pages

SUZANNE LACY AND LESLIE LABOWITZ

From Feminist Media Strategies for Political Performance (1985)

chapter 35|4 pages

EDWARD BOND

From Commentary on The War Plays (1991)

chapter 36|3 pages

CHARLES LUDLAM

Opinions

part |2 pages

Part III THE POPULAR DIMENSION

chapter |8 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 37|2 pages

GORDON CRAIG

From One Word about the Theatre as it was, as it is, and as it will be (1905)

chapter 38|2 pages

VESTA TILLEY

Recollections (1934)

chapter 39|4 pages

VSEVOLOD MEYERHOLD

From The Fairground Booth (1911–12)

chapter 40|2 pages

W.B.YEATS

From A People’s Theatre: A Letter to Lady Gregory (1919)

chapter 41|4 pages

F.T.MARINETTI

From The Variety Theatre (1913)

chapter 42|3 pages

VLADIMIR MAYAKOVSKY

From Open Letter to the Workers (1917)

chapter 43|3 pages

GRIGORI KOZINTSEV

From AB: Parade of the Eccentric (1922)

chapter 44|3 pages

BLUE BLOUSE

Simple Advice to Participants (1925)

chapter 45|2 pages

VSEVOLOD MEYERHOLD

From The Reconstruction of the Theatre (1929)

chapter 46|2 pages

KARL VALENTIN

From Compulsory Theatre

chapter 47|5 pages

BERTOLT BRECHT

From The Popular and the Realistic (1938)

chapter 48|1 pages

JEAN VILAR The T.N.P—Public Service (1953)

The T.N.P.—Public Service (1953)

chapter 49|2 pages

ARMAND GATTI

Response of the Road-Sweepers (1962)

chapter 50|3 pages

PETER SCHUMANN

From Problems Concerning Puppetry and Folk Music and Folk Art in the Light of God and McNamara (1966)

chapter 51|5 pages

DOROTHY HEATHCOTE

From Drama as a Process for Change (1976)

chapter 52|5 pages

DARIO FO

From Retrieving the Past, Exposing the Present (1978)

chapter 53|5 pages

JOHN MCGRATH

From A Good Night Out (1981)

chapter 54|2 pages

ARMAND GATTI

The Workshop of Popular Creation (1983–5)

chapter 55|4 pages

JOHN FOX

From How Welfare State’s Events are Commissioned, Conceived and Carried Out (1983)

chapter 56|5 pages

KWESI OWUSU From Notting Hill Carnival: ‘De Road is de Stage de Stage is de Road’ (1986)

From Netting Hill Carnival: ‘De Road is de Stage de Stage is de Road’ (1986)

part |2 pages

Part IV THE INNER DIMENSION

chapter |8 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 57|2 pages

AUGUST STRINDBERG

A Reminder: Prefatory Note to A Dream Play (1902)

chapter 58|3 pages

ADOLPHE APPIA

From How to Reform Our Staging Practices (1904)

chapter 59|3 pages

GORDON CRAIG

Study for Movement (1906–13)

chapter 60|2 pages

VSEVOLOD MEYERHOLD

From The Stylised Theatre (1907)

chapter 61|3 pages

LOÏE FULLER

From Light and the Dance (1908)

chapter 62|2 pages

ISADORA DUNCAN

Depth

chapter 63|3 pages

WASSILY KANDINSKY

From On Stage Composition (1911–12)

chapter 64|5 pages

CONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI

From Inner Impulses and Inner Action; Creative Objectives (1916–20)

chapter 65|2 pages

PAUL KORNFELD

From The Inspired and the Psychological Being (1918)

chapter 66|3 pages

EVGENY VAKHTANGOV Vakhtangov and His Students (1922)

From Stenogramme of Two Discussions between Vakhtangov and His Students (1922)

chapter 67|3 pages

FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA

From Play and Theory of the Duende (1930)

chapter 68|9 pages

ANTONIN ARTAUD

Letter to Comœdia (1932)

chapter 69|2 pages

JUDITH MALINA

Notes on a Ritual Tragedy (1952)

chapter 70|4 pages

JERZY GROTOWSKI

Methodical Exploration (1967)

chapter 71|5 pages

LOUISE STEINMAN

From The Knowing Body (1986)

chapter 72|3 pages

RACHEL ROSENTHAL

From Rachel’s Brain (1991)

part |2 pages

Part V THE GLOBAL DIMENSION

chapter |9 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 73|3 pages

ANTONIN ARTAUD

From On the Balinese Theatre (1931)

chapter 74|3 pages

BERTOLT BRECHT

From Alienation Effects in Chinese Acting (1936)

chapter 75|5 pages

ENRIQUE BUENAVENTURA

From Theatre and Culture (1970)

chapter 76|4 pages

ERROL HILL

From The Emergence of a National Drama in the West Indies (1972)

chapter 77|5 pages

LUIS VALDEZ

Notes on Chicano Theater (1972)

chapter 78|3 pages

PETER BROOK

From The World as a Can Opener (1973)

chapter 79|4 pages

WOLE SOYINKA

From Drama and the African World View (1976)

chapter 80|4 pages

NTOZAKE SHANGE

unrecovered losses/black theatre traditions (1979)

chapter 81|4 pages

HONOR FORD-SMITH

From Sistren: Jamaican Women’s Theatre (1981)

chapter 82|5 pages

AUGUSTO BOAL

From The Theatre of the Oppressed in Europe: Forum Theatre (1983)

chapter 83|5 pages

HÉLÈNE CIXOUS

From The place of Crime, the place of Pardon (1986–7)

chapter 84|6 pages

EUGENIO BARBA

Eurasian Theatre (1988)

chapter 85|4 pages

GUILLERMO GÓMEZ-PEÑA

The Border as Performance Laboratory (1991)

chapter |13 pages

SOURCES AND FURTHER WRITINGS

chapter |7 pages

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS