Alternatives to Realism - Physical Theatre

Congrats on a fantastic first prac lesson on Physical Theatre! I was very impressed! Below is further reading on this unit and an opportunity for you to sign-up and make a comment. I look forward to reading your responses to today's lesson! :-)

Physical theatre is a general term used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling through primarily physical means.
Physical theatre may utilize pre-existing text, but the primary focus is on the physical work of the actors, expressed through the use of their bodies. It is a highly visual form of theatre. The action in physical theatre may have a psychological base, or point to an emotional centre, or have a clear storyline, and it can grow out of codified forms, improvisational work, or invented gestural language among other means of creation. However, the means of expression are always primarily physical rather than textual.

Physical Theatre Practitioners and forms:
Tadashi Suzuki, one of Japan's most famous directors, drew inspiration from the principals of classic Japanese musical-dramas called Noh and developed his methods which involve highly physical training. Noh also influence other dramatic forms such as Kabuki and Butoh.
Stanislavski, later on in life, began to reject his own ideas of naturalism, and started to pursue ideas relating to the physical body in performance. Meyerhold and Grotowski developed these ideas and began to develop actor training that included a very high level of physical training.

Related YouTube videos

Physical Theatre:
1. Meyerhold's Theater and Biomechanics
2. Noh Theatre
3. Actor's physical training -exercise
4. Butoh - The Body in Performance ***Caution: May contain light artistic nudity.

Companies Today:
5. PUSH Physical Theatre
6. Zen Zen Zo Training Room ***Caution: May contain light artistic nudity.