 Physical theatres: a critical reader.
Author: Murray, Simon & John Keefe Published: 2007 Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader is an invaluable resource for students of physically orientated theatre and performance, drawing on a wide range of sources from all aspects of a hitherto underserved area of study. This book aims to trace the roots and development of physicality in theatre by combining practical experience of the field with a strong historical and theoretical underpinning. In exploring the histories, cross-overs and intersections of physical theatres, this critical reader provides: 6 new, specially written essays, covering each of the book's main themes, from technical traditions to contemporary practises; discussion of issues such as the foregrounding of the body, training and performance processes, and the origins of theatre in both play and human cognition; a focus on the relationship and tensions between the verbal and the physical in theatre. Contributions are included from Augusto Boal, Stephen Berkoff, Etienne Decroux, Bertolt Brecht, David George, J-J. Rousseau, Ana Sanchez Colberg, Michael Chekhov, Jeff Nuttall, Jacques Lecoq, C L R James, Yoshi Oida, Mike Pearson, and Aristotle. This book can be used as a standalone text, or with its companion volume, Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction, to provide a comprehensive illustration of the physical in theatre and performance. Together they map what physical theatres have been, are, and may be. |
