Peter Brook The Empty Space

PETER BROOK
The Empty Space

A TOUCHSTONE BOOK
Published by Simon & Schuste
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1OR 3) 1ATHER
CONTENTS
#
THE 9EA97) THEATRE
Page 7
$
THE HO7) THEATRE
Page 49
%
THE ROU:H THEATRE
Page 78
6
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
Page 120
THE E3PT) SPACE
#
The 9eadly Theate
2 CAN ta!e any empty space and call it a bae sta+e0 A man
(al!s acoss this empty space (hilst someone else is (atch8
in+ him* and this is all that is needed "o an act o" theate
to be en+a+ed0 )et (hen (e tal! about theate this is not
;uite (hat (e mean0 Red cutains* spotli+hts* blan! 'ese*
lau+hte* da!ness* these ae all con"usedly supeimposed
in a messy ima+e co'eed by one all8pupose (od0 <e
tal! o" the cinema !illin+ the theate* and in that phase (e
e"e to the theate as it (as (hen the cinema (as bon* a
theate o" bo= o""ice* "oye* tip8up seats* "ootli+hts* scene
chan+es* inte'als* music* as thou+h the theate (as by
'ey de"inition these and little moe0
2 (ill ty to split the (od "ou (ays and distin+uish "ou
di""eent meanin+s>and so (ill tal! about a 9eadly
Theate* a Holy Theate* a Rou+h Theate and an
2mmediate Theate0 Sometimes these "ou theates eally
e=ist* standin+ side by side* in the <est End o" 7ondon* o
in Ne( )o! o"" Times S;uae0 Sometimes they ae
hundeds o" miles apat* the Holy in <asa( and the
Rou+h in Pa+ue* and sometimes they ae metaphoic? t(o
o" them mi=in+ to+ethe (ithin one e'enin+* (ithin one
act0 Sometimes (ithin one sin+le moment* the "ou o"
7
THE DEADLY THEATRE 8
them* Holy* Rou+h* 2mmediate and 9eadly intet(ine0
The 9eadly Theate can at "ist si+ht be ta!en "o +anted*
because it means bad theate0 As this is the "om o" theate
(e see most o"ten* and as it is most closely lin!ed to the
despised* much8attac!ed commecial theate it mi+ht seem
a (aste o" time to citici@e it "uthe0 But it is only i" (e see
that deadliness is decepti'e and can appea any(hee*
that (e (ill become a(ae o" the si@e o" the poblem0
The condition o" the 9eadly Theate at least is "aily
ob'ious0 All thou+h the (old theate audiences ae
d(indlin+0 Thee ae occasional ne( mo'ements* +ood
ne( (ites and so on* but as a (hole* the theate not only
"ails to ele'ate o instuct* it hadly e'en entetains0 The
theate has o"ten been called a (hoe* meanin+ its at is
impue* but today this is tue in anothe sense>(hoes
ta!e the money and then +o shot on the pleasue0 The
Boad(ay cisis* the Pais cisis* the <est End cisis ae
the same? (e do not need the tic!et a+ents to tell us that
the theate has become a deadly business and the public is
smellin+ it out0 2n "act* (ee the public e'e eally to
demand the tue entetainment it tal!s about so o"ten* (e
(ould almost all be had put to !no( (hee to be+in0 A
tue theate o" Aoy is non8e=istent and it is not Aust the
ti'ial comedy and the bad musical that "ail to +i'e us ou
moneyBs (oth>the 9eadly Theate "inds its deadly (ay
into +and opea and ta+edy* into the plays o" 3oliee
and the plays o" Becht0 O" couse no(hee does the
9 THE EMPTY SPACE
9eadly Theate install itsel" so secuely* so com"otably
and so slyly as in the (o!s o" <illiam Sha!espeae0 The
9eadly Theate ta!es easily to Sha!espeae0 <e see his
plays done by +ood actos in (hat seems li!e the pope
(ay>they loo! li'ely and colou"ul* thee is music and
e'eyone is all dessed up* Aust as they ae supposed to be
in the best o" classical theates0 )et secetly (e "ind it
e=cuciatin+ly boin+>and in ou heats (e eithe blame
Sha!espeae* o theate as such* o e'en ousel'es0 To
ma!e mattes (ose thee is al(ays a deadly spectato*
(ho "o special easons enAoys a lac! o" intensity and e'en
a lac! o" entetainment* such as the schola (ho eme+es
"om outine pe"omances o" the classics smilin+ because
nothin+ has distacted him "om tyin+ o'e and
con"imin+ his pet theoies to himsel"* (hilst ecitin+ his
"a'ouite lines unde his beath0 2n his heat he sinceely
(ants a theate that is noble8than8li"e and he con"uses a
sot o" intellectual satis"action (ith the tue e=peience "o
(hich he ca'es0 Un"otunately* he lends the (ei+ht o" his
authoity to dullness and so the 9eadly Theate +oes on its
(ay0
Anyone (ho (atches the eal successes as they appea
each yea* (ill see a 'ey cuious phenomenon0 <e e=pect
the so8called hit to be li'elie* "aste* bi+hte than the "lop
>but this is not al(ays the case0 Almost e'ey season in
most theate8lo'in+ to(ns* thee is one +eat success that
de"ies these ulesC one play that succeeds not despite but
because o" dullness0 A"te all* one associates cultue (ith a
cetain sense o" duty* histoical costumes and lon+
speeches (ith the sensation o" bein+ boed? so* con'esely*
Aust the i+ht de+ee o" boin+ness is a eassuin+
+uaantee o" a (oth(hile e'ent0 O" couse* the dosa+e is
so subtle that it is impossible to establish the e=act "omula
>too much and the audience is di'en out o" thei seats*
too little and it may "ind the theme too disa+eeably
intense0 Ho(e'e* medioce authos seem to "eel thei (ay
unein+ly to the pe"ect mi=tue>and they pepetuate the
9eadly Theate (ith dull successes* uni'esally paised0
Audiences ca'e "o somethin+ in the theate that they can
tem DbetteB than li"e and "o this eason ae open to
con"use cultue* o the tappin+s o" cultue* (ith
somethin+ they do not !no(* but sense obscuely could
e=ist>so* ta+ically* in ele'atin+ somethin+ bad into a
success they ae only cheatin+ themsel'es0
2" (e tal! o" deadly* let us note that the di""eence bet(een
li"e and death* so cystal clea in man* is some(hat 'eiled
in othe "ields0 A docto can tell at once bet(een the tace
o" li"e and the useless ba+ o" bones that li"e has le"tC but (e
ae less pactised in obse'in+ ho( an idea* an attitude o
a "om can pass "om the li'ely to the moibund0 2t is
di""icult to de"ine but a child can smell it out0 7et me +i'e
an e=ample0 2n 1ance thee ae t(o deadly (ays o"
playin+ classical ta+edy0 One is taditional* and this
in'ol'es usin+ a special 'oice* a special manne* a noble
loo! and an ele'ated musical deli'ey0 The othe (ay is no
moe than a hal"8heated 'esion o" the same thin+0
11 THE EMPTY SPACE
2mpeial +estues and oyal 'alues ae "ast disappeain+
"om e'eyday li"e* so each ne( +eneation "inds the +and
manne moe and moe hollo(* moe and moe
meanin+less0 This leads the youn+ acto to an an+y and
impatient seach "o (hat he calls tuth0 He (ants to play
his 'ese moe ealistically* to +et it to sound li!e honest8
to8:od eal speech* but he "inds that the "omality o" the
(itin+ is so i+id that it esists this teatment0 He is "oced
to an uneasy compomise that is neithe e"eshin+* li!e
odinay tal!* no de"iantly histionic* li!e (hat (e call
ham0 So his actin+ is (ea! and because ham is ston+* it is
emembeed (ith a cetain nostal+ia0 2ne'itably* someone
calls "o ta+edy to be played once a+ain Dthe (ay it is
(itten0E This is "ai enou+h* but un"otunately all the
pinted (od can tell us is (hat (as (itten on pape* not
ho( it (as once bou+ht to li"e0 Thee ae no ecods* no
tapes>only e=pets* but not one o" them* o" couse* has
"isthand !no(led+e0 The eal anti;ues ha'e all +one>
only some imitations ha'e su'i'ed* in the shape o"
taditional actos* (ho continue to play in a taditional
(ay* da(in+ thei inspiation not "om eal souces* but
"om ima+inay ones* such as the memoy o" the sound an
olde acto once made>a sound that in tun (as a
memoy o" a pedecessoBs (ay0
2 once sa( a eheasal at the Comedie 1anFaise>a 'ey
youn+ acto stood in "ont o" a 'ey old one and spo!e and
mimed the ole (ith him li!e a e"lection in a +lass0 This
must not be con"used (ith the +eat tadition* say* o" the
Noh actos passin+ !no(led+e oally "om "athe to son0
Thee it is meanin+ that is communicated>and meanin+
ne'e belon+s to the past0 2t can be chec!ed in each manBs
o(n pesent e=peience0 But to imitate the e=tenals o"
actin+ only pepetuates manne>a manne had to elate
to anythin+ at all0
A+ain (ith Sha!espeae (e hea o ead the same ad'ice
>DPlay (hat is (itten0B But (hat is (ittenG Cetain
ciphes on pape0 Sha!espeaeBs (ods ae ecods o" the
(ods that he (anted to be spo!en* (ods issuin+ as
sounds "om peopleBs mouths* (ith pitch* pause* hythm
and +estue as pat o" thei meanin+0 A (od does not
stat as a (od>it is an end poduct (hich be+ins as an
impulse* stimulated by attitude and beha'iou (hich
dictate the need "o e=pession0 This pocess occus inside
the damatistC it is epeated inside the acto0 Both may
only be conscious o" the (ods* but both "o the autho
and then "o the acto the (od is a small 'isible potion o"
a +i+antic unseen "omation0 Some (ites attempt to nail
do(n thei meanin+ and intentions in sta+e diections and
e=planations* yet (e cannot help bein+ stuc! by the "act
that the best damatists e=plain themsel'es the least0 They
eco+ni@e that "uthe indications (ill most pobably be
useless0 They eco+ni@e that the only (ay to "ind the tue
path to the spea!in+ o" a (od is thou+h a pocess that
paallels the oi+inal ceati'e one0 This can neithe be by8
passed no simpli"ied0 Un"otunately* the moment a lo'e
spea!s* o a !in+ uttes* (e ush to +i'e them a label? the
13 THE EMPTY SPACE
lo'e is Domantic*B the !in+ is DnobleB>and be"oe (e
!no( it (e ae spea!in+ o" omantic lo'e and !in+ly
nobility o pinceliness as thou+h they ae thin+s (e can
hold in ou hand and e=pect the actos to obse'e0 But
these ae not substances and they do not e=ist0 2" (e seach
"o them* the best (e can do is to ma!e +uess(o!
econstuctions "om boo!s and paintin+s0 2" you as! an
acto to play in a Domantic styleB he (ill 'aliantly ha'e a
+o* thin!in+ he !no(s (hat you mean0 <hat actually can
he da( onG Hunch* ima+ination and a scapboo! o"
theatical memoies* all o" (hich (ill +i'e him a 'a+ue
DomanticnessB that he (ill mi= up (ith a dis+uised
imitation o" (hate'e olde acto he happens to admie0 2"
he di+s into his o(n e=peiences the esult may not may
(ith the te=tC i" he Aust plays (hat he thin!s is the te=t* it
(ill be imitati'e and con'entional0 Eithe (ay the esult is
a compomise? at most times uncon'incin+0
2t is 'ain to petend that the (ods (e apply to classical
plays li!e Dmusical*B Dpoetic*B Dla+e than li"e*B Dnoble*B
Dheoic*B Domantic*B ha'e any absolute meanin+0 They ae
the e"lections o" a citical attitude o" a paticula peiod*
and to attempt to build a pe"omance today to con"om to
these canons is the most cetain oad to deadly theate>
deadly theate o" a espectability that ma!es it pass as
li'in+ tuth0
Once* (hen +i'in+ a lectue on this theme* 2 (as able to
put it to a pactical test0 By luc!* thee (as a (oman in the
audience (ho had neithe ead no seen Kin+ 7ea0 2 +a'e
he :oneilBs "ist speech and as!ed he to ecite it as best
she could "o (hate'e 'alues she "ound in it0 She ead it
'ey simply>and the speech itsel" eme+ed "ull o"
elo;uence and cham0 2 then e=plained that it (as
supposed to be the speech o" a (ic!ed (oman and
su++ested he eadin+ e'ey (od "o hypocisy0 She tied
to do so* and the audience sa( (hat a had unnatual
(estlin+ (ith the simple music o" the (ods (as
in'ol'ed (hen she sou+ht to act to a de"inition?
Si* 2 lo'e you moe than (ods can (ield the matteC
9eae than eyesi+ht* space* and libetyC
Beyond that can be 'alued* ich o aeC
No less than li"e* (ith +ace* health* beauty* honouC
As much as child eBe lo'ed* o "athe "oundC
A lo'e that ma!es beath poo* and speech unableC
Beyond all manne o" so much 2 lo'e you0
Anyone can ty this "o himsel"0 Taste it on the ton+ue0 The
(ods ae those o" a lady o" style and beedin+
accustomed to e=pessin+ hesel" in public* someone (ith
ease and social aplomb0 As "o clues to he chaacte* only
the "aFade is pesented and this* (e see* is ele+ant and
attacti'e0 )et i" one thin!s o" the pe"omances (hee
:oneil spea!s these "ist lines as a macabe 'illainess* and
loo!s at the speech a+ain* one is at a loss to !no( (hat
su++ests this>othe than peconceptions o" Sha!espeaeBs
moal attitudes0 2n "act* i" :oneil in he "ist appeaance
does not play a Dmonste*B but meely (hat he +i'en
(ods su++est* then all the balance o" the play chan+es>
15 THE EMPTY SPACE
and in the subse;uent scenes he 'illainy and 7eaBs
matydom ae neithe as cude no as simpli"ied as they
mi+ht appea0 O" couse* by the end o" the play (e lean
that :oneilBs actions ma!e he (hat (e call a monste>
but a eal monste* both comple= and compellin+0
2n a li'in+ theate* (e (ould each day appoach the e8
heasal puttin+ yestedayBs disco'eies to the test* eady to
belie'e that the tue play has once a+ain escaped us0 But
the 9eadly Theate appoaches the classics "om the
'ie(point that some(hee* someone has "ound out and
de"ined ho( the play should be done0
This is the unnin+ poblem o" (hat (e loosely call style0
E'ey (o! has its o(n style? it could not be othe(ise?
e'ey peiod has its style0 The moment (e ty to pinpoint
this style (e ae lost0 2 emembe 'i'idly (hen shotly
a"te the Pe!in Opea had come to 7ondon a i'al Chinese
Opea Company "ollo(ed* "om 1omosa0 The Pe!in
Company (as still in touch (ith its souces and ceatin+
its ancient pattens a"esh each ni+ht? the 1omosan
company* doin+ the same items* (as imitatin+ its
memoies o" them* s!impin+ some details* e=a++eatin+
the sho(y passa+es* "o+ettin+ the meanin+>nothin+ (as
ebon0 E'en in a stan+e e=otic style the di""eence
bet(een li"e and death (as unmista!able0
The eal Pe!in Opea (as an e=ample o" a theatical at
(hee the oute "oms do not chan+e "om +eneation to
+eneation and only a "e( yeas a+o it seemed as thou+h it
(ee so pe"ectly "o@en that it could cay on "o e'e0
Today* e'en this supeb elic has +one0 2ts "oce and its
;uality enabled it to su'i'e (ay beyond its time* li!e a
monument>but the day came (hen the +ap bet(een it
and the li"e o" the society aound it became too +eat0 The
Red :uads e"lect a di""eent China0 1e( o" the attitudes
and meanin+s o" the taditional Pe!in Opea elate to the
ne( stuctue o" thou+ht in (hich this people no( li'es0
Today in Pe!in the empeos and pincesses ha'e been
eplaced by landlods and soldies* and the same incedible
acobatic s!ills ae used to spea! o" 'ey di""eent themes0
To the <estene this seems a (ic!ed shame and it is easy
"o us to shed culti'ated teas0 O" couse* it is ta+ic that
this miaculous heita+e has been destoyed>and yet 2
"eel that the uthless Chinese attitude to one o" thei
poudest possessions +oes to the heat o" the meanin+ o"
li'in+ theate>theate is al(ays a sel"8destucti'e at* and
it is al(ays (itten on the (ind0 A po"essional theate
assembles di""eent people e'ey ni+ht and spea!s to them
thou+h the lan+ua+e o" beha'iou0 A pe"omance +ets
set and usually has to be epeated>and epeated as (ell
and accuately as possible>but "om the day it is set
somethin+ in'isible is be+innin+ to die0
2n the 3osco( At Theate* in Tel A'i' in the Habimah*
poductions ha'e been !ept +oin+ "o "oty yeas o
moe? 2 ha'e seen a "aith"ul e'i'al o" Ha!htan+o'Bs
17 THE EMPTY SPACE
t(entiesB sta+in+ of Princess Turandot; 2 ha'e seen
Stanisla's!yBs o(n (o!* pe"ectly pese'ed? but none o"
these had moe than anti;uaian inteest* none had the
'itality o" ne( in'ention0 At Stat"od (hee (e (oy that
(e donBt play ou epetoie lon+ enou+h to mil! its "ull bo=
o""ice 'alue* (e no( discuss this ;uite empiically? about
"i'e yeas* (e a+ee* is the most a paticula sta+in+ can li'e0
2t is not only the haistyles* costumes and ma!e8ups that
loo! dated0 All the di""eent elements o" sta+in+>the
shothands o" beha'iou that stand "o cetain emotionsC
+estues* +esticulations and tones o" 'oice>ae all
"luctuatin+ on an in'isible stoc! e=chan+e all the time0 7i"e is
mo'in+* in"luences ae playin+ on acto and audience and
othe plays* othe ats* the cinema* tele'ision* cuent e'ents*
Aoin in the constant e(itin+ o" histoy and the amendin+ o"
the daily tuth0 2n "ashion houses someone (ill thump a table
and say Dboots ae de"initely inB? this is an e=istential "act0 A
li'in+ theate that thin!s it can stand aloo" "om anythin+ so
ti'ial as "ashion (ill (ilt0 2n the theate* e'ey "om once
bon is motalC e'ey "om must be econcei'ed* and its ne(
conception (ill bea the ma!s o" all the in"luences that
suound it0 2n this sense* the theate is elati'ity0 )et a +eat
theate is not a "ashion houseC pepetual elements do ecu
and cetain "undamental issues undelie all damatic acti'ity0
The deadly tap is to di'ide the etenal tuths "om the
supe"icial 'aiationsC this is a subtle "om o" snobbey and it
is "atal0 1o instance* it is accepted that sceney* costumes*
music ae "ai +ame "o diectos and desi+nes* and must in
"act be ene(ed0 <hen it comes to attitudes and beha'iou
(e ae much moe con"used* and tend to belie'e that these
elements i" tue in the (itin+ can continue to e=pess
themsel'es in simila (ays0
Closely elated to this is the con"lict bet(een theate
diectos and musicians in opea poductions (hee t(o
totally di""eent "oms* dama and music* ae teated as
thou+h they (ee one0 A musician is dealin+ (ith a "abic
that is as nea as man can +et to an e=pession o" the
in'isible0 His scoe notes this in'isibility and his sound is
made by instuments (hich hadly e'e chan+e0 The
playeBs pesonality is unimpotantC a thin clainettist can
easily ma!e a "atte sound than a "at one0 The 'ehicle o"
music is sepaate "om music itsel"0 So the stu"" o" music
comes and +oes* al(ays in the same (ay* "ee o" the need
to be e'ised and eassessed0 But the 'ehicle o" dama is
"lesh and blood and hee completely di""eent la(s ae at
(o!0 The 'ehicle and the messa+e cannot be sepaated0
Only a na!ed acto can be+in to esemble a pue instument
li!e a 'iolin and only i" he has a completely classical physi;ue*
(ith neithe paunch no bandy le+s0 A ballet dance is
sometimes close to this condition and he can epoduce
"omal +estues unmodi"ied by his o(n pesonality o by the
oute mo'ement o" li"e0 But the moment the acto desses up
and spea!s (ith his o(n ton+ue he is entein+ the
"luctuatin+ teitoy o" mani"estation and e=istence that he
shaes (ith the spectato0 Because the musicianBs e=peience
is so di""eent* he "inds it had to "ollo( (hy the taditional
bits o" business that made Hedi lau+h and Puccini slap his
19 THE EMPTY SPACE
thi+hs seem neithe "unny no illuminatin+ today0 :and
opea* o" couse* is the 9eadly Theate caied to absudity0
Opea is a ni+htmae o" 'ast "euds o'e tiny detailsC o"
suealist anecdotes that all tun ound the same assetion?
nothin+ needs to chan+e0 E'eythin+ in opea must chan+e*
but in opea chan+e is bloc!ed0
A+ain (e must be(ae o" indi+nation* "o i" (e ty to sim8
pli"y the poblem by ma!in+ tadition the main baie be8
t(een ousel'es and a li'in+ theate (e (ill a+ain miss the
eal issue0 Thee is a deadly element e'ey(heeC in the cul8
tual set8up* in ou inheited atistic 'alues* in the economic
"ame(o!* in the actoBs li"e* in the citicBs "unction0 As (e
e=amine these (e (ill see that decepti'ely the opposite
seems also tue* "o (ithin the 9eadly Theate thee ae
o"ten tantali@in+* aboti'e o e'en momentaily satis"yin+
"lic!es o" a eal li"e0
2n Ne( )o! "o instance* the most deadly element is
cetainly economic0 This does not mean that all (o! done
thee is bad* but a theate (hee a play "o economic
easons eheases "o no moe than thee (ee!s is cippled
at the outset0
Time is not the be8all and end8all? it is not impossible to +et
an astonishin+ esult in thee (ee!s0 Occasionally in the
theate (hat one loosely calls chemisty* o luc!* bin+s
about an astonishin+ ush o" ene+y* and then in'ention
"ollo(s in'ention in li+htnin+ chain eaction0 But this is
ae? common sense sho(s that i" the system i+idly
e=cludes moe than thee (ee!sB eheasal most o" the
time* most thin+s su""e0 No e=peimentin+ can ta!e place*
and no eal atistic is!s ae possible0 The diecto must
deli'e the +oods o be "ied and so must the acto0 O"
couse time can also be used 'ey badlyC it is possible to sit
aound "o months discussin+ and (oyin+ and
impo'isin+ (ithout this sho(in+ in any (ay (hatsoe'e0
2 ha'e seen Sha!espeaian poductions in Russia so
con'entional in appoach that t(o "ull yeas o" discussion
and study o" achi'es +i'e no bette a esult than scatch
companies +et in thee (ee!s0 2 met an acto (ho e8
heased Hamlet "o se'en yeas and ne'e played it
because the diecto died be"oe it (as "inished0 On the
othe hand* poductions o" Russian plays eheased in the
Stanisla's!y manne o'e yeas still each a le'el o"
pe"omance o" (hich (e can only deam0 The Beline
Ensemble uses time (ell* they use it "eely* spendin+ about
t(el'e months on a ne( poduction* and o'e a numbe o"
yeas they ha'e built up a epetoie o" sho(s* e'ey one
o" (hich is ema!able>and e'ey one o" (hich "ills the
theate to capacity0 2n simple capitalist tems* this is bette
business than the commecial theate (hee the scambled
and patched sho(s so seldom succeed0 Each season on
Boad(ay o in 7ondon a la+e numbe o" e=pensi'e
sho(s "old (ithin a (ee! o t(o a+ainst the ae "ea! that
scapes thou+h0 None the less* the pecenta+e o"
disastes hasnBt Aolted the system o the belie" that
someho( it (ill all (o! out in the end0 On Boad(ay
21 THE EMPTY SPACE
tic!et pices ae continually isin+ and* ionically* as each
season +o(s moe disastous* each seasonBs hit ma!es
moe money0 As "e(e and "e(e people +o thou+h the
doos* la+e and la+e sums coss the tic!et o""ice
counte* until e'entually one last millionaie (ill be
payin+ a "otune "o one pi'ate pe"omance "o himsel"
alone0 So it comes about that (hat is bad business "o some
is +ood business "o othes0 E'eyone moans and yet many
(ant the system to +o on0
The atistic conse;uences ae se'ee0 Boad(ay is not a
Aun+le* it is a machine into (hich a +eat many pats
snu+ly inteloc!0 )et each o" these pats is butali@edC it
has been de"omed to "it and "unction smoothly0 This
is the only theate in the (old (hee e'ey atist>by
this* 2 mean desi+nes* composes* li+htin+ electicians* as
(ell as actos>needs an a+ent "o his pesonal potection0
This sounds melodamatic* but in a sense e'eyone is
continually in dan+eC his Aob* his eputation* his (ay o"
li"e is in daily balance0 2n theoy* this tension should lead
to an atmosphee o" "ea* and* (ee this the case* its
destucti'eness (ould be clealy seen0 2n pactice*
ho(e'e* the undelyin+ tension leads Aust as diectly to
the "amous Boad(ay atmosphee* (hich is 'ey
emotional* thobbin+ (ith appaent (amth and +ood
chee0 On the "ist day o" eheasal o" House of Floers! its
compose Haold Alen ai'ed (eain+ a blue
con"lo(e* (ith champa+ne and pesents "o us all0 As
he hu++ed and !issed his (ay ound the cast* Tuman
Capote (ho had (itten the libetto (hispeed da!ly
to me* D2tBs lo'e today0 The la(yesBll be in tomoo(0B 2t
(as tue0 Peal Bailey had se'ed me (ith a 4&*&&&8dolla
(it be"oe the sho( eached to(n0 1o a "oei+ne it (as
Iin etospectJ all "un and e=citin+>e'eythin+ is co'eed
and e=cused by the tem Dsho( businessE>but in pecise
tems the butal (amth diectly elates to the lac! o"
emotional "inesse0 2n such conditions thee is aely the
;uiet and secuity in (hich anyone may dae e=pose
himsel"0 2 mean the tue unspectacula intimacy that
lon+ (o! and tue con"idence in othe people bin+s
about>on Boad(ay* a cude +estue o" sel"8e=posue is
easy to come by* but this has nothin+ to do (ith the
subtle* sensiti'e inteelation bet(een people con"idently
(o!in+ to+ethe0 <hen the Ameicans en'y the Bitish* it
is this odd sensibility* this une'en +i'e and ta!e that they
mean0 They call it style* and e+ad it as a mystey0 <hen
you cast a play in Ne( )o! and you ae told that a
cetain acto Dhas style*B this usually means an imitation
o" an imitation o" a Euopean0 2n the Ameican theate*
people tal! seiously o" style* as thou+h this (as a manne
that could be ac;uied>and the actos (ho ha'e played
the classics and ha'e been "latteed by citics into belie'in+
that they ha'e Dit*B do e'eythin+ to pepetuate the notion
that style is a ae somethin+ that a "e( +entleman actos
possess0 )et Ameica could easily ha'e a +eat theate o" its
o(n0 2t possesses e'ey one o" the elementsC thee is a
sten+th* coua+e* humou* cash and a capacity "o "acin+
had "acts0
23 THE EMPTY SPACE
One monin+ 2 stood in the 3useum o" 3oden At loo!in+
at the people s(amin+ in "o one dolla admission0 Almost
e'ey one o" them had the li'ely head and the indi'idual loo!
o" a +ood audience > usin+ the simple pesonal standad o"
an audience "o (hom one (ould li!e to do plays0 2n Ne(
)o!* potentially* thee is one o" the best audiences in the
(old0 Un"otunately* it seldom +oes to the theate0
2t seldom +oes to the theate because the pices ae too hi+h0
Cetainly it can a""od these pices* but it has been let do(n
too o"ten0 2t is not "o nothin+ that Ne( )o! is the place
(hee the citics ae the most po(e"ul and the tou+hest
in the (old0 2t is the audience* yea a"te yea* that has been
"oced to ele'ate simple "allible men into hi+hly piced
e=pets because* as (hen a collecto buys an e=pensi'e
(o!* he cannot a""od to ta!e the is! alone? the tadition o"
the e=pet 'alues o" (o!s o" at* li!e 9u'een* has eached
the bo= o""ice line0 So the cicle is closedC not only the atists*
but also the audience* ha'e to ha'e thei potection men>
and most o" the cuious* intelli+ent* non8con"omin+
indi'iduals stay a(ay0 This situation is not uni;ue to Ne(
)o!0 2 had a closely elated e=peience (hen (e put on Kohn
AdenBs "ergeant Musgra#e$s %ance in Pais at the AthenLe0 2t
(as a tue "lop>almost all the Pess (as bad>and (e (ee
playin+ to 'itually empty houses0 Con'inced that the play
had an audience some(hee in the to(n* (e announced that
(e (ould +i'e thee "ee pe"omances0 Such (as the lue o"
complimentay tic!ets that they became li!e (ild pemiees0
Co(ds "ou+ht to +et in* the police had to da( ion +illes
acoss the "oye* and the play itsel" (ent ma+ni"icently* as
the actos* cheeed by the (amth o" the house* +a'e thei
best pe"omance* (hich in tun eaned them an o'ation0 The
theate (hich the ni+ht be"oe had been a dau+hty mo+ue
no( hummed (ith the chatte and bu@@ o" success0 At the
end* (e put up the house li+hts and loo!ed at the audience0
3ostly youn+* they (ee all (ell dessed* athe "omal* in
suits and ties0 1anFoise Spia* diectess o" the theate* came
on the sta+e0
D2s thee anyone hee (ho could not a""od the pice
o" a tic!etGB
One man put up his hand0
DAnd the est o" you* (hy did you ha'e to (ait to be
let in "o "eeGB
D2t had a bad Pess0B
D9o you belie'e the PessGB
7oud chous o" DNoMB
DThen* (hyNGB
And "om all sides the same ans(e>the is! is too +eat*
too many disappointments0 Hee (e see ho( the 'icious
cicle is da(n0 Steadily the 9eadly Theate di+s its o(n
+a'e0
O else (e can attac! the poblem the othe (ay ound0 2"
25 THE EMPTY SPACE
+ood theate depends on a +ood audience* then e'ey
audience has the theate it dese'es0 )et it must be 'ey
had "o spectatos to be told o" an audienceBs
esponsibility0 Ho( can this be "aced in pacticeG 2t (ould be
a sad day i" people (ent to the theate out o" duty0 Once
(ithin a theate an audience cannot (hip itsel" into bein+
DbetteB than it is0 2n a sense thee is nothin+ a spectato can
actually do0 And yet thee is a contadiction hee that cannot
be i+noed* "o e'eythin+ depends on him0
<hen the Royal Sha!espeae CompanyBs poduction o"
&ing 'ear toued thou+h Euope the poduction (as
steadily impo'in+ and the best pe"omances lay bet(een
Budapest and 3osco(0 2t (as "ascinatin+ to see ho( an
audience composed la+ely o" people (ith little !no(led+e
o" En+lish could so in"luence a cast0 These audiences bou+ht
(ith them thee thin+sC a lo'e "o the play itsel"* eal
hun+e "o a contact (ith "oei+nes and* abo'e all* an
e=peience o" li"e in Euope in the last yeas that enabled
them to come diectly to the playBs pain"ul themes0 The
;uality o" the attention that this audience bou+ht
e=pessed itsel" in silence and concentationC a "eelin+ in
the house that a""ected the actos as thou+h a billiant
li+ht (ee tuned on thei (o!0 As a esult* the most
obscue passa+es (ee illuminatedC they (ee played
(ith a comple=ity o" meanin+ and a "ine use o" the En+lish
lan+ua+e that "e( o" the audience could liteally "ollo(*
but (hich all could sense0 The actos (ee mo'ed and
e=cited and they poceeded to the United States* pepaed
to +i'e to an En+lish8spea!in+ audience all that this "ocus
had tau+ht them0 2 (as "oced to +o bac! to En+land and
only cau+ht up (ith the company a "e( (ee!s late in
Philadelphia0 To my supise and dismay* much o" the
;uality had +one "om thei actin+0 2 (anted to blame the
actos* but it (as clea that they (ee tyin+ as had as
they could0 2t (as the elation (ith the audience that had
chan+ed0 2n Philadelphia* the audience undestood
En+lish all i+ht* but this audience (as composed la+ely
o" people (ho (ee not inteested in the playC people (ho
came "o all the con'entional easons>because it (as a
social e'ent* because thei (i'es insisted* and so on0
Undoubtedly* a (ay e=isted to in'ol'e this paticula
audience in &ing 'ear! but it (as not ou (ay0 The austeity
o" this poduction (hich had seemed so i+ht in Euope
no lon+e made sense0 Seein+ people ya(n* 2 "elt +uilty*
eali@in+ that somethin+ else (as demanded "om us all0 2
!ne( that (ee 2 doin+ a poduction o" &ing 'ear "o the
people o" Philadelphia 2 (ould (ithout condescension
stess e'eythin+ di""eently>and* in immediate tems* 2
(ould +et it to (o! bette0 But (ith an established
poduction on tou 2 could do nothin+0 The actos*
ho(e'e* (ee instincti'ely espondin+ to the ne(
situation0 They (ee undelinin+ e'eythin+ in the play
that could aest the spectato>that is to say* (hen thee
(as a bit o" e=citin+ action o a bust o" melodama* they
e=ploited it* they played loude and cude and o" couse
(hipped past those inticate passa+es that the non8
En+lish audience had so enAoyed>(hich* ionically* only
27 THE EMPTY SPACE
an En+lish8spea!in+ audience could ha'e appeciated to
the "ull0 E'entually ou impesaio too! the play to the
7incoln Cente in Ne( )o!>a +iant auditoium (hee the
acoustics (ee bad and the audience esented its poo
contact (ith the sta+e0 <e (ee put in this 'ast theate "o
economic easons? a simple illustation o" ho( a closed
cicle o" cause and e""ect is poduced* so that the (on+
audience o the (on+ place o both conAues "om the
actos thei coasest (o!0 A+ain* the actos* espondin+
to the +i'en conditions* had no choice* they "aced the
"ont* spo!e loudly and ;uite i+htly the( a(ay all that
had become pecious in thei (o!0 This dan+e is built
into e'ey tou* because in a sense "e( o" the conditions o"
the oi+inal pe"omance apply>and contact (ith each
ne( audience is o"ten a matte o" luc!0 2n the old days* the
stollin+ playes natually adapted thei (o! to each ne(
place? elaboate moden poductions ha'e no such
"le=ibility0 2n "act* (hen (e played DUS*B the Royal
Sha!espeae TheateBs +oup8happenin+8collaboati'e
spectacle on the Hietnam (a* (e decided to e"use all
in'itations to tou0 E'ey element in it had come into bein+
Aust "o the paticula coss8section o" 7ondon that sat in
the Ald(ych Theate in #-..0 The "act that (e had no te=t
(ou+ht and set by a damatist (as the condition o" this
paticula e=peiment0 Contact (ith the audience* thou+h
shaed e"eences* became the substance o" the e'enin+0
Had (e a shaped te=t* (e could ha'e played in othe
places* (ithout one (e (ee li!e a happenin+>and in the
e'ent* (e all "elt that somethin+ (as lost in playin+ it e'en
thou+h a 7ondon season o" "i'e months0 One pe"omance
(ould ha'e been the tue culmination0 <e made the
mista!e o" "eelin+ obli+ated to ente ou o(n epetoie0 A
epetoie epeats* and to epeat somethin+ must be "i=ed0
The ules o" Bitish censoship pe'ent actos adaptin+
and impo'isin+ in pe"omance0 So in this case* the "i=in+
(as the be+innin+ o" a slide to(ads the deadly>the
li'eliness o" the actos (aned as the immediacy o" the
elation (ith thei public and thei theme lessened0
9uin+ a tal! to a +oup at a uni'esity 2 once tied to
illustate ho( an audience a""ects actos by the ;uality o" its
attention0 2 as!ed "o a 'oluntee0 A man came "o(ad* and
2 +a'e him a sheet o" pape on (hich (as typed a speech
"om Pete <eissBs play about Ausch(it@* The (n#estigation)
The section (as a desciption o" bodies inside a +as chambe0
As the 'oluntee too! the pape and ead it o'e to himsel"
the audience titteed in the (ay an audience al(ays does
(hen it sees one o" its !ind on the (ay to ma!in+ a "ool o"
himsel"0 But the 'oluntee (as too stuc! and too appalled by
(hat he (as eadin+ to eact (ith the sheepish +ins that ae
also customay0 Somethin+ o" his seiousness and concenta8
tion eached the audience and it "ell silent0 Then at my e;uest
he be+an to ead out loud0 The 'ey "ist (ods (ee loaded
(ith thei o(n +hastly sense and the eadeBs esponse to
them0 2mmediately the audience undestood0 2t became one
(ith him* (ith the speech>the lectue oom and the 'olun8
tee (ho had come on0 to the plat"om 'anished "om si+ht>
the na!ed e'idence "om Ausch(it@ (as so po(e"ul that it
29 THE EMPTY SPACE
too! o'e completely0 Not only did the eade continue to
spea! in a shoc!ed attenti'e silence* but his eadin+* techni8
cally spea!in+* (as pe"ect>it had neithe +ace no lac! o"
+ace* s!ill no lac! o" s!ill>it (as pe"ect because he had
no attention to spae "o sel"8consciousness* "o (ondein+
(hethe he (as usin+ the i+ht intonation0 He !ne( the
audience (anted to hea* and he (anted to let them hea? the
ima+es "ound thei o(n le'el and +uided his 'oice uncon8
sciously to the appopiate 'olume and pitch0
A"te this* 2 as!ed "o anothe 'oluntee* and +a'e him the
speech "om Henry * (hich lists the names and numbes o"
the 1ench and En+lish dead0 <hen he ead this aloud* all
the "aults o" the amateu acto appeaed0 One loo! at the
'olume o" Sha!espeae had aleady set o"" a seies o"
conditioned e"le=es to do (ith spea!in+ 'ese0 He put on
a "alse 'oice that sti'ed to be noble and histoical* mouthed
his (ods oundly* made a(!(ad stesses* +ot ton+ue8tied*
sti""* and con"used* and the audience listened inattenti'e and
estless0 <hen he had done* 2 as!ed the audience (hy they
could not ta!e the list o" dead at A+incout as seiously as the
desciption o" death at Ausch(it@0 This po'o!ed a li'ely
e=chan+e0
DA+incoutBs in the past0B
DBut Ausch(it@ is in the past0B
DOnly "i"teen yeas0B
DSo ho( lon+Bs it +ot to ta!eGB
D<henBs a copse a histoical copseGB
DHo( many yeas ma!e !illin+ omanticGB
A"te this had +one on "o some time* 2 poposed an e=8
peiment0 The amateu acto (as to ead the speech a+ain*
stoppin+ "o a moment a"te each name? the audience (as to
endea'ou silently in the pause to ecall and put to+ethe its
impessions o" Ausch(it@ and A+incout* to ty to "ind a
(ay o" belie'in+ that these names (ee once indi'iduals* as
'i'idly as i" the butchey had occued in li'in+ memoy0 The
amateu be+an to ead a+ain and the audience (o!ed had*
playin+ its pat0 As he spo!e the "ist name* the hal" silence
became a dense one0 2ts tension cau+ht the eade* thee (as
an emotion in it* shaed bet(een him and them and it tuned
all his attention a(ay "om himsel" on to the subAect matte
he (as spea!in+0 No( the audienceBs concentation be+an to
+uide him? his in"le=ions (ee simple* his hythms tue? this
in tun inceased the audienceBs inteest and so the t(o8(ay
cuent be+an to "lo(0 <hen this (as ended* no e=planations
(ee needed* the audience had seen itsel" in action* it had
seen ho( many layes silence can contain0
O" couse* li!e all e=peiments* this (as an ati"icial one?
hee* the audience (as +i'en an unusually acti'e ole and as a
esult it diected an ine=peienced acto0 Usually* an e=8
peienced acto eadin+ a passa+e li!e this (ill impose a
silence on an audience that is in popotion to the de+ee o"
tuth he bin+s to it0 Occasionally* an acto can completely
31 THE EMPTY SPACE
dominate any house* and so* li!e a maste matado* he can
(o! the audience the (ay he pleases0 Usually* ho(e'e* this
cannot come "om the sta+e alone0 1o instance* both the
actos and mysel" "ound The *isit and Marat+"ade moe
e(adin+ to play in Ameica than in En+land0 The
En+lish e"used to ta!e The *isit on its o(n temsC the
stoy told o" the uthlessness latent in any small
community* and (hen (e played in the En+lish
po'inces* to 'itually empty houses* the eaction o"
those (ho came (as DitBs not eal*B Dit couldnBt happen*B
and they enAoyed it o disli!ed it on the le'el o" "antasy0
The Marat+"ade (as li!ed in 7ondon not so much as a play
about e'olution* (a and madness as a display o"
theaticality0 The opposin+ (ods DliteayB and
DtheaticalB ha'e many meanin+s* but in the En+lish
theate* (hen used as paise* they all too o"ten descibe
(ays o" (adin+ o"" contact (ith distubin+ themes0 The
Ameican audience eacted to both plays much moe
diectly* they accepted and belie'ed the popositions that
man is +eedy and mudeous* a potential lunatic0 They
(ee cau+ht and held by the mateial o" the dama* and
in the case o" The *isit they o"ten did not e'en comment
on the "act that the stoy (as bein+ told to them in a
some(hat un"amilia* e=pessionistic (ay0 They simply
discussed (hat the play had said0 The +eat Ka@an8
<illiams83ille hits* AlbeeBs *irginia ,oolf! summoned
audiences that met the cast in the tue shaed teitoy o"
theme and concen>and they (ee po(e"ul e'ents* the
cicle o" pe"omance (as i'etin+ and complete0
2n Ameica* in po(e"ul (a'es* comes a eco+nition o" the
deadly* and a ston+ eaction a+ainst it0 )eas a+o* the
ActosB Studio came into bein+ to +i'e a "aith and
continuity to those unhappy atists (ho (ee bein+ so
apidly tho(n in and out o" (o!0 Basin+ a 'ey seious
and systematic study on a potion o" Stanisla's!yBs
teachin+* the ActosB Studio de'eloped a 'ey ema!able
school o" actin+ that coesponded pe"ectly to the needs o"
the play(i+hts and public o" the time0 Actos still had to
+i'e esults in thee (ee!s* but they (ee sustained by the
schoolBs tadition and they did not come empty8handed
to the "ist eheasal0 This bac!+ound o" teachin+ +a'e a
sten+th and inte+ity to thei (o!0 The 3ethod Acto
(as tained to eAect clichL imitations o" eality and to
seach "o somethin+ moe eal in himsel"0 He then had to
pesent this thou+h the li'in+ o" it* and so actin+ became a
deeply natualistic study0 DRealityB is a (od (ith many
meanin+s* but hee it (as undestood to be that slice o"
the eal that e"lected the people and the poblems aound
the acto* and it coincided (ith the slices o" e=istence that
the (ites o" the day* 3ille* Tennessee <illiams* 2n+e*
(ee tyin+ to de"ine0 2n much the same (ay
Stanisla's!yBs theate de( its sten+th "om the "act that
it coesponded to the needs o" the best Russian classics*
all o" (hich (ee cast in a natualistic "om0 1o a
numbe o" yeas in Russia* the school* the public and
the play had made a coheent (hole0 Then 3eyehold
challen+ed Stanisla's!y* poposin+ a di""eent style o"
33 THE EMPTY SPACE
playin+* in ode to captue othe elements o" Deality0B But
3eyehold disappeaed0 2n Ameica today* the time is
ipe "o a 3eyehold to appea* since natualistic
epesentations o" li"e no lon+e seems to Ameicans
ade;uate to e=pess the "oces that di'e them0 No( :enet
is discussed* Sha!espeae e8e'aluated* Ataud ;uoted?
thee is a lot o" tal! about itual? and all this "o 'ey
ealistic easons* as many concete aspects o" Ameican
li'in+ can only be captued alon+ these lines0 Kust a
shot time a+o* the En+lish (ee "ull o" en'y "o the
'itality o" the Ameican theate0 No( the pendulum
s(in+s to(ads 7ondon* as thou+h the En+lish hold all
the !eys0 )eas a+o 2 sa( a +il at the ActosB Studio
appoachin+ a speech o" 7ady 3acbethBs by petendin+
to be a tee? (hen 2 descibed this in En+land it sounded
comic* and e'en today many En+lish actos ha'e yet to
disco'e (hy odd8soundin+ e=ecises ae so necessay0 2n
Ne( )o!* ho(e'e* the +il did not need to lean about
+oup (o! and impo'isations* she had accepted these*
and she needed to undestand about the meanin+ and
demands o" "omC standin+ (ith he ams in the ai
tyin+ to D"eel*B she (as pouin+ he adou and ene+y
uselessly in the (on+ diection0
All this bin+s us bac! to the same poblem0 The (od
theate has many sloppy meanin+s0 2n most o" the (old*
the theate has no e=act place in society* no clea
pupose* it only e=ists in "a+ments? one theate chases
money* anothe chases +loy* anothe chases emotion*
anothe chases politics* anothe chases "un0 The acto is
bundled "om pilla to post>con"used and consumed by
conditions outside his contol0 Actos may sometimes
seem Aealous o ti'ial* yet 2 ha'e ne'e !no(n an acto
(ho did not (ant to (o!0 This (ish to (o! is his
sten+th0 2t is (hat enables po"essionals e'ey(hee to
undestand each othe0 But he cannot e"om his
po"ession alone0 2n a theate (ith "e( schools and no
aims* he is usually the tool* not the instument0 )et (hen
the theate does come bac! to the acto* the poblem is
still not sol'ed0 On the contay* deadly actin+ becomes
the heat o" the cisis0
The dilemma o" the acto is not uni;ue to commecial
theates (ith inade;uate eheasal time0 Sin+es and o"ten
dances !eep thei teaches by them to the end o" thei
days? actos once launched ha'e nothin+ (hatsoe'e to
help them to de'elop thei talents0 2" this is seen most
alamin+ly in the commecial theate* the same applies to
pemanent companies0 A"te he eaches a cetain position
the acto does no moe home(o!0 Ta!e a youn+ acto*
un"omed* unde'eloped* but bustin+ (ith talent* "ull o"
latent possibilities0 Ouite apidly he disco'es (hat he can
do* and* a"te mastein+ his initial di""iculties* (ith a bit o"
luc! he may "ind himsel" in the en'iable position o" ha'in+
a Aob (hich he lo'es* doin+ it (ell (hile +ettin+ paid and
admied at the same time0 2" he is to de'elop* the ne=t
sta+e must be to +o beyond his appaent an+e* and to
be+in to e=ploe (hat eally comes had0 But no one has
35 THE EMPTY SPACE
time "o this sot o" poblem0 His "iends ae little use* his
paents ae unli!ely to !no( much about his at* and his
a+ent* (ho may be (ell8meanin+ and intelli+ent* is not
thee to +uide him past +ood o""es o" +ood pats to(ads
a 'a+ue somethin+ else that (ould be e'en bette0
Buildin+ a caee and atistic de'elopment do not
necessaily +o hand in handC o"ten the acto* as his caee
+o(s* be+ins to tun in (o! that +ets moe and moe
simila0 2t is a (etched stoy* and all the e=ceptions blu
the tuth0
Ho( does the a'ea+e acto spend his daysG O" couse* itBs
a (ide an+e? "om lyin+ in bed* din!in+* +oin+ to the
hai8desse* to the a+ent* "ilmin+* ecodin+* eadin+*
sometimes studyin+C e'en* lattely* toyin+ a bit (ith
politics0 But (hethe his use o" time is "i'olous o eanest
is beside the point? little that he does elates to his main
peoccupation>not to stand still as an acto>(hich
means not to stand still as a human bein+* (hich means
(o! aimed at his atistic +o(th>and (hee can such
(o! ta!e placeG Time a"te time 2 ha'e (o!ed (ith
actos (ho a"te the usual peamble that they Dput
themsel'es in my handsB ae ta+ically incapable ho(e'e
had they ty o" layin+ do(n "o one bie" instant e'en in
eheasal the ima+e o" themsel'es that has hadened
ound an inne emptiness0 On the occasions that it is
possible to penetate this shell* it is li!e smashin+ the
pictue on a tele'ision set0
2n En+land* it seems suddenly that (e ha'e a ma'ellous
ne( beed o" youn+ actos>(e "eel (e ae (itnessin+ t(o
lines o" men in a "actoy "acin+ opposite diections? one line
shu""les out +ey* tied* the othe stides "o(ad "esh and
'ital0 <e +et the impession that one line is bette than the
othe* that the li'ely line is made o" bette stoc!0 This is
patly tue* but in the end the ne( shi"t (ill be as tied
and +ey as the oldC it is an ine'itable esult o" cetain
conditions that ha'e not yet chan+ed0 The ta+edy is that
the po"essional status o" actos o'e the a+e o" %& is
seldom a tue e"lection o" thei talents0 Thee ae
countless actos (ho ne'e ha'e the chance to de'elop
thei inbon potential to its pope "uition0 Natually* in
an indi'idualist po"ession* "alse and e=a++eated
impotance is +i'en to e=ceptional cases0 Outstandin+
actos li!e all eal atists ha'e some mysteious psychic
chemisty* hal" conscious and yet thee8;uates hidden*
that they themsel'es may only de"ine as Dinstinct*B Dhunch*B
Dmy 'oices*B that enables them to de'elop thei 'ision and
thei at0 Special cases may "ollo( special ules? one o" the
+eatest actesses o" ou time (ho seems in eheasal to be
obse'in+ no method (hatsoe'e actually has an
e=taodinay system o" he o(n (hich she can only ati8
culate in nusey lan+ua+e0 DKneadin+ the "lou today* da8
lin+*B she has said to me0 DPuttin+ it bac! to ba!e a bit
lon+e*B DNeed some yeast no(*B D<eBe bastin+ this
monin+0B No matte? this is pecise science* Aust as much
as i" she +a'e it the teminolo+y o" the ActosB Studio0 But
he ability to +et esults stays (ith he alone? she cannot
37 THE EMPTY SPACE
communicate it in any use"ul (ay to the people aound
he* so (hile she is Dcoo!in+ he pieB and the ne=t acto is
Aust Ddoin+ it the (ay he "eels it*B and the thid in dama
school lan+ua+e* is Dseachin+ "o the Stanisla's!ian supe8
obAecti'e*B no eal (o!in+8to+ethe bet(een them all is
possible0 2t has lon+ been eco+ni@ed that (ithout a
pemanent company "e( actos can thi'e inde"initely0
Ho(e'e* it must also -e "aced that e'en a pemanent
company is doomed to deadliness in the lon+ un i" it is
(ithout an aim* and thus (ithout a method* and thus
(ithout a school0 And by a school* natually 2 donBt mean a
+ymnasium (hee the acto e=ecises his limbs in limbo0
1le=in+ muscles alone cannot de'elop an atC scales
donBt ma!e a pianist no does "in+e(o! help a painteBs
bush? Aet a +eat pianist pactises "in+e e=ecises "o
many hous a day* and Kapanese paintes spend thei
li'es pactisin+ to da( a pe"ect cicle0 The at o" actin+
is in some (ays the most e=actin+ one o" all* and (ithout
constant schoolin+* the acto (ill stop hal"8(ay0
So (hen (e "ind deadliness* (ho is the culpitG Enou+h has
been said publicly and pi'ately to ma!e the citicsB eas
bun* to ma!e us belie'e that it is "om them that the
(ost deadliness eally stems0 O'e the yeas (e moan
and +umble about Dthe CiticsB as thou+h it (ee
al(ays the same si= men hutlin+ by Aet* "om Pais to
Ne( )o!* "om at sho( to concet to the play* al(ays
committin+ the same monumental eos0 O as thou+h
they (ee all li!e Thomas P Bec!et>the Aolly* (hoin+
"iend o" the Kin+ (ho the day he became Cadinal tuned
as disappo'in+ as all his pedecessos? citics come and
+o* yet those (ho ae citici@ed +eneally "ind DthemB the
same0 Ou system* the ne(spapes* the eadeBs demands*
the notice dictated by phone* the poblems o" space* the
;uantity o" ubbish in ou playhouses* the soul8
destoyin+ e""ect o" doin+ the same Aob o"ten and too lon+*
all conspie to pe'ent a citic "om e=ecisin+ his 'ital
"unction0 <hen the man in the steet +oes to the theate
he can claim Aust to se'e his o(n pleasue0 <hen a citic
+oes to a play* he can say he is Aust se'in+ the man in the
steet* but it is not accuate0 He is not Aust a tipste0 A
citic has a "a moe impotant ole* an essential one* in
"act* "o an at (ithout citics (ould be constantly menaced
by "a +eate dan+es0
1o instance* a citic is al(ays se'in+ the theate (hen he
is houndin+ out incompetence0 2" he spends most o" his
time +umblin+* he is almost al(ays i+ht0 The appallin+
di""iculty o" ma!in+ theate must be accepted? it is* o
(ould be* i" tuly pactised* pehaps the hadest medium
o" all? it is meciless* thee is no oom "o eo* o "o
(aste0 A no'el can su'i'e the eade (ho s!ips pa+es*
o entie chaptesC the audience* apt to chan+e "om
pleasue to boedom in a (in! can be lost* ie'ocably0
T(o hous is a shot time and an etenity? to use t(o
hous o" public time is a "ine at0 )et this at (ith its
"i+htenin+ e=i+encies is se'ed la+ely by casual labou0
2n a deadly 'acuum thee ae "e( places (hee (e can
39 THE EMPTY SPACE
popely lean the ats o" the theate>so (e tend to dop
in on the theate o""ein+ lo'e instead o" science0 This is
(hat the un"otunate citic is ni+htly called to Aud+e0
2ncompetence is the 'ice* the condition and the ta+edy o"
the (oldBs theate on any le'el? "a e'ey +ood li+ht
comedy o musical o political e'ue o 'ese play o
classic that (e see thee ae scoes o" othes that most o"
the time ae betayed by a lac! o" elementay s!ills0 The
techni;ues o" sta+in+* desi+nin+* spea!in+* (al!in+
acoss a sta+e* sittin+>e'en listenin+>Aust aenBt
su""iciently !no(nC compae the little it ta!es>e=cept
luc!>to +et (o! in many o" the theates o" the (old
(ith the minimum le'el o" s!ill demanded say in piano
playin+? thin! o" ho( many thousands o" music teaches in
thousands o" small cities can play all the notes o" the most
di""icult passa+es o" 7is@t o si+ht8ead Sciabin0
Compaed (ith the simple ability o" musicians most o"
ou (o! is at amateu le'el most o" the time0 A citic (ill
see "a moe incompetence than competence in his
theate+oin+0 2 (as once as!ed to diect an opea at a
3iddle Easten opea house (hich (ote "an!ly in its
lette o" in'itation Dou ochesta has not all the instu8
ments and plays some (on+ notes but ou audiences so
"a ha'e not noticed0B 1otunately* the citic does tend to
notice and in this sense* his an+iest eaction is 'aluable>it
is a call "o competence0 This is a 'ital "unction* but he has
still anothe one0 He is a pathma!e0
The citic Aoins in the deadly +ame (hen he does not accept
this esponsibility* (hen he belittles his o(n impotance0
A citic is usually a sincee and decent man acutely
a(ae o" the human aspects o" his AobC one o" the "amous
DButches o" Boad(ayB (as said to ha'e been tomented
by the !no(led+e that on him alone depended peopleBs
happiness and "utue0 Still* e'en i" he is a(ae o" his po(e
o" destuction* he undeates his po(e "o +ood0 <hen the
status .uo is otten>and "e( citics any(hee (ould
dispute this>the only possibility is to Aud+e e'ents in
elation to a possible +oal0 This +oal should be the same
"o atist and citic>the mo'in+ to(ads a less deadly*
but* as yet* la+ely unde"ined theate0 This is ou e'entual
pupose* ou shaed aim* and notin+ all the si+n8posts and
"ootpints on the (ay is ou common tas!0 Ou elations
(ith citics may be stained in a supe"icial sense? but
in a deepe one the elationship is absolutely
necessay? li!e the "ish in the ocean* (e need one
anotheBs de'ouin+ talents to pepetuate the sea bedBs
e=istence0 Ho(e'e* this de'ouin+ is not nealy enou+h?
(e need to shae the endea'ou to ise to the su"ace0
This is (hat is had "o all o" us0 The citic is pat o" the
(hole and (hethe he (ites his notices "ast o slo(*
shot o lon+* is not eally impotant0 Has he an ima+e
o" ho( a theate could be in his community and is he
e'isin+ this ima+e aound each e=peience he ecei'esG
Ho( many citics see thei Aob this (ayG
2t is "o this eason that the moe the citic becomes an
41 THE EMPTY SPACE
inside* the bette0 2 see nothin+ but +ood in a citic
plun+in+ into ou li'es* meetin+ actos* tal!in+* discussin+*
(atchin+* inte'enin+0 2 (ould (elcome his puttin+ his
hands on the medium and attemptin+ to (o! it himsel"0
Cetainly* thee is a tiny social poblem>ho( does a citic
tal! to someone (hom he has Aust damned in pintG
3omentay a(!(adnesses may aise>but it is ludicous
to thin! that it is la+ely this that depi'es some citics o"
a 'ital contact (ith the (o! o" (hich they ae a pat0
The embaassment on his side and ous can easily be
li'ed do(n and cetainly a close elation (ith the (o!
(ill in no (ay put the citic into the position o"
conni'ance (ith the people he has +ot to !no(0 The
citicism that theate people ma!e o" one anothe is
usually o" de'astatin+ se'eity>but absolutely pecise0
The citic (ho no lon+e enAoys the theate is ob'iously a
deadly citic* the citic (ho lo'es the theate but is not
citically clea (hat this means* is also a deadly citic? the
'ital citic is the citic (ho has clealy "omulated "o
himsel" (hat the theate could be>and (ho is bold
enou+h to tho( this "omula into Aeopady each time he
paticipates in a theatical e'ent0
The (ost poblem "o the po"essional citic is that he is
seldom as!ed to e=pose himsel" to scochin+ e'ents that
chan+e his thin!in+? it is had "o him to etain his
enthusiasm* (hen thee ae "e( +ood plays any(hee in
the (old0 )ea a"te yea* thee is ich ne( mateial
pouin+ into the cinemaC yet all the theates can do is ma!e
an unhappy choice bet(een +eat taditional (itin+ o "a
less +ood moden (o!s0 <e ae no( in anothe aea o"
the poblem* also consideed to be cental? the dilemma o"
the deadly (ite0
2t is (oe"ully di""icult to (ite a play0 A play(i+ht is
e;uied by the 'ey natue o" dama to ente into the spiit
o" opposin+ chaactes0 He is not a Aud+eC he is a ceato>
and e'en i" his "ist attempt at dama concens only t(o
people* (hate'e the style he is still e;uied to li'e "ully
(ith them both0 The Aob o" shi"tin+ onesel" totally "om
one chaacte to anothe>a pinciple on (hich all o"
Sha!espeae and all o" Che!ho' is built>is a supe8human
tas! at any time0 2t ta!es uni;ue talents and pehaps ones
that do not e'en coespond (ith ou a+e0 2" the (o! o"
the be+inne8play(i+ht o"ten seems thin* it may (ell be
because his an+e o" human sympathy is still unstetched
>on the othe hand* nothin+ seems moe suspect than
the matue middle8a+ed man o" lettes (ho sits do(n to
in'ent chaactes and then tell us all thei secets0 The
1ench e'ulsion a+ainst the classic "om o" the no'el (as
a eaction "om the omniscience o" the autho? i" you as!
3a+ueite 9uas (hat he chaacte is "eelin+ she (ill
o"ten eply* DHo( do 2 !no(GBC i" you as! Robbe :illet
(hy a chaacte has made a cetain action he could
ans(e* DAll 2 !no( "o sue is that he opened the doo
(ith his i+ht hand0B But this (ay o" thin!in+ hasnBt
eached the 1ench theate* (hee it is still the autho
(ho at the "ist eheasal does a one8man sho(* eadin+
43 THE EMPTY SPACE
out and pe"omin+ all the pats0 This is the most
e=a++eated "om o" a tadition that dies had
e'ey(hee0 The autho has been "oced to ma!e a 'itue
o" his specialness* and to tun his liteainess into a cutch
"o a sel"8impotance that in his heat he !no(s is not
Austi"ied by his (o!0 3aybe a need "o pi'acy is a deep
pat o" an authoBs ma!e8up0 2t is possible that it is only
(ith the doo closed* communin+ (ith himsel"* that he
can (estle into "om inne ima+es and con"licts o" (hich
he (ould ne'e spea! in public0 <e do not !no( ho(
Aeschylus o Sha!espeae (o!ed0 All (e !no( is that
+adually the elationship bet(een the man (ho sits at
home (o!in+ it all out on pape and the (old o" actos
and sta+es is +ettin+ moe and moe tenuous* moe and
moe unsatis"actoy0 The best En+lish (itin+ is comin+
out o" the theate itsel"? <es!e* Aden* Osbone* Pinte*
to ta!e ob'ious e=amples* ae all diectos and actos as
(ell as authos>and at times they e'en ha'e been
in'ol'ed as impesaios0
None the less* (hethe schola o acto* too "e( authos ae
(hat (e could tuly call inspiin+ o inspied0 2" the
autho (ee a maste and not a 'ictim one could say that
he had betayed the theate0 As it is* one can say that he is
betayin+ by omission>the authos ae "ailin+ to ise to
the challen+e o" thei times0 O" couse* thee ae e=ceptions*
billiant* statlin+ ones* hee and thee0 But 2 am thin!in+
a+ain o" the ;uantity o" ne( ceati'e (o! poued into "ilms
compaed (ith the (oldBs output o" ne( damatic te=ts0
<hen ne( plays set out to imitate eality* (e ae moe
conscious o" (hat is imitati'e than (hat is eal? i" they
e=ploe chaacte* it is seldom that they +o "a beyond
steeotypesC i" it is a+ument they o""e* it is seldom that
a+ument is ta!en to aestin+ e=temesC e'en i" it is a
;uality o" li"e that they (ish to e'o!e* (e ae usually
o""eed no moe than the liteay ;uality o" the (ell8tuned
phaseC i" it is social citicism they ae a"te* it seldom
touches the heat o" any social ta+etC i" they (ish "o
lau+hte* it is usually by (ell8(on means0
As a esult* (e ae o"ten "oced to choose bet(een e'i'in+
old plays o sta+in+ ne( plays (hich (e "ind inade;uate*
Aust as a +estue to(ads the pesent day0 O else to
attempt to initiate a play>as* "o e=ample* (hen a +oup
o" actos and (ites in the Royal Sha!espeae Theate*
(antin+ a play on Hietnam that did not e=ist* set out to
ma!e one* usin+ techni;ues o" impo'isation and
autholess in'ention to "ill the 'acuum0 :oup ceation
can be in"initely iche* i" the +oup is ich* than the
poduct o" (ea! indi'idualism>yet it po'es nothin+0
Thee is e'entually a need "o authoship to each the
ultimate compactness and "ocus that collecti'e (o! is
almost obli+ed to miss0
2n theoy "e( men ae as "ee as a play(i+ht0 He can bin+
the (hole (old on to his sta+e0 But in "act he is stan+ely
timid0 He loo!s at the (hole o" li"e* and li!e all o" us he
only sees a tiny "a+mentC a "a+ment* one aspect o" (hich
45 THE EMPTY SPACE
catches his "ancy0 Un"otunately he aely seaches to elate
his detail to any la+e stuctue>it is as thou+h he
accepts (ithout ;uestion his intuition as complete* his
eality as all o" eality0 2t is as thou+h his belie" in his
subAecti'ity as his instument and his sten+th pecludes
him "om any dialectic bet(een (hat he sees and (hat he
appehends0 So thee is eithe the autho (ho e=ploes his
inne e=peience in depth and da!ness* o else the autho
(ho shuns these aeas* e=ploin+ the outside (old>each
one thin!s his (old is complete0 2" Sha!espeae had ne'e
e=isted (e (ould ;uite undestandably theoi@e that the
t(o can ne'e combine0 The Eli@abethan Theate did
e=ist* thou+h>and a(!(adly enou+h (e ha'e this
e=ample constantly han+in+ o'e ou heads0 1ou
hunded yeas a+o it (as possible "o a damatist to
(ish to bin+ the patten o" e'ents in the outside
(old* the inne e'ents o" comple= men isolated as
indi'iduals* the 'ast tu+ o" thei "eas and aspiations into
open con"lict0 9ama (as e=posue* it (as con"ontation*
it (as contadiction and it led to analysis* in'ol'ement*
eco+nition and* e'entually* to an a(a!enin+ o"
undestandin+0 Sha!espeae (as not a pea! (ithout a
base* "loatin+ ma+ically on a cloud? he (as suppoted by
scoes o" lesse damatists* natually (ith lesse and
lesse talents>but shain+ the same ambition "o
(estlin+ (ith (hat Hamlet calls the "oms and pessues
o" the a+e0 )et a neo8Eli@abethan theate based on 'ese
and pa+eanty (ould be a monstosity0 This compels us
to loo! at the poblem moe closely and ty to "ind out
(hat e=actly the special Sha!espeae ;ualities ae0 One
simple "act eme+es at once0 Sha!espeae used the same
unit that is a'ailable today>a "e( hous o" public time0
He used this time span to cam to+ethe* second "o
second* a ;uantity o" li'ely mateial o" incedible
ichness0 This mateial e=ists simultaneously on an
in"inite 'aiety o" le'els* it plun+es deep and eaches
hi+h? the technical de'ices* the use o" 'ese and pose* the
many chan+in+ scenes* e=citin+* "unny* distubin+* (ee
the ones the autho (as compelled to de'elop to satis"y his
needs? and the autho had a pecise* human and social aim
(hich +a'e him eason "o seachin+ "o his themes*
eason "o seachin+ "o his means* eason "o ma!in+
theate0 <e see the pesent8day autho still loc!ed in the
pisons o" anecdote* consistency and style* conditioned by
the elics o" Hictoian 'alues to thin! ambition and
petension dity (ods0 Ho( despeately he needs both0 2"
only he (ee ambitious* i" only he (ee to comb the s!yM
1o as lon+ as he is an ostich* an isolated ostich* this can
ne'e happen0 Be"oe he can aise his head he too must "ace
the same cisis0 He too must disco'e (hat he belie'es a
theate to be0
Natually* an autho can only (o! (ith (hat he has +ot
and cannot leap out o" his sensibility0 He cannot tal!
himsel" into bein+ bette o othe than he is0 He can only
(ite about (hat he sees and thin!s and "eels0 But one
thin+ can amend the instument at his disposal0 The moe
clealy he eco+ni@es the missin+ lin!s in his elationships
47 THE EMPTY SPACE
>the moe accuately he e=peiences that he is ne'e deep
enou+h in enou+h aspects o" li"e* no deep enou+h in
enou+h aspects o" the theate* that his necessay seclusion
is also his pison>the moe then can he be+in to "ind (ays
o" connectin+ stands o" obse'ation and e=peience (hich
at pesent emain unlin!ed0 7et me ty to de"ine moe
pecisely the issue that con"onts the (ite0 The theateBs
needs ha'e chan+ed* yet the di""eence is not simply one
o" "ashion0 2t is not as thou+h "i"ty yeas a+o one type o"
theate (as in 'o+ue (hile today the autho (ho "eels the
Dpulse o" the publicB can "ind his (ay to the ne( idiom0 The
di""eence is that "o a lon+ time play(i+hts ha'e 'ey
success"ully taded on applyin+ to the theate 'alues "om
othe "ields0 2" a man could D(iteB>and (itin+ meant the
ability to put to+ethe (ods and phases in a stylish and
ele+ant manne>then this (as accepted as a stat to(ads
+ood (itin+ in the theate0 2" a man could in'ent a +ood
plot* +ood t(ists* o (hatBs descibed as Dundestandin+
human natueB these (ee all consideed to be at least
steppin+8stones to(ads "ine play(itin+0 No( the
lu!e(am 'itues o" +ood ca"tsmanship* sound
constuction* e""ecti'e cutains* cisp dialo+ue ha'e all
been thoou+hly debun!ed0 Not least* the in"luences o"
tele'ision has been to accustom 'ie(es o" all classes all
o'e the (old to ma!e instant Aud+ment>at the moment
they catch si+ht o" a shot on the sceen>so that the
a'ea+e adult continually situates scenes and chaactes
unaided* (ithout a D+ood ca"tsmanB helpin+ (ith
e=position and e=planation0 The steady disceditin+ o"
non8theate 'itues is no( be+innin+ to clea the (ay "o
othe 'itues0 These ae in "act moe closely elated to the
theate "om and also they ae moe e=actin+ ones0
Because i" one stats "om the pemise that a sta+e is a sta+e
>not a con'enient place "o the un"oldin+ o" a sta+ed no'el
o a sta+ed poem o a sta+ed lectue o a sta+ed stoy>
then the (od that is spo!en on this sta+e e=ists* o "ails to
e=ist* only in elation to the tensions it ceates on that
sta+e (ithin the +i'en sta+e cicumstances0 2n othe
(ods* althou+h the damatist bin+s his o(n li"e
nutued by the li"e aound him into his (o!>the
empty sta+e is no i'oy to(e>the choices he ma!es and
the 'alues he obse'es ae only po(e"ul in popotion to
(hat they ceate in the lan+ua+e o" theate0 3any
e=amples o" this can be seen (hee'e an autho "o
moal o political easons attempts to use a play as the
beae o" a messa+e0 <hate'e the 'alue o" this messa+e* in
the end it only (o!s accodin+ to 'alues that belon+ to the
sta+e itsel"0 An autho today can easily cheat himsel" i" he
thin!s that he can DuseB a con'entional "om as a 'ehicle0
This (as tue (hen con'entional "oms still had li"e "o
thei audience0 Today (hen no con'entional "oms stand
up any moe* e'en the autho (ho doesnBt cae about
theate as such* but only about (hat he is tyin+ to say* is
compelled to be+in at the oot>by "acin+ the poblem o"
the 'ey natue o" damatic utteance0 Thee is no (ay out
>unless he is pepaed to settle "o a second8hand 'ehicle
thatBs no lon+e in (o!in+ ode and 'ey unli!ely to
ta!e him to (hee he (ants to +o0 Hee the authoBs eal
49 THE EMPTY SPACE
poblem and the diectoBs eal poblem +o hand in +lo'e0
<hen 2 hea a diecto spea!in+ +libly o" se'in+ the
autho* o" lettin+ a play spea! "o itsel"* my suspicions ae
aoused* because this is the hadest Aob o" all0 2" you Aust let
a play spea!* it may not ma!e a sound0 2" (hat you (ant is
"o the play to be head* then you must conAue its sound
"om it0 This demands many delibeate actions and the
esult may ha'e +eat simplicity0 Ho(e'e* settin+ out to
Dbe simpleB can be ;uite ne+ati'e* an easy e'asion o" the
e=actin+ steps to the simple ans(e0
2t is a stan+e ole* that o" the diecto? he does not as! to
be :od and yet his ole implies it0 He (ants to be "allible*
and yet an instincti'e conspiacy o" the actos is to ma!e
him the abite* because an abite is so despeately
(anted all the time0 2n a sense the diecto is al(ays an
imposte* a +uide at ni+ht (ho does not !no( the
teitoy* and yet he has no choice>he must +uide*
leanin+ the oute as he +oes0 9eadliness o"ten lies in (ait
(hen he does not eco+ni@e this situation* and hopes "o
the best* (hen it is the (ost that he needs to "ace0
9eadliness al(ays bin+s us bac! to epetition? the deadly
diecto uses old "omulae* old methods* old Ao!es* old
e""ectsC stoc! be+innin+s to scenes* stoc! endsC and this
applies e;ually to his patnes* the desi+nes and
composes* i" they do not stat each time a"esh "om the
'oid* the deset and the tue ;uestion>(hy clothes at all*
(hy music* (hat "oG A deadly diecto is a diecto (ho
bin+s no challen+e to the conditioned e"le=es that
e'ey depatment must contain0
1o hal" a centuy at least* it has been accepted that the
theate is a unity and that all elements should ty to blend
>this has led to the eme+ence o" the diecto0 But it
has la+ely been a matte o" e=tenal unity* a "aily
e=tenal blendin+ o" styles so that contadictoy styles do
not Aa0 <hen (e conside ho( the inne unity o" a
comple= (o! can be e=pessed (e may "ind ;uite the
e'ese>that a Aain+ o" e=tenals is ;uite essential0
<hen (e +o "uthe and conside the audience>and the
society "om (hich the audience comes>the tue unity
o" all these elements may best be se'ed by "actos that by
othe standads seem u+ly* discodant and destucti'e0
A stable and hamonious society mi+ht need only to loo!
"o (ays o" e"lectin+ and ea""imin+ its hamony in its
theates0 Such theates could set out to unite cast and
audience in a mutual Dyes0B But a shi"tin+* chaotic (old
o"ten must choose bet(een a playhouse that o""es a
spuious DyesB o a po'ocation so ston+ that it
splintes its audience into "a+ments o" 'i'id Dnos0B
7ectuin+ on these themes has tau+ht me a +eat deal0 2
!no( that at this point someone al(ays leaps up in the
audience to as! (hethe IaJ 2 thin! that all theates that
ae not up to the lo"tiest standads should be closed o IbJ
51 THE EMPTY SPACE
(hethe 2 thin! itBs a bad thin+ "o people to enAoy
themsel'es at a +ood entetainment o IcJ (hat about the
amateusG
3y eply usually is that 2 (ould ne'e li!e to be a censo*
ban anythin+ o spoil anyoneBs "un0 2 ha'e the +eatest
e+ad "o the epetoy theates* and "o +oups all
thou+h the (old stu++lin+ a+ainst +eat odds to sustain
the le'el o" thei (o!0 2 ha'e the +eatest espect "o othe
peopleBs pleasue and paticulaly "o anyoneBs "i'olity0 2
came to the theate mysel" "o sensual and o"ten
iesponsible easons0 Entetainment is "ine0 But 2 still as!
my ;uestiones (hethe they eally "eel on the (hole that
theates +i'e them (hat they e=pect o (ant0
2 donBt paticulaly mind (aste* but 2 thin! itBs a pity not to
!no( (hat one is (astin+0 Some old ladies use pound notes
as boo!ma!s? this is only silly i" it is absent8minded0
The poblem o" the 9eadly Theate is li!e the poblem o" the
deadly boe0 E'ey deadly boe has head* heat* ams* le+s?
usually* he has "amily and "iends? he e'en has his admies0
)et (e si+h (hen (e come acoss him>and in this si+h (e
ae e+ettin+ that someho( he is at the bottom instead o"
the top o" his possibilities0 <hen (e say deadly* (e ne'e
mean dead? (e mean somethin+ depessin+ly acti'e* but "o
this 'ey eason capable o" chan+e0 The "ist step to(ads this
chan+e is "acin+ the simple unattacti'e "act that most o"
(hat is called theate any(hee in the (old is a ta'esty o"
a (od once "ull o" sense0 <a o peace* the colossal
band(a+on o" cultue tundles on* cayin+ each atistBs
taces to the e'emountin+ +aba+e heap0 Theates* actos*
citics and public ae inteloc!ed in a machine that cea!s*
but ne'e stops0 Thee is al(ays a ne( season in hand and
(e ae too busy to as! the only 'ital ;uestion (hich measues
the (hole stuctue0 <hy theate at allG <hat "oG 2s it an
anachonism* a supeannuated oddity* su'i'in+ li!e an old
monument o a ;uaint customG <hy do (e applaud* and
(hatG Has the sta+e a eal place in ou li'esG <hat "unction
can it ha'eG <hat could it se'eG <hat could it e=ploeG <hat
ae its special popetiesG
2n 3e=ico* be"oe the (heel (as in'ented* +an+s o" sla'es
had to cay +iant stones thou+h the Aun+le and up the
mountains* (hile thei childen pulled thei toys on tiny
olles0 The sla'es made the toys* but "o centuies "ailed to
ma!e the connection0 <hen +ood actos play in bad
comedies o second8ate musicals* (hen audiences applaud
indi""eent classics because they enAoy Aust the costumes o
Aust the (ay the sets chan+e* o Aust the pettiness o" the lead8
in+ actess* thee is nothin+ (on+0 But none the less* ha'e
they noticed (hat is undeneath the toy they ae da++in+ on
a stin+G 2tBs a (heel0
$
The Holy Theate
2 A3 callin+ it the Holy Theate "o shot* but it could be
called The Theate o" the 2n'isible83ade8Hisible? the notion
that the sta+e is a place (hee the in'isible can appea has a
deep hold on ou thou+hts0 <e ae all a(ae that most o"
li"e escapes ou senses? a most po(e"ul e=planation o" the
'aious ats is that they tal! o" pattens (hich (e can only
be+in to eco+ni@e (hen they mani"est themsel'es as
hythms o shapes0 <e obse'e that the beha'iou o"
people* o" co(ds* o" histoy* obeys such ecuent pattens0
<e hea that tumpets destoyed the (alls o" Keicho* (e
eco+ni@e that a ma+ical thin+ called music can come "om
men in (hite ties and tails* blo(in+* (a'in+* thumpin+ and
scapin+ a(ay0 9espite the absud means that poduce it*
thou+h the concete in music (e eco+ni@e the abstact* (e
undestand that odinay men and thei clumsy
instuments ae tans"omed by an at o" possession0 <e
may ma!e a pesonality cult o" the conducto* but (e ae
a(ae that he is not eally ma!in+ the music* it is ma!in+
him>i" he is ela=ed* open and attuned* then the in'isible
(ill ta!e possession o" himC thou+h him* it (ill each us0
This is the notion* the tue deam behind the debased ideals
o" the 9eadly Theate0 This is (hat is meant and
53
THE HOLY THEATRE 54
emembeed by those (ho (ith "eelin+ and seiousness use
bi+ ha@y (ods li!e nobility* beauty* poety* (hich 2 (ould
li!e to e8e=amine "o the paticula ;uality they su++est0
The theate is the last "oum (hee idealism is still an open
;uestion? many audiences all o'e the (old (ill ans(e
positi'ely "om thei o(n e=peience that they ha'e seen
the "ace o" the in'isible thou+h an e=peience on the sta+e
that tanscended thei e=peience in li"e0 They (ill maintain
that /edi0us o 1erenice or Ha2let o The Three "isters
pe"omed (ith beauty and (ith lo'e "ies the spiit and
+i'es them a eminde that daily dabness is not necessaily
all0 <hen they epoach the contempoay theate "o its
!itchen sin!s and cuelties* this* honouably* is (hat they
ae tyin+ to say0 They emembe ho( duin+ the (a the
omantic theate* the theate o" colous and sounds* o"
music and mo'ement* came li!e (ate to the thist o" dy
li'es0 At that time* it (as called escape and yet the (od
(as only patially accuate0 2t (as an escape* but also a
eminde? a spao( in a pison cell0 <hen the (a (as
o'e* the theate a+ain sto'e e'en moe 'i+oously to "ind
the same 'alues0
The theate o" the late D6&s had many +loies? it (as the
theate o" Kou'et and BLad* and o" Kean87ouis Baault* o"
Cla'e at the ballet* %on 3uan! A20hitryon! 'a Fol4 de 5haillot!
5ar2en! Kohn :iel+udBs e'i'al o" The (20ortance of 1eing
6rnest! Peer 7ynt at the Old Hic* Oli'ieBs /edi0us! Oli'ieBs
8ichard (((! The 'ady$s not for 1urning! *enus /-ser#ed; o"
3assine at Co'ent :aden unde the bidca+e in the The
55 THE EMPTY SPACE
Three95ornered Hat Aust as he had been "i"teen yeas be"oe>
this (as a theate o" colou and mo'ement* o" "ine "abics*
o" shado(s* o" eccentic* cascadin+ (ods* o" leaps o"
thou+ht and o" cunnin+ machines* o" li+htness and o" all
"oms o" mystey and supise>it (as the theate o" a bat8
teed Euope that seemed to shae one aim>a eachin+
bac! to(ads a memoy o" lost +ace0
<al!in+ alon+ the Reepebahn in Hambu+ on an a"te8
noon in #-6.* (hilst a damp dispiitin+ +ey mist (hiled
ound the despeate mutilated tats* some on cutches*
noses mau'e* chee!s hollo(* 2 sa( a co(d o" childen
pushin+ e=citedly into a ni+ht club doo0 2 "ollo(ed them0
On the sta+e (as a bi+ht blue s!y0 T(o seedy* span+led
clo(ns sat on a painted cloud on thei (ay to 'isit the
Oueen o" Hea'en0 D<hat shall (e as! he "oGB said one0
D9inne*B said the othe and the childen sceamed
appo'al0 D<hat shall (e ha'e "o dinneGB DSchin!en*
lebe(ust NB the clo(n be+an to list all the unobtainable
"oods and the s;ueals o" e=citement (ee +adually
eplaced by a hush>a hush that settled into a deep and
tue theatical silence0 An ima+e (as bein+ made eal* in
ans(e to the need "o somethin+ that (as not thee0
2n the bunt8out shell o" the Hambu+ Opea only the sta+e
itsel" emained>but an audience assembled on it (hilst
a+ainst the bac! (all on a (a"e8thin set sin+es clambeed
up and do(n to pe"om The 1ar-er of "e#ille! because
nothin+ (ould stop them doin+ so0 2n a tiny attic "i"ty
THE HOLY THEATRE 56
people cammed to+ethe (hile in the inches o" emainin+
space a hand"ul o" the best actos esolutely continued to
pactise thei at0 2n a uined 9Qsseldo"* a mino O""enbach
about smu++les and bandits "illed the theate (ith deli+ht0
Thee (as nothin+ to discuss* nothin+ to analyse>in
:emany that (inte* as in 7ondon a "e( yeas be"oe* the
theate (as espondin+ to a hun+e0 <hat* ho(e'e* (as
this hun+eG <as it a hun+e "o the in'isible* a hun+e "o
a eality deepe than the "ullest "om o" e'eyday li"e>o
(as it a hun+e "o the missin+ thin+s o" li"e* a hun+e* in
"act* "o bu""es a+ainst ealityG The ;uestion is an
impotant one* because many people belie'e that in the
'ey ecent past thee still (as a theate (ith cetain 'alues*
cetain s!ills* cetain ats that (e pehaps (antonly ha'e
destoyed o cast aside0
<e mustnBt allo( ousel'es to become the dupes o"
nostal+ia0 The best o" the omantic theate* the ci'ili@ed
pleasues o" the opea and the ballet (ee in any e'ent
+oss eductions o" an at saced in its oi+ins0 O'e the
centuies the Ophic Rites tuned into the :ala Pe"omance
>slo(ly and impeceptibly the (ine (as adulteated dop
by dop0
The cutain used to be the +eat symbol o" a (hole school o"
theate>the ed cutain* the "ootli+hts* the idea that (e ae
all childen a+ain* the nostal+ia and the ma+ic (ee all o" a
piece0 :odon Cai+ spent his li"e ailin+ a+ainst the theate
o" illusion* but his most teasued memoies (ee o"
57 THE EMPTY SPACE
painted tees and "oests and his eyes (ould li+ht up as he
descibed e""ects o" tro20e d$:il) But the day came (hen the
same ed cutain no lon+e hid supises* (hen (e no
lon+e (anted>o needed>to be childen a+ain* (hen the
ou+h ma+ic yielded to a hashe common8senseC then the
cutain (as pulled do(n and the "ootli+hts emo'ed0
Cetainly* (e still (ish to captue in ou ats the in'isible
cuents that ule ou li'es* but ou 'ision is no( loc!ed to
the da! end o" the spectum0 Today the theate o"
doubtin+* o" unease* o" touble* o" alam* seems tue than
the theate (ith a noble aim0 E'en i" the theate had in its
oi+ins ituals that made the in'isible incanate* (e must
not "o+et that apat "om cetain Oiental theates these
ituals ha'e been eithe lost o emain in seedy decay0
BachBs 'ision has been scupulously pese'ed by the
accuacy o" his notations? in 1a An+elico (e (itness tue
incanation? but "o us to attempt such pocesses today*
(hee do (e "ind the souceG 2n Co'enty* "o instance* a
ne( cathedal has been built* accodin+ to the best ecipe
"o achie'in+ a noble esult0 Honest* sincee atists* the
Dbest*B ha'e been +ouped to+ethe to ma!e a ci'ili@ed stab
at celebatin+ :od and 3an and Cultue and 7i"e thou+h a
collecti'e act0 So thee is a ne( buildin+* "ine ideas*
beauti"ul +lass8(o!>only the itual is theadbae0 Those
Ancient and 3oden hymns* chamin+ pehaps in a little
county chuch* those numbes on the (all* those do+8
collas and the lessons>they ae sadly inade;uate hee0
The ne( place cies out "o a ne( ceemony* but o" couse it
THE HOLY THEATRE 58
is the ne( ceemony that should ha'e come "ist>it is the
ceemony in all its meanin+s that should ha'e dictated the
shape o" the place* as it did (hen all the +eat mos;ues and
cathedals and temples (ee built0 :ood(ill* sinceity*
e'eence* belie" in cultue ae not ;uite enou+h? the oute
"om can only ta!e on eal authoity i" the ceemony has
e;ual authoity>and (ho today can possibly call the tuneG
O" couse* today as at all times* (e need to sta+e tue
ituals* but "o ituals that could ma!e theate8+oin+ an
e=peience that "eeds ou li'es* tue "oms ae needed0
These ae not at ou disposal* and con"eences and
esolutions (ill not bin+ them ou (ay0
The acto seaches 'ainly "o the sound o" a 'anished
tadition* and citic and audience "ollo( suit0 <e ha'e lost
all sense o" itual and ceemony>(hethe it be connected
(ith Chistmas* bithdays o "uneals>but the (ods
emain (ith us and old impulses sti in the mao(0 <e
"eel (e should ha'e ituals* (e should do Dsomethin+B
about +ettin+ them and (e blame the atists "o not
D"indin+B them "o us0 So the atist sometimes attempts to
"ind ne( ituals (ith only his ima+ination as his souce? he
imitates the oute "om o" ceemonies* pa+an o bao;ue*
un"otunately addin+ his o(n tappin+s>the esult is
aely con'incin+0 And a"te the yeas and yeas o" (ea!e
and (ateie imitations (e no( "ind ousel'es eAectin+ the
'ey notion o" a holy sta+e0 2t is not the "ault o" the holy that
it has become a middle8class (eapon to !eep childen +ood0
59 THE EMPTY SPACE
<hen 2 "ist (ent to Stat"od in #-64 e'ey concei'able
'alue (as buied in deadly sentimentality and complacent
(othiness>a taditionalism appo'ed la+ely by to(n*
schola and pess0 2t needed the boldness o" a 'ey e=ta8
odinay old +entleman* Si Bay Kac!son* to tho( all this
out o" the (indo( and so ma!e a tue seach "o tue
'alues possible once moe0 And it (as at Stat"od yeas
late* at the o""icial luncheon to celebate Sha!espeaeBs
6&&th bithday* that 2 sa( a clea e=ample o" the di""eence
bet(een (hat a itual is and (hat it could be0 2t (as "elt
that Sha!espeaeBs bithday called "o a itual celebation0
The only celebation anyone could 'a+uely emembe (as
elated to a "east? and a "east today means a list o" people
"om ,ho$s ,ho! assembled ound Pince Philip* eatin+
smo!ed salmon and stea!0 Ambassados nodded to one
anothe and passed the itual ed (ine0 2 chatted (ith the
local 30P0 Then someone made a "omal speech* (e listened
politely>and ose to ou "eet to toast <illiam Sha!espeae0
At the moment the +lasses clin!ed>"o not moe than a
"action o" a second* thou+h the common consciousness o"
e'eyone pesent and all "o once concentatin+ on the same
thin+>passed the notion that "ou hunded yeas a+o such
a man had been* and that this (as (hat (e (ee assembled
"o0 1o a beath o" time the silence deepened* a touch o"
meanin+ (as thee>an instant late it (as bushed a(ay
and "o+otten0 2" (e undestood moe about ituals* the
itual celebation o" an indi'idual to (hom (e o(e so
much mi+ht ha'e been intentional* not accidental0 2t mi+ht
ha'e been as po(e"ul as all his plays* and as un"o+ettable0
THE HOLY THEATRE 60
Ho(e'e* (e do not !no( ho( to celebate* because (e do
not !no( (hat to celebate0 All (e !no( is the end esult?
(e !no( and (e li!e the "eel and sound o" celebatin+
thou+h applause* and this is (hee (e +et stuc!0 <e "o+et
that thee ae t(o possible clima=es to a theate e=peience0
Thee is the clima= o" celebation in (hich ou paticipation
e=plodes in stampin+ and cheein+* shouts o" huah and
the oa o" hands* o else* at the othe end o" the stic!* the
clima= o" silence>anothe "om o" eco+nition and
appeciation "o an e=peience shaed0 <e ha'e la+ely "o8
+otten silence0 2t e'en embaasses usC (e clap ou hands
mechanically because (e do not !no( (hat else to do* and
(e ae una(ae that silence is also pemitted* that silence
also is +ood0
2t is only (hen a itual comes to ou o(n le'el that (e
become ;uali"ied to deal in it? the (hole o" pop music is a
seies o" ituals on a le'el to (hich (e ha'e access0 Pete
HallBs 'ast and ich achie'ement in his cycle o"
Sha!espeaeBs D<as o" the RosesB de( on assassination*
politics* inti+ue* (a? 9a'id Rud!inBs distubin+ play
Afore ;ight 5o2e (as a itual o" death? ,est "ide "tory a
itual o" uban 'iolence* :enet ceates ituals o" steility and
de+adation0 <hen 2 too! a tou o" Titus Andronicus
thou+h Euope this obscue (o! o" Sha!espeae touched
audiences diectly because (e had tapped in it a itual o"
bloodshed (hich (as eco+ni@ed as tue0 And this leads to
the heat o" the conto'esy that e=ploded in 7ondon about
(hat (ee labelled Ddity playsB? the complaint (as that the
61 THE EMPTY SPACE
theate today is (allo(in+ in miseyC that in Sha!espeae*
in +eat classical at* one eye is al(ays on the stas* that the
ite o" (inte includes a sense o" the ite o" spin+0 2 thin!
this is tue0 2n a sense 2 a+ee (holeheatedly (ith ou
opponents>but not (hen 2 see (hat they popose0 They
ae not seachin+ "o a holy theate* they ae not tal!in+
about a theate o" miacles? they ae tal!in+ o" the tame play
(hee Dhi+heB only means DniceB>bein+ noble only means
bein+ decent>alas* happy endin+s and optimism canBt be
odeed li!e (ine "om cellas0 They spin+ (hethe (e
(ish it o not "om a souce and i" (e petend thee is such
a souce eadily at hand (e (ill +o on cheatin+ ousel'es
(ith otten imitations0 2" (e eco+ni@e ho( despeately "a
(e ha'e di"ted "om anythin+ to do (ith a holy theate (e
can be+in to discad once and "o all the deam that a "ine
theate could etun in a tice i" only a "e( nice people tied
hade0
3oe than e'e* (e ca'e "o an e=peience that is beyond
the humdum0 Some loo! "o it in Aa@@* classical music* in
maiAuana and in 7S90 2n the theate (e shy a(ay "om the
holy because (e donBt !no( (hat this could be>(e only
!no( that (hat is called the holy has let us do(n* (e
shin! "om (hat is called poetic because the poetic has let
us do(n0 Attempts to e'i'e poetic dama too o"ten ha'e
led to somethin+ (ishy8(ashy o obscue0 Poety has
become a meanin+less tem* and its association (ith (od8
music* (ith s(eet sounds* is a han+o'e o" a Tennysonian
tadition that has someho( (apped itsel" ound
THE HOLY THEATRE 62
Sha!espeae* so that (e ae conditioned by the idea that a
'ese play is hal"8(ay bet(een pose and the opea* neithe
spo!en no sun+* yet (ith a hi+he cha+e than pose>
hi+he in content* hi+he someho( in moal 'alue0
All the "oms o" saced at ha'e cetainly been destoyed by
bou+eois 'alues but this sot o" obse'ation does not help
ou poblem0 2t is "oolish to allo( a e'ulsion "om
bou+eois "oms to tun into a e'ulsion "om needs that ae
common to all men? i" the need "o a tue contact (ith a
saced in'isibility thou+h the theate still e=ists* then all
possible 'ehicles must be e8e=amined0
2 ha'e sometimes been accused o" (antin+ to destoy the
spo!en (od* and indeed in this absudity theeBs a +ain o"
sense0 2n its "usion (ith the Ameican idiom ou e'e8
chan+in+ lan+ua+e has aely been iche* and yet it does
not seem that the (od is the same tool "o damatists that
it once (as0 2s it that (e ae li'in+ in an a+e o" ima+esG 2s it
e'en that (e must +o thou+h a peiod o" ima+e8satuation*
"o the need "o lan+ua+e to e8eme+eG This is 'ey
possible* "o today (ites seem unable to ma!e ideas and
ima+es collide thou+h (ods (ith Eli@abethan "oce0 The
most in"luential o" moden (ites* Becht* (ote "ull and
ich te=ts* but the eal con'iction o" his plays is insepaable
"om the ima+ey o" his o(n poductions0 )et in the deset
one pophet aised his 'oice0 Railin+ a+ainst the steility o"
the theate be"oe the (a in 1ance an illuminated +enius*
Antoine Ataud* (ote tacts descibin+ "om his
63 THE EMPTY SPACE
ima+ination and intuition anothe theate>a Holy Theate
in (hich the bla@in+ cente spea!s thou+h those "oms
closest to it0 A theate (o!in+ li!e the pla+ue* by
into=ication* by in"ection* by analo+y* by ma+icC a theate in
(hich the play* the e'ent itsel"* stands in place o" a te=t0
2s thee anothe lan+ua+e* Aust as e=actin+ "o the autho* as
a lan+ua+e o" (odsG 2s thee a lan+ua+e o" actions* a
lan+ua+e o" sounds>a lan+ua+e o" (od8as8pat8o" mo'e8
ment* o" (od8as8lie* (od8as8paody* o" (od8as8ubbish*
o" (od8as8contadiction* o" (od8shoc! o (od8cyG 2" (e
tal! o" the moe8than8liteal* i" poety means that (hich
cams moe and penetates deepe>is this (hee it liesG
Chales 3ao(it@ and 2 instituted a +oup (ith the Royal
Sha!espeae Theate called the Theate o" Cuelty to
in'esti+ate these ;uestions and to ty to lean "o ousel'es
(hat a holy theate mi+ht be0
The title (as by (ay o" homa+e to Ataud* but it did not
mean that (e (ee tyin+ to econstuct AtaudBs o(n
theate0 Anyone (ho (ishes to !no( (hat DTheate o"
CueltyB means should e"e diectly to AtaudBs o(n
(itin+s0 <e used his sti!in+ title to co'e ou o(n e=pei8
ments* many o" (hich (ee diectly stimulated by AtaudBs
thou+ht>althou+h many e=ecises (ee 'ey "a "om (hat
he had poposed0 <e did not stat at the bla@in+ cente* (e
be+an 'ey simply on the "in+es0
<e set an acto in "ont o" us* as!ed him to ima+ine a
THE HOLY THEATRE 64
damatic situation that did not in'ol'e any physical mo'e8
ment* then (e all tied to undestand (hat state he (as in0
O" couse* this (as impossible* (hich (as the point o" the
e=ecise0 The ne=t sta+e (as to disco'e (hat (as the 'ey
least he needed be"oe undestandin+ could be eached?
(as it a sound* a mo'ement* a hythm>and (ee these
intechan+eable>o had each its special sten+ths and
limitationsG So (e (o!ed by imposin+ dastic conditions0
An acto must communicate an idea>the stat must al(ays
be a thou+ht o a (ish that he has to poAect>but he has
only* say* one "in+e* one tone o" 'oice* a cy* o the
capacity to (histle at his disposal0
An acto sits at one end o" the oom* "acin+ the (all0 At the
othe end anothe acto* loo!in+ at the "ist oneBs bac!* not
allo(ed to mo'e0 The second acto must ma!e the "ist one
obey him0 As the "ist one has his bac! tuned* the second
has no (ay o" communicatin+ his (ishes e=cept thou+h
sounds* "o he is allo(ed no (ods0 This seems impossible*
but it can be done0 2t is li!e cossin+ an abyss on a ti+htope?
necessity suddenly poduces stan+e po(es0 2 ha'e head
o" a (oman li"tin+ a hu+e ca o"" he inAued child>a "eat
technically impossible "o he muscles in any pedictable
conditions0 7udmilla Pitoe"" used to +o on sta+e (ith he
heat poundin+ in a (ay that in theoy should ha'e !illed
he e'ey ni+ht0 <ith this e=ecise* many times (e also
obse'ed an e;ually phenomenal esult? a lon+ silence*
+eat concentation* one acto unnin+ e=peimentally
thou+h a an+e o" hisses o +u+les until suddenly the
65 THE EMPTY SPACE
othe acto stood and ;uite con"idently e=ecuted the
mo'ement the "ist one had in mind0
Similaly these actos e=peimented in communication
thou+h tappin+ (ith a "in+e8nail? statin+ "om a
po(e"ul need to e=pess somethin+ and a+ain usin+ only
one tool0 Hee it (as hythm>on anothe occasion* it (as
the eyes o the bac! o" the head0 A 'aluable e=ecise (as to
"i+ht in patnes* ta!in+ and +i'in+ bac! e'ey blo(* but
ne'e bein+ allo(ed to touch* ne'e mo'in+ the head* no
the ams* no "eet0 2n othe (ods a mo'ement o" the toso
is all that is allo(ed? no ealistic contact can ta!e place* yet
a "i+ht must be en+a+ed physically* emotionally and caied
thou+h0 Such e=ecises should not be thou+ht o" as
+ymnastics>"eein+ muscula esistance is only a by8
poduct>the pupose all the time is to incease esistance>
by limitin+ the altenati'es>and then usin+ this esistance
in the stu++le "o a tue e=pession0 The pinciple is the one
o" ubbin+ t(o stic!s to+ethe0 This "iction o" unyieldin+
opposites ma!es "ie>and othe "oms o" combustion can
be obtained in the same (ay0 The acto then "ound that to
communicate his in'isible meanin+s he needed
concentation* he needed (illC he needed to summon all his
emotional ese'esC he needed coua+eC he needed clea
thou+ht0 But the most impotant esult (as that he (as led
ine=oably to the conclusion that he needed "om0 2t (as not
enou+h to "eel passionately>a ceati'e leap (as e;uied
to mint a ne( "om (hich could be a containe and a
e"lecto "o his impulses0 That is (hat is tuly called an
THE HOLY THEATRE 66
Daction0B One o" the most inteestin+ moments (as duin+
an e=ecise in (hich each membe o" the +oup had to act a
child0 Natually* one a"te the othe did an DimitationB o" a
child by stoopin+* (i++lin+* o s;ua(!in+ > and the esult
(as pain"ully embaassin+0 Then the tallest o" the +oup
came "o(ad and (ithout any physical chan+e at all* (ith
no attempt to imitate baby tal!* he pesented "ully to
e'eyoneBs complete satis"action the idea that he had been
called upon to cay0 Ho(G 2 canBt descibe itC it happened
as diect communication* only "o those pesent0 This is
(hat some theates call ma+ic* othes science* but itBs the
same thin+0 An in'isible idea (as i+htly sho(n0
2 say Dsho(nB because an acto ma!in+ a +estue is both
ceatin+ "o himsel" out o" his deepest need and yet "o the
othe peson0 2t is had to undestand the tue notion o"
spectato* thee and not thee* i+noed and yet needed0 The
actoBs (o! is ne'e "o an audience* yet al(ays is "o one0
The onloo!e is a patne (ho must be "o+otten and still
constantly !ept in mind? a +estue is statement* e=pession*
communication and a pi'ate mani"estation o" loneliness>
it is al(ays (hat Ataud calls a si+nal thou+h the "lames>
yet this implies a shain+ o" e=peience* once contact is
made0
Slo(ly (e (o!ed to(ads di""eent (odless lan+ua+es?
(e too! an e'ent* a "a+ment o" e=peience and made e=e8
cises that tuned them into "oms that could be shaed0 <e
encoua+ed the actos to see themsel'es not only as
67 THE EMPTY SPACE
impo'ises* lendin+ themsel'es blindly to thei inne
impulses* but as atists esponsible "o seachin+ and
selectin+ amon+st "om* so that a +estue o a cy becomes
li!e an obAect that he disco'es and e'en emoulds0 <e
e=peimented (ith and came to eAect the taditional
lan+ua+e o" mas!s and ma!eups as no lon+e appopiate0
<e e=peimented (ith silence0 <e set out to disco'e the
elations bet(een silence and duation? (e needed an
audience so that (e could set a silent acto in "ont o" them
to see the 'ayin+ len+ths o" attention he could command0
Then (e e=peimented (ith itual in the sense o" epetiti'e
pattens* seein+ ho( it is possible to pesent moe meanin+*
moe s(i"tly than by a lo+ical un"oldin+ o" e'ents0 Ou aim
"o each e=peiment* +ood o bad* success"ul o disastous*
(as the same? can the in'isible be made 'isible thou+h the
pe"omeBs pesenceG
<e !no( that the (old o" appeaance is a cust>unde
the cust is the boilin+ matte (e see i" (e pee into a 'ol8
cano0 Ho( can (e tap this ene+yG <e studied 3eyeholdBs
bio8mechanical e=peiments* (hee he played lo'e scenes
on s(in+s and in one o" ou pe"omances a Hamlet the(
Ophelia on to the !nees o" the audience* (hile he s(un+
abo'e thei heads on a ope0 <e (ee denyin+ psycholo+y*
(e (ee tyin+ to smash the appaently (ate8ti+ht
di'isions bet(een the pi'ate and the public man? the oute
man (hose beha'iou is bound by the photo+aphic ules
o" e'eyday li"e* (ho must sit to sit* stand to stand>and
the inne man (hose anachy and poety is usually
THE HOLY THEATRE 68
e=pessed only in his (ods0 1o centuies* unealistic
speech has been uni'esally accepted* all sots o" audiences
ha'e s(allo(ed the con'ention that (ods can do the
stan+est thin+s>in a monolo+ue* "o instance* a man stays
still but his ideas can dance (hee they (ill0 Haultin+
speech is a +ood con'ention* but is thee anotheG <hen a
man "lies o'e the audienceBs head on a ope* e'ey aspect
o" the immediate is put in Aeopady>the cicle o" spectatos
that is at ease (hen the man spea!s is tho(n into chaos? in
this instant o" ha@ad can a di""eent meanin+ appeaG
2n natualistic plays the play(i+ht conti'es the dialo+ue
in such a (ay that (hile seemin+ natual it sho(s (hat he
(ants to be seen0 By usin+ lan+ua+e illo+ically* by
intoducin+ the idiculous in speech and the "antastic in
beha'iou* an autho o" the Theate o" the Absud opens up
"o himsel" anothe 'ocabulay0 1o instance* a ti+e comes
into the oom* but the couple ta!e no notice? the (i"e
spea!s* the husband ans(es by ta!in+ o"" his pants and a
ne( pai "loats in thou+h the (indo(0 The theate o" the
Absud did not see! the uneal "o its o(n sa!e0 2t used the
uneal to ma!e cetain e=ploations* because it sensed the
absence o" tuth in ou e'eyday e=chan+es* and the
pesence o" the tuth in the seemin+ "a8"etched0 Althou+h
thee ha'e been some ema!able indi'idual (o!s
stemmin+ "om this appoach to the (old* as a
eco+ni@able school the Absud has eached an impasse0
7i!e so much that is no'el in te=tue* li!e much concete
music* "o instance* the supise element (eas thin* and (e
69 THE EMPTY SPACE
ae le"t to "ace the "act that the "ield it co'es is sometimes
'ey small0 1antasy in'ented by the mind is apt to be
li+ht(ei+ht* the (himsicality and the suealism o" much o"
the Absud (ould no moe ha'e satis"ied Ataud than the
nao(ness o" the psycholo+ical play0 <hat he (anted in
his seach "o a holiness (as absolute? he (anted a theate
that (ould be a hallo(ed place? he (anted that theate
se'ed by a band o" dedicated actos and diectos (ho
(ould ceate out o" thei o(n natues an unendin+
succession o" 'iolent sta+e ima+es* bin+in+ about such
po(e"ul immediate e=plosions o" human matte that no
one (ould e'e a+ain e'et to a theate o" anecdote and
tal!0 He (anted the theate to contain all that nomally is
ese'ed "o cime and (a0 He (anted an audience that
(ould dop all its de"ences* that (ould allo( itsel" to be
pe"oated* shoc!ed* statled* and aped* so that at the same
time it could be "illed (ith a po(e"ul ne( cha+e0
This sounds temendous* yet it aises a na++in+ doubt0
Ho( passi'e does this ma!e the spectatoG Ataud main8
tained that only in the theate could (e libeate ousel'es
"om the eco+ni@able "oms in (hich (e li'e ou daily
li'es0
This made the theate a holy place in (hich a +eate eality
could be "ound0 Those (ho 'ie( his (o! (ith suspicion
as! ho( all8embacin+ is this tuth* and secondly* ho(
'aluable is the e=peienceG A totem* a cy "om the (omb?
these can cac! thou+h (alls o" peAudice in any man? a
THE HOLY THEATRE 70
ho(l can cetainly each thou+h to the +uts0 But is this
e'ealin+* is this contact (ith ou o(n epessions ceati'e*
theapeuticG 2s it eally holy>o is Ataud in his passion
da++in+ us bac! to a nethe (old* a(ay "om sti'in+*
a(ay "om the li+ht>to 90 H0 7a(ence* <a+neC is thee
e'en a "ascist smell in the cult o" uneasonG 2s a cult o" the
in'isible* anti8intelli+entG 2s it a denial o" the mindG
As (ith all pophets* (e must sepaate the man "om his
"ollo(es0 Ataud ne'e attained his o(n theate* maybe
the po(e o" his 'ision is that it is the caot in "ont o" ou
nose* ne'e to be eached0 Cetainly* he himsel" (as al(ays
spea!in+ o" a complete (ay o" li"e* o" a theate in (hich the
acti'ity o" the acto and the acti'ity o" the spectato ae
di'en by the same despeate need0
Ataud applied is Ataud betayed? betayed because it is
al(ays Aust a potion o" his thou+ht that is e=ploited*
betayed because it is easie to apply ules to the (o! o" a
hand"ul o" dedicated actos than to the li'es o" the
un!no(n spectatos (ho happened by chance to come
thou+h the theate doo0
None the less* "om the aestin+ (ods DTheate o" CueltyB
comes a +opin+ to(ads a theate* moe 'iolent* less
ational* moe e=teme* less 'ebal* moe dan+eous0 Thee
is a Aoy in 'iolent shoc!s? the only touble (ith 'iolent
shoc!s is that they (ea o""0 <hat "ollo(s a shoc!G HeeBs
the sna+0 2 "ie a pistol at the spectato>2 did so once>and
71 THE EMPTY SPACE
"o a second 2 ha'e a possibility to each him in a di""eent
(ay0 2 must elate this possibility to a pupose* othe(ise a
moment late he is bac! (hee he (as? inetia is the +eatest
"oce (e !no(0 2 sho( a sheet o" blue>nothin+ but the
colou blue>blueness is a diect statement that aouses an
emotion* the ne=t second that impession "ades? 2 hold up a
billiant "lash o" scalet>a di""eent impession is made* but
unless someone can +ab this moment* !no(in+ (hy and
ho( and (hat "o>it too be+ins to (ane0 The touble is
that one can easily "ind onesel" "iin+ the "ist shots (ithout
any sense o" (hee the battle could lead0 One loo! at the
a'ea+e audience +i'es us an iesistible u+e to assault it>
to shoot "ist and as! ;uestions late0 This is the oad to the
Happenin+0
A Happenin+ is a po(e"ul in'ention* it destoys at one
blo( many deadly "oms* li!e the deainess o" theate
buildin+s* and the chamless tappin+s o" cutain*
usheette* cloa!oom* po+amme* ba0 A Happenin+ can
be any(hee* any time* o" any duation? nothin+ is
e;uied* nothin+ is taboo0 A Happenin+ may be
spontaneous* it may be "omal* it may be anachistic* it can
+eneate into=icatin+ ene+y0 Behind the Happenin+ is the
shout D<a!e upMB Han :o+h made +eneations o" ta'elles
see Po'ence (ith ne( eyes* and the theoy o" Happenin+s
is that a spectato can be Aolted e'entually into ne( si+ht* so
that he (a!es to the li"e aound him0 This sounds li!e
sense* and in Happenin+s* the in"luence o" Ren and Pop At
combine to ma!e a pe"ectly lo+ical t(entieth8centuy
THE HOLY THEATRE 72
Ameican combination0 But the sadness o" a bad
Happenin+ must be seen to be belie'ed0 :i'e a child a
paintbo=* and i" he mi=es all the colous to+ethe the esult
is al(ays the same muddy bo(ny +ey0 A Happenin+ is
al(ays the bainchild o" someone and una'oidably it
e"lects the le'el o" its in'ento? i" it is the (o! o" a +oup*
it e"lects the inne esouces o" the +oup0 This "ee "om is
all too o"ten impisoned in the same obsessional symbolsC
"lou* custad pies* olls o" pape* dessin+* undessin+*
dessin+8up* undessin+ a+ain* chan+in+ clothes* ma!in+
(ate* tho(in+ (ate* blo(in+ (ate* hu++in+* ollin+*
(ithin+>you "eel that i" a Happenin+ became a (ay o" li"e
then by contast the most humdum li"e (ould seem a
"antastic happenin+0 Hey easily a Happenin+ can be no
moe than a seies o" mild shoc!s "ollo(ed by let8do(ns
(hich po+essi'ely combine to neutali@e the "uthe
shoc!s be"oe they ai'e0 O else the "en@y o" the shoc!e
blud+eons the shoc!ee into becomin+ still anothe "om o"
the 9eadly Audience>he stats (illin+ and is assaulted
into apathy0
The simple "act is that Happenin+s ha'e bou+ht into bein+
not the easiest but the most e=actin+ "oms o" all0 As shoc!s
and supises ma!e a dent in a spectatoBs e"le=es* so that
he is suddenly moe open* moe alet* moe a(a!e* the
possibility and the esponsibility aise "o onloo!e and
pe"ome ali!e0 The instant must be used* but ho(* (hat
"oG Hee* (e ae bac! to the oot ;uestion>(hat ae (e
seachin+ "o any(ayG 9o8it8yousel" Ren hadly "its the
73 THE EMPTY SPACE
bill0 The Happenin+ is a ne( boom o" +eat e""icacity? it is
cetainly s(eepin+ a(ay the ubbish* but as it cleas the
(ay the old dialo+ue is head a+ain* the debate o" "om
a+ainst "omless* "eedom a+ainst disciplineC a dialectic as
old as Pytha+oas* (ho "ist set in opposition the tems
7imit and Unlimited0 2t is all 'ey (ell to use cumbs o" Ren
to asset the pinciple that e=istence is e=istence* that e'ey
mani"estation contains (ithin it all o" e'eythin+* and that a
slap on the "ace* a t(ea! o" the nose o a custad pie ae all
e;ually Buddha0 All eli+ions asset that the in'isible is
'isible all the time0 But heeBs the cunch0 Reli+ious
teachin+>includin+ Ren>assets that this 'isible8in'isible
cannot be seen automatically>it can only be seen +i'en
cetain conditions0 The conditions can elate to cetain
states o to a cetain undestandin+0 2n any e'ent* to
compehend the 'isibility o" the in'isible is a li"eBs (o!0
Holy at is an aid to this* and so (e ai'e at a de"inition o"
a holy theate0 A holy theate not only pesents the in'isible
but also o""es conditions that ma!e its peception possible0
The Happenin+ could be elated to all o" this* but the
pesent inade;uacy o" the Happenin+ is that it e"uses to
e=amine deeply the poblem o" peception0 Nai'ely it be8
lie'es that the cy D<a!e upMB is enou+h? that the call D7i'eMB
bin+s li"e0 O" couse* moe is needed0 But (hatG
A happenin+ (as oi+inally intended to be a painteBs
ceation>(hich instead o" paint and can'as* o +lue and
sa(dust* o solid obAects* used people to ma!e cetain
elationships and "oms0 7i!e a paintin+* a happenin+ is
THE HOLY THEATRE 74
intended as a ne( obAect* a ne( constuction bou+ht into
the (old* to enich the (old* to add to natue* to sit
alon+side e'eyday li"e0 To those (ho "ind happenin+s
deay the suppote etots that any one thin+ is as +ood as
anothe0 2" some seem D(oseB than othes* this* they say* is
the esult o" the spectatoBs conditionin+ and his Aaded eye0
Those (ho ta!e pat in a happenin+ and +et a !ic! out o"
doin+ so can a""od to e+ad the outsideBs boedom (ith
indi""eence0 The 'ey "act that they paticipate hei+htens
thei peception0 The man (ho puts on a dinne Aac!et "o
the opea* sayin+* D2 enAoy a sense o" occasion* and the
hippy (ho puts on a "lo(eed suit "o an all8ni+ht li+ht8
sho( ae both eachin+ incoheently in the same diection0
Occasion* E'ent* Happenin+>the (ods ae
intechan+eable0 The stuctues ae di""eent>the opea is
constucted and epeated accodin+ to taditional
pinciples* the li+ht8sho( un"olds "o the "ist and last time
accodin+ to accident and en'ionmentC but both ae
delibeately constucted social +athein+s that see! "o an
in'isibility to intepenetate and animate the odinay0
Those o" us (ho (o! in theates ae implicitly challen+ed
to +o ahead to meet this hun+e0
Thee ae many people attemptin+ in thei o(n (ays to
ta!e up the challen+e0 2 (ill ;uote thee0
Thee is 3ece Cunnin+ham0 Stemmin+ "om 3atha
:aham* he has e'ol'ed a ballet company (hose daily
e=ecises ae a continual pepaation "o the shoc! o"
75 THE EMPTY SPACE
"eedom0 A classical dance is tained to obse'e and "ollo(
e'ey detail o" a mo'ement that he is +i'en0 He has tained
his body to obey* his techni;ue is his se'ant* so that
instead o" bein+ (apped up in the doin+ o" the mo'ement
he can let the mo'ement un"old in intimate company (ith
the un"oldin+ o" the music0 3ece Cunnin+hamBs dances*
(ho ae hi+hly tained* use thei discipline to be moe
a(ae o" the "ine cuents that "lo( (ithin a mo'ement as it
un"olds "o the "ist time>and thei techni;ue enables them
to "ollo( this "ine pomptin+* "eed "om the clumsiness o"
the untained man0 <hen they impo'ise>as notions ae
bon and "lo( bet(een them* ne'e epeatin+ themsel'es*
al(ays in mo'ement>the inte'als ha'e shape* so that the
hythms can be sensed as Aust and the popotions as tue?
all is spontaneous and yet thee is ode0 2n silence thee ae
many potentialitiesC chaos o ode* muddle o patten* all
lie "allo(>the in'isible made 'isible is o" a saced natue*
and as he dances 3ece Cunnin+ham sti'es "o a holy at0
Pehaps the most intense and pesonal (itin+ o" ou time
comes "om Samuel Bec!ett0 Bec!ettBs plays ae symbols in
an e=act sense o" the (od0 A "alse symbol is so"t and
'a+ue? a tue symbol is had and clea0 <hen (e say
DsymbolicB (e o"ten mean somethin+ deaily obscue? a
tue symbol is speci"ic* it is the only "om a cetain tuth can
ta!e0 The t(o men (aitin+ by a stunted tee* the man
ecodin+ himsel" on tapes* the t(o men maooned in a
to(e* the (oman buied to he (aist in sand* the paents
in the dustbins* the thee heads in the uns? these ae pue
THE HOLY THEATRE 76
in'entions* "esh ima+es shaply de"ined>and they stand
on the sta+e as obAects0 They ae theate machines0 People
smile at them* but they hold thei +ound? they ae citic8
poo"0 <e +et no(hee i" (e e=pect to be told (hat they
mean* yet each one has a elation (ith us (e canBt deny0 2"
(e accept this* the symbol opens in us a +eat and
(ondein+ O0
This is ho( Bec!ettBs da! plays ae plays o" li+ht* (hee
the despeate obAect ceated is (itness o" the "eocity o" the
(ish to bea (itness to the tuth0 Bec!ett does not say DnoB
(ith satis"actionC he "o+es his meciless DnoB out o" a
lon+in+ "o DyesB and so his despai is the ne+ati'e "om
(hich the contou o" its opposite can be da(n0
Thee ae t(o (ays o" spea!in+ about the human con8
dition? thee is the pocess o" inspiation>by (hich all the
positi'e elements o" li"e can be e'ealed* and thee is the
pocess o" honest 'ision>by (hich the atist beas (itness
to (hate'e it is that he has seen0 The "ist pocess depends
on e'elationC it canBt be bou+ht about by holy (ishes0 The
second one depends on honesty* and it mustnBt be clouded
o'e by holy (ishes0
Bec!ett e=pesses Aust this distinction in Ha00y %ays) The
optimism o" the lady buied in the +ound is not a 'itue* it
is the element that blinds he to the tuth o" he situation0
1o a "e( ae "lashes she +limpses he condition* but at
once she blots them out (ith he +ood chee0 Bec!ettBs
77 THE EMPTY SPACE
action on some o" his audience is e=actly li!e the action o"
this situation on the leadin+ chaacte0 The audience
(i++les* s;uims and ya(ns* it (al!s out o else in'ents
and pints e'ey "om o" ima+inay complaint as a
mechanism to (ad o"" the uncom"otable tuth0 Sadly* it is
the (ish "o optimism that many (ites shae that
pe'ents them "om "indin+ hope0 <hen (e attac! Bec!ett
"o pessimism it is (e (ho ae the Bec!ett chaactes
tapped in a Bec!ett scene0 <hen (e accept Bec!ettBs
statement as it is* then suddenly all is tans"omed0 Thee is
a"te all ;uite anothe audience* Bec!ettBs audienceC those in
e'ey county (ho do not set up intellectual baies* (ho
do not ty too had to analyse the messa+e0 This audience
lau+hs and cies out>and in the end celebates (ith
Bec!ettC this audience lea'es his plays* his blac! plays*
nouished and eniched* (ith a li+hte heat* "ull o" a
stan+e iational Aoy0 Poety* nobility* beauty* ma+ic>
suddenly these suspect (ods ae bac! in the theate once
moe0
2n Poland thee is a small company led by a 'isionay* Ke@y
:oto(s!i* that also has a saced aim0 The theate* he
belie'es* cannot be an end in itsel"C li!e dancin+ o music in
cetain de'ish odes* the theate is a 'ehicle* a means "o
sel"8study* sel"8e=ploationC a possibility o" sal'ation0 The
acto has himsel" as his "ield o" (o!0 This "ield is iche
than that o" the painte* iche than that o" the musician*
because to e=ploe he needs to call on e'ey aspect o"
himsel"0 His hand* his eye* his ea* and his heat ae (hat he
THE HOLY THEATRE 78
is studyin+ and (hat he is studyin+ (ith0 Seen this (ay*
actin+ is a li"eBs (o!>the acto is step by step e=tendin+
his !no(led+e o" himsel" thou+h the pain"ul*
e'echan+in+ cicumstances o" eheasal and the
temendous punctuation points o" pe"omance0 2n
:oto(s!iBs teminolo+y* the acto allo(s a ole to
DpenetateB himC at "ist he is all obstacle to it* but by con8
stant (o! he ac;uies technical mastey o'e his physical
and psychic means by (hich he can allo( the baies to
dop0 DAuto8penetationB by the ole is elated to e=posue?
the acto does not hesitate to sho( himsel" e=actly as he is*
"o he eali@es that the secet o" the ole demands his
openin+ himsel" up* disclosin+ his o(n secets0 So that the
act o" pe"omance is an act o" saci"ice* o" saci"icin+ (hat
most men pe"e to hide>this saci"ice is his +i"t to the
spectato0 Hee thee is a simila elation bet(een acto and
audience to the one bet(een piest and (oshippe0 2t is
ob'ious that not e'eyone is called to piesthood and no
taditional eli+ion e=pects this o" all men0 Thee ae
laymen>(ho ha'e necessay oles in li"e>and those (ho
ta!e on othe budens* "o the laymenBs sa!e0 The piest
pe"oms the itual "o himsel" and on behal" o" othes0
:oto(s!iBs actos o""e thei pe"omance as a ceemony
"o those (ho (ish to assist? the acto in'o!es* lays bae
(hat lies in e'ey man > and (hat daily li"e co'es up0
This theate is holy because its pupose is holyC it has a
clealy de"ined place in the community and it esponds to a
need the chuches can no lon+e "ill0 :oto(s!iBs theate is
as close as anyone has +ot to AtaudBs ideal0 2t is a complete
79 THE EMPTY SPACE
(ay o" li"e "o all its membes* and so it is in contast (ith
most othe a#ant9garde and e=peimental +oups (hose
(o! is scambled and usually in'alidated thou+h lac! o"
means0 3ost e=peimental poducts cannot do (hat they
(ant because outside conditions ae too hea'ily loaded
a+ainst them0 They ha'e scatch casts* eheasal time eaten
into by the need to ean thei li'in+* inade;uate sets*
costumes* li+hts* etc0 Po'ety is thei complaint and thei
e=cuse0 :oto(s!i ma!es po'ety an idealC his actos ha'e
+i'en up e'eythin+ e=cept thei o(n bodiesC they ha'e the
human instument and limitless time>no (onde they "eel
the ichest theate in the (old0
These thee theates* Cunnin+ham* :oto(s!i* and Bec!ett
ha'e se'eal thin+s in commonC small means* intense (o!*
i+oous discipline* absolute pecision0 Also* almost as a
condition* they ae theates "o an elite) 3ece Cunnin+ham
usually plays to poo houses* and i" his admies ae scan8
dali@ed by his lac! o" suppot he himsel" ta!es it in his
stide0 Bec!ett only aely "ills an a'ea+e si@ed auditoium0
:oto(s!i plays "o thity spectatos>as a delibeate
choice0 He is con'inced that the poblems "acin+ himsel"
and the acto ae so +eat that to conside a la+e audience
could only lead to a dilution o" the (o!0 He said to me?
D3y seach is based on the diecto and the acto0 )ou base
yous on the diecto* acto* audience0 2 accept that this is
possible* but "o me it is too indiect0B 2s he i+htG Ae these
the only possible theates to touch DealityGB They ae
cetainly tue to themsel'es* they cetainly "ace the basic
THE HOLY THEATRE 80
;uestion* D<hy theate at allGB and each one has "ound its
ans(e0 They each stat "om thei hun+e* each (o!s to
lessen his o(n need0 And yet the 'ey puity o" thei
esol'e* the hi+h and seious natue o" thei acti'ity
ine'itably bin+s a0 colou to thei choices and a limitation
to thei "ield0 They ae unable to be both esoteic and
popula at one and the same time0 Thee is no co(d in
Bec!ett* no 1alsta""0 1o 3ece Cunnin+ham* as once "o
Schoenbe+* it (ould need a tour de force to e8in'ent Rin+ a
in+ oB Roses o to (histle 7od "a#e The <ueen) 2n li"e*
:oto(s!iBs leadin+ acto a'idly collects Aa@@ ecods* but
thee ae no pop lyics on the sta+e (hich is his li"e0 These
theates e=ploe li"e* yet (hat counts as li"e is esticted0
DRealB li"e pecludes cetain DunealB "eatues0 2" (e ead
today AtaudBs desciptions o" his ima+inay poductions*
they e"lect his o(n tastes and the cuent omantic
ima+ey o" his time* "o thee is a cetain pe"eence "o
da!ness and mystey* "o chantin+* "o uneathly cies* "o
sin+le (ods athe than sentences* "o 'ast shapes* mas!s*
"o !in+s and empeos and popes* "o saints and sinnes
and "la+ellants* "o blac! ti+hts and (ithin+ na!ed s!in0
A diecto dealin+ (ith elements that e=ist outside o"
himsel" can cheat himsel" into thin!in+ his (o! moe
obAecti'e than it is0 By his choice o" e=ecises* e'en by the
(ay he encoua+es an acto to "ind his o(n "eedom* a
diecto cannot help poAectin+ his o(n state o" mind on to
the sta+e0 The supeme AuAitsu (ould be "o the diecto to
stimulate such an outpouin+ o" the actoBs inne ichness
81 THE EMPTY SPACE
that it completely tans"oms the subAecti'e natue o" his
oi+inal impulse0 But usually the diecto o the
choeo+apheBs patten sho(s thou+h and it is hee that
the desied obAecti'e e=peience can tun into the
e=pession o" some indi'idual diectoBs pi'ate ima+ey0
<e can ty to captue the in'isible but (e must not lose
touch (ith common8sense>i" ou lan+ua+e is too special
(e (ill lose pat o" the spectatoBs belie"0 The model* as
al(ays* is Sha!espeae0 His aim continually is holy*
metaphysical* yet he ne'e ma!es the mista!e o" stayin+ too
lon+ on the hi+hest plane0 He !ne( ho( had it is "o us to
!eep company (ith the absolute>so he continually bumps
us do(n to eath > and :oto(s!i eco+ni@es this*
spea!in+ o" the need "o both DapotheosisB and Ddeision0B
<e ha'e to accept that (e can ne'e see all o" the in'isible0
So a"te stainin+ to(ads it* (e ha'e to "ace de"eat* dop
do(n to eath* then stat up a+ain0
2 ha'e e"ained "om intoducin+ the 7i'in+ Theate until
no( because this +oup* led by Kulian Bec! and Kudith
3alina* is special in e'ey sense o" the (od0 2t is a nomad
community0 2t mo'es acoss the (old accodin+ to its o(n
la(s and o"ten in contadiction to the la(s o" the county in
(hich it happens to be0 2t po'ides a complete (ay o" li"e
"o e'ey one o" its membes* some thity men and (omen
(ho li'e and (o! to+etheC they ma!e lo'e* poduce child8
en* act* in'ent plays* do physical and spiitual e=ecises*
shae and discuss e'eythin+ that comes thei (ay0 Abo'e
all* they ae a communityC but they ae only a community
THE HOLY THEATRE 82
because they ha'e a special "unction (hich +i'es thei
communal e=istence its meanin+0 This "unction is actin+0
<ithout actin+ the +oup (ould un dy? they pe"om
because the act and "act o" pe"omin+ coesponds to a
+eat shaed need0 They ae in seach o" meanin+ in thei
li'es* and in a sense e'en i" thee (ee no audiences* they
(ould still ha'e to pe"om* because the theatical e'ent is
the clima= and cente o" thei seach0 )et (ithout an
audience thei pe"omances (ould lose thei substance>
the audience is al(ays the challen+e (ithout (hich a
pe"omance (ould be a sham0 Also* it is a pactical
community that ma!es pe"omances "o a li'in+ and o""es
them "o sale0 2n the 7i'in+ Theate* thee needs become
one? it e=ists "o the sa!e o" pe"omin+* it eans its li'in+
thou+h pe"omin+ and its pe"omances contain the most
intense and intimate moments o" its collecti'e li"e0
One day this caa'an may halt0 This could be in a hostile
en'ionment>li!e its oi+ins in Ne( )o!>in (hich case
its "unction (ill be to po'o!e and di'ide audiences by
inceasin+ thei a(aeness o" uncom"otable contadiction
bet(een a (ay o" li"e on sta+e and a (ay o" li"e outside0
Thei o(n identity (ill be constantly da(n and eda(n
by the natual tension and hostility bet(een themsel'es
and thei suoundin+s0 Altenati'ely* they may come to
est in some (ide community that shaes some o" thei
'alues0 Hee thee (ould be a di""eent unity and a
di""eent tension? the tension (ould be shaed by sta+e and
audience>it (ould be the e=pession o" the unesol'ed
83 THE EMPTY SPACE
;uest "o a holiness etenally unde"ined0
2n "act* the 7i'in+ Theate* e=emplay in so many (ays* has
still not yet come to +ips (ith its o(n essential dilemma0
Seachin+ "o holiness (ithout tadition* (ithout souce* it
is compelled to tun to many taditions* many souces>
yo+a* Ren* psychoanalysis* boo!s* heasay* disco'ey*
inspiation>a ich but dan+eous eclecticism0 1o the
method that leads to (hat they ae see!in+ cannot be an
additi'e one0 To subtact* to stip a(ay can only be e""ected
in the li+ht o" some constant0 They ae still in seach o" this
constant0
2n the meantime* they ae continually nouished by a 'ey
Ameican humou and Aoy that is suealist* but (ith both
"eet "imly on the +ound0

S S S
2n Haitian 'oodoo* all you need to be+in a ceemony is a
pole and people0 )ou be+in to beat the dums and "a a(ay
in A"ica the +ods hea you call0 They decide to come to
you* and as 'oodoo is a 'ey pactical eli+ion* it ta!es into
account the time that a +od needs to coss the Atlantic0 So
you +o on beatin+ you dum* chantin+ and din!in+ um0
2n this (ay* you pepae yousel"0 Then "i'e o si= hous
pass and the +ods "ly in>they cicle abo'e you heads* but
it is not (oth loo!in+ up as natually they ae in'isible0
This is (hee the pole becomes so 'ital0 <ithout the pole
nothin+ can lin! the 'isible and the in'isible (olds0 The
THE HOLY THEATRE 84
pole* li!e the coss* is the Aunction0 Thou+h the (ood*
eathed* the spiits slide* and no( they ae eady "o the
second step in thei metamophosis0 No( they need a
human 'ehicle* and they choose one o" the paticipants0 A
!ic!* a moan o t(o* a shot pao=ysm on the +ound and a
man is possessed0 He +ets to his "eet* no lon+e himsel"* but
"illed (ith the +od0 The +od no( has "om0 He is someone
(ho can Ao!e* +et dun! and listen to e'eyoneBs
complaints0 The "ist thin+ that the piest* the Houn+an*
does (hen the +od ai'es is to sha!e him by the hand and
as! him about his tip0 HeBs a +od all i+ht* but he is no
lon+e uneal? he is thee* on ou le'el* attainable0 The
odinay man o (oman no( can tal! to him* pump his
hand* a+ue* cuse him* +o to bed (ith him>and so*
ni+htly* the Haitian is in contact (ith the +eat po(es and
mysteies that ule his day0
2n the theate* the tendency "o centuies has been to put the
acto at a emote distance* on a plat"om* "amed*
decoated* lit* painted* in hi+h shoes>so as to help to
pesuade the i+noant that he is holy* that his at is saced0
9id this e=pess e'eenceG O (as thee behind it a "ea
that somethin+ (ould be e=posed i" the li+ht (ee too
bi+ht* the meetin+ too neaG Today* (e ha'e e=posed the
sham0 But (e ae edisco'ein+ that a holy theate is still
(hat (e need0 So (hee should (e loo! "o itG 2n the
clouds o on the +oundG
%
The Rou+h Theate
2T 2S al(ays the popula theate that sa'es the day0 Thou+h
the a+es it has ta!en many "oms* and thee is only one
"acto that they all ha'e in common>a ou+hness0 Salt*
s(eat* noise* smell? the theate thatBs not in a theate* the
theate on cats* on (a+ons* on testles* audiences standin+*
din!in+* sittin+ ound tables* audiences Aoinin+ in*
ans(ein+ bac!? theate in bac! ooms* upstais ooms*
bansC the one8ni+ht stands* the ton sheet pinned up acoss
the hall* the batteed sceen to conceal the ;uic! chan+es>
that one +eneic tem* theatre! co'es all this and the
spa!lin+ chandelies too0 2 ha'e had many aboti'e
discussions (ith achitects buildin+ ne( theates>tyin+
'ainly to "ind (ods (ith (hich to communicate my o(n
con'iction that it is not a ;uestion o" +ood buildin+s and
bad? a beauti"ul place may ne'e bin+ about e=plosion o"
li"eC (hile a hapha@ad hall may be a temendous meetin+
place? this is the mystey o" the theate* but in the
undestandin+ o" this mystey lies the only possibility o"
odein+ it into a science0 2n othe "oms o" achitectue
thee is a elationship bet(een conscious* aticulate desi+n
and +ood "unctionin+? a (ell8desi+ned hospital may be
moe e""icacious than a hi++ledy8pi++ledy oneC but as "o
theates* the poblem o" desi+n cannot stat lo+ically0 2t is
85
THE ROUGH THEATRE 86
not a matte o" sayin+ analytically (hat ae the
e;uiements* ho( best they can be o+ani@ed>this (ill
usually bin+ into e=istence a tame* con'entional* o"ten cold
hall0 The science o" theate8buildin+ must come "om
studyin+ (hat it is that bin+s about the most 'i'id
elationship bet(een people>and is this best se'ed by
asymmety* e'en by disodeG 2" so* (hat can be the ule o"
this disodeG An achitect is bette o"" i" he (o!s li!e a
scene desi+ne* mo'in+ scaps o" cadboad by intuition*
than i" he builds his model "om a plan* pepaed (ith
compass and ule0 2" (e "ind that dun+ is a +ood "etili@e*
it is no use bein+ s;ueamishC i" the theate seems to need a
cetain cude element* this must be accepted as pat o" its
natual soil0 At the be+innin+ o" electonic music* some
:eman studios claimed that they could ma!e e'ey sound
that a natual instument could ma!e>only bette0 They
then disco'eed that all thei sounds (ee ma!ed by a
cetain uni"om steility0 So they analysed the sounds made
by clainets* "lutes* 'iolins* and "ound that each note
contained a ema!ably hi+h popotion o" plain noise?
actual scapin+* o the mi=tue o" hea'y beathin+ (ith
(ind on (ood? "om a puist point o" 'ie( this (as Aust
dit* but the composes soon "ound themsel'es compelled
to ma!e synthetic dit>to Dhumani@eB thei compositions0
Achitects emain blind to this pinciple>and ea a"te ea
the most 'ital theatical e=peiences occu outside the
le+itimate places constucted "o the pupose0 :odon Cai+
in"luenced Euope "o hal" a centuy thou+h a couple o"
pe"omances +i'en in Hampstead in a chuch hall>the
87 THE EMPTY SPACE
si+natue o" the Becht theate* the (hite hal"8cutain*
oi+inated ;uite pactically in a cella* (hen a (ie had to
be slun+ "om (all to (all0 The Rou+h Theate is close to
the people? it may be a puppet theate* it may>as in :ee!
'illa+es to this day>be a shado( sho(? it is usually
distin+uished by the absence o" (hat is called style0 Style
needs leisue? puttin+ o'e somethin+ in ou+h conditions
is li!e a e'olution* "o anythin+ that comes to hand can be
tuned into a (eapon0 The Rou+h Theate doesnBt pic! and
choose? i" the audience is esti'e* then it is ob'iously moe
impotant to holle at the touble ma!es>o impo'ise a
+a+>than to ty to pese'e the unity o" style o" the scene0
2n the lu=uy o" the hi+h8class theate* e'eythin+ can be all
o" a piece? in a ou+h theate a buc!et (ill be ban+ed "o a
battle* "lou used to sho( "aces (hite (ith "ea0 The asenal
is limitless? the aside* the placad* the topical e"eence* the
local Ao!es* the e=ploitin+ o" accidents* the son+s* the
dances* the tempo* the noise* the elyin+ on contasts* the
shothand o" e=a++eation* the "alse noses* the stoc! types*
the stu""ed bellies0 The popula theate* "eed o" unity o"
style* actually spea!s a 'ey sophisticated and stylish
lan+ua+e? a popula audience usually has no di""iculty in
acceptin+ inconsistencies o" accent and dess* o in datin+
bet(een mime and dialo+ue* ealism and su++estion0 They
"ollo( the line o" stoy* una(ae in "act that some(hee
thee is a set o" standads (hich ae bein+ bo!en0 3atin
Esslin has (itten that in San Ouentin pisones seein+ a
play "o the "ist time in thei li'es and bein+ con"onted
(ith ,aiting for 7odot had no poblem at all in "ollo(in+
(hat to e+ula theate+oes (as incompehensible0
One o" the pionee "i+ues in the mo'ement to(ads a e8
ne(ed Sha!espeae (as <illiam Poel0 An actess once told
me that she had (o!ed (ith Poel in a poduction o" Much
Ado A-out ;othing that (as pesented some "i"ty yeas a+o
"o one ni+ht in some +loomy 7ondon Hall0 She said that at
the "ist eheasal Poel ai'ed (ith a case "ull o" scaps out
o" (hich he bou+ht odd photo+aphs* da(in+s* pictues
ton out o" ma+a@ines0 DThatBs you*B he said* +i'in+ he a
pictue o" a debutante at the Royal :aden Paty0 To
someone else it (as a !ni+ht in amou* a :ainsboou+h
potait o else Aust a hat0 2n all simplicity* he (as
e=pessin+ the (ay he sa( the play (hen he ead it>
diectly* as a child does>not as a +o(n8up monitoin+
himsel" (ith notions o" histoy and peiod0 3y "iend told
me that the total pe8pop8at mi=tue had an e=taodinay
homo+eneity0 2 am sue o" it0 Poel (as a +eat inno'ato
and he clealy sa( that consistency had no elation to eal
Sha!espeaian style0 2 once did a poduction o" 'o#e$s
'a-our$s 'ost (hee 2 dessed the chaacte called Constable
9ull as a Hictoian policeman because his name at once
conAued up the typical "i+ue o" the 7ondon bobby0 1o
othe easons the est o" the chaactes (ee dessed in
<atteau8ei+hteenth8centuy clothes* but no one (as con8
scious o" an anachonism0 A lon+ time a+o 2 sa( a poduc8
tion o" The Ta2ing of the "hre (hee all the actos dessed
themsel'es e=actly the (ay they sa( the chaactes>2 still
emembe a co(boy* and a "at chaacte bustin+ the buttons
89 THE EMPTY SPACE
o" a pa+eboyBs uni"om>and that it (as "a and a(ay the
most satis"yin+ endein+ o" this play 2 ha'e seen0
O" couse* it is most o" all dit that +i'es the ou+hness its
ed+eC "ilth and 'ul+aity ae natual* obscenity is Aoyous?
(ith these the spectacle ta!es on its socially libeatin+ ole*
"o by natue the popula theate is anti8authoitaian* anti8
taditional* anti8pomp* anti8petence0 This is the theate o"
noise* and the theate o" noise is the theate o" applause0
Thin! o" those t(o a("ul mas!s that +lo(e at us "om so
many boo!s on theate>in ancient :eece (e ae told these
mas!s epesented t(o e;ual elements* ta+edy and
comedy0 At least* they ae al(ays sho(n as e;ual patnes0
Since then* thou+h* the Dle+itimateB theate has been
consideed the impotant one (hile the Rou+h Theate has
been thou+ht less seious0 But e'ey attempt to e'itali@e
the theate has +one bac! to the popula souce0 3eyehold
had the hi+hest aims* he sou+ht to pesent all o" li"e on the
sta+e* his e'eed maste (as Stanisla's!y* his "iend (as
Che!ho'C but in "act it (as to the cicus and the music hall
that he tuned0 Becht (as ooted in the cabaet? Koan
7ittle(ood lon+s "o a "un"ai? Cocteau* Ataud*
Ha!htan+o'* the most impobable bed"ello(s* all these
hi+hbo(s etun to the people? and Total Theate is Aust a
mi=8up o" these in+edients0 All the time* e=peimental
theate comes out o" the theate buildin+s and etuns to the
oom o the in+? it is the Ameican musical on the ae
occasions (hen it "ul"ils its pomise* and not the opea* that
is the eal meetin+ place o" the Ameican ats0 2t is to
Boad(ay that Ameican poets* choeo+aphes and
composes tun0 A choeo+aphe li!e Keome Robbins is an
inteestin+ e=ample* mo'in+ "om the pue and abstact
theates o" Balanchine and 3atha :aham to(ads the
ou+hness o" the popula sho(0 But the (od DpopulaB
doesnBt ;uite "ill the bill? DpopulaB conAues up the county
"ai and the people in a Aolly hamless (ay0 The popula
tadition is also beabaitin+* "eocious satie and +otes;ue
caicatue0 This ;uality (as pesent in the +eatest o" ou+h
theates* the Eli@abethan one* and in the En+lish theate
today obscenity and tuculence ha'e become the motos o"
e'i'al0 Suealism is ou+h>Kay is ou+h0 Spi!e
3illi+anBs theate* in (hich the ima+ination* "eed by
anachy* "lies li!e a (ild bat in and out o" e'ey possible
shape and style* has it all0 3illi+an* Chales <ood and a
"e( othes ae a pointe to(ads (hat may become a
po(e"ul En+lish tadition0
2 sa( t(o poductions o" KayBs =-i 8oi (hich illustated
the di""eence bet(een a ou+h and an atistic tadition0
Thee (as a poduction o" =-u on 1ench tele'ision that by
electonic means pulled o"" a +eat "eat o" 'ituosity0 The
diecto 'ey billiantly succeeded in captuin+ (ith li'e
actos the impession o" blac! and (hite maionettes? the
sceen (as subdi'ided into nao( bands so that it loo!ed
li!e a comic stip0 30 Ubu and 3me Ubu (ee KayBs
da(in+s animated>they (ee Ubu to the lette0 But not to
the li"eC the tele'ision audience ne'e accepted the cude
91 THE EMPTY SPACE
eality o" the stoy? it sa( some piouettin+ dolls* +ot
ba""led and boed and soon s(itched o""0 The 'iulent
potest play had become a hi+h8bo( >eu d$es0rit) At about
the same time* on :eman tele'ision thee (as a C@ech
poduction o" =-u) This 'esion dise+aded e'ey one o"
KayBs ima+es and indications? it in'ented an up8to8the8
minute pop8at style o" its o(n* made out o" dustbins*
+aba+e and ancient ion bedsteads? 30 Ubu (as no
mas!ed Humpty89umpty but a eco+ni@able and shi"ty
slob>3me Ubu (as a slea@y* attacti'e (hoe* the social
conte=t clea0 1om the "ist shot o" 30 Ubu stumblin+ in his
undepants out o" bed (hile a na++in+ 'oice "om the
pillo(s as!ed (hy he (asnBt Kin+ o" Poland* the audienceBs
belie" (as cau+ht and it could "ollo( the suealist
de'elopments o" the stoy because it accepted the pimiti'e
situation and chaactes on thei o(n tems0
This all concens the appeaance o" ou+hness* but (hat is
this theateBs intentG 1ist o" all it is thee unashamedly to
ma!e Aoy and lau+hte* (hat Tyone :uthie calls Dtheate
o" deli+htB and any theate that can tuly +i'e deli+ht has
eaned its place0 Alon+ (ith seious* committed and
pobin+ (o!* thee must be iesponsibility0 This is (hat
the commecial theate* the boule'ad theate* can +i'e us
>but all too o"ten it is tied and theadbae0 1un
continually needs a ne( electic cha+e? "un "o "unBs sa!e is
not impossible* but seldom enou+h0 1i'olity can be its
cha+e? hi+h spiits can ma!e a +ood cuent* but all the
time the batteies ha'e to be eplenished? ne( "aces* ne(
ideas ha'e to be "ound0 A ne( Ao!e "lashes and is +oneC then
it is the old Ao!e that etuns0 The ston+est comedy is
ooted in achetypes* in mytholo+y in basic ecuent
situationsC and ine'itably it is deeply embedded in the
social tadition0 Comedy does not al(ays stem "om the
main "lo( o" a social a+ument? it is as thou+h di""eent
comic taditions banch a(ay in many diections? "o a
cetain time* althou+h the couse is out o" si+ht* the steam
continues to "lo( on* then one day* une=pectedly* it dies
up completely0
Thee is no had and "ast ule to say that one must ne'e
Aust culti'ate e""ects and su"aces "o thei o(n sa!e0 <hy
notG Pesonally* 2 "ind sta+in+ a musical can be moe
thoou+hly enAoyable than any othe "om o" theate0 Culti8
'atin+ a de"t slei+ht o" hand can +i'e one +eat deli+ht0 But
an impession o" "eshness is e'eythin+>pese'ed "oods
lose thei taste0 The Holy Theate has one ene+y* the
Rou+h has othes0 7i+htheatedness and +aiety "eeds it* but
so does the same ene+y that poduces ebellion and
opposition0 This is a militant ene+y? it is the ene+y o"
an+e* sometimes the ene+y o" hate0 The ceati'e ene+y
behind the ichness o" in'ention in the Beline EnsembleBs
poduction o" The %ays of the 5o22une is the same ene+y
that could man the baicades? the ene+y o" Arturo =i
could +o stai+ht to (a0 The (ish to chan+e society* to +et
it to con"ont its etenal hypocisies* is a +eat po(ehouse0
1i+ao o 1alsta"" o Tatu""e lampoon and debun! thou+h
lau+hte* and the authoBs pupose is to bin+ about a social
93 THE EMPTY SPACE
chan+e0
Kohn AdenBs ema!able play "ergeant Musgra#e$s %ance
can be ta!en amon+st many othe meanin+s as an
illustation o" ho( tue theate comes into bein+0 3us+a'e
"aces a co(d in a ma!et place on an impo'ised sta+e and
he attempts to communicate as "ocibly as possible his
sense o" the hoo and "utility o" (a0 The demonstation
that he impo'ises is li!e a +enuine piece o" popula
theate* his pops ae machine8+uns* "la+s* and a uni"omed
s!eleton that he hauls alo"t0 <hen this does not succeed in
tansmittin+ his complete messa+e to the co(d* his
despeate ene+y di'es him to "ind still "uthe means o"
e=pession and in a "lash o" inspiation he be+ins a
hythmic stamp* out o" (hich de'elops a sa'a+e dance and
chant0 Se+eant 3us+a'eBs dance is a demonstation o"
ho( a 'iolent need to poAect a meanin+ can suddenly call
into e=istence a (ild unpedictable "om0
Hee (e see the double aspect o" the ou+h? i" the holy is
the yeanin+ "o the in'isible thou+h its 'isible
incanations* the ou+h also is a dynamic stab at a cetain
ideal0 Both theates "eed on deep and tue aspiations in
thei audiences* both tap in"inite esouces o" ene+y* o"
di""eent ene+ies? but both end by settin+ up aeas in
(hich cetain thin+s Aust aenBt admitted0 2" the holy ma!es
a (old in (hich a paye is moe eal than a belch* in the
ou+h theate* it is the othe (ay ound0 The belchin+ then*
is eal and paye (ould be consideed comic0 The Rou+h
Theate has appaently no style* no con'entions* no
limitations>in pactice* it has all thee0 Kust as in li"e the
(eain+ o" old clothes can stat as de"iance and tun into a
postue* so ou+hness can become an end in itsel"0 The
de"iant popula theate man can be so do(n8to8eath that
he "obids his mateial to "ly0 He can e'en deny "li+ht as a
possibility* o the hea'ens as a suitable place to (ande0
This bin+s us to the point (hee the Holy Theate and the
Rou+h Theate sho( thei tue anta+onism to one anothe0
The Holy Theate deals (ith the in'isible and this in'isible
contains all the hidden impulses o" man0 The Rou+h
Theate deals (ith menBs actions* and because it is do(n to
eath and diect>because it admits (ic!edness and
lau+hte>the ou+h and eady seems bette than the
hollo(ly holy0
2t is impossible to conside this "uthe (ithout stoppin+ to
loo! at the implications o" the ston+est* most in"luential
and the most adical theate man o" ou time* Becht0 No
one seiously concened (ith the theate can by8pass
Becht0

S S S
Becht is the !ey "i+ue o" ou time* and all theate (o!
today at some point stats o etuns to his statements and
achie'ement0 <e can tun diectly to the (od that he
bou+ht into ou 'ocabulay>alienation0 As coine o" the
tem alienation! Becht must be consideed histoically0 He
95 THE EMPTY SPACE
be+an (o!in+ at a time (hen most :eman sta+es (ee
dominated eithe by natualism o by +eat total8theate
onslau+hts o" an opeatic natue desi+ned to s(eep up the
spectato by his emotions so that he "o+ot himsel" com8
pletely0 <hate'e li"e thee (as on8sta+e (as o""set by the
passi'ity it demanded o" the audience0
1o Becht* a necessay theate could ne'e "o one moment
ta!e its si+hts o"" the society it (as se'in+0 Thee (as no
"outh (all bet(een actos and audience>the actoBs
uni;ue aim (as to ceate a pecise esponse in an audience
"o (hom he had total espect0 2t (as out o" espect "o the
audience that Becht intoduced the idea o" alienation* "o
alienation is a call to halt? alienation is cuttin+* inteuptin+*
holdin+ somethin+ up to the li+ht* ma!in+ us loo! a+ain0
Alienation is abo'e all an appeal to the spectato to (o!
"o himsel"* so to become moe and moe esponsible "o
acceptin+ (hat he sees only i" it is con'incin+ to him in an
adult (ay0 Becht eAects the omantic notion that in the
theate (e all become childen a+ain0
The alienation e""ect and the happenin+ e""ect ae simila
and opposite>the happenin+ shoc! is thee to smash
thou+h all the baies set up by ou eason* alienation is to
shoc! us into bin+in+ the best o" ou eason into play0
Alienation (o!s in many (ays on many !eys0 A nomal
sta+e action (ill appea eal to us i" it is con'incin+ and so
(e ae apt to ta!e it* tempoaily* as obAecti'e tuth0 A +il*
aped* (al!s on to a sta+e in teas>and i" he actin+
touches us su""iciently* (e automatically accept the implied
conclusion that she is a 'ictim and an un"otunate one0 But
suppose a clo(n (ee to "ollo( he* mimic!in+ he teas*
and suppose by his talent he succeeds in ma!in+ us lau+h0
His moc!ey destoys ou "ist esponse0 Then (hee do
ou sympathies +oG The tuth o" he chaacte* the 'alidity
o" he position* ae both put into ;uestion by the clo(n* and
at the same time ou o(n easy sentimentality is e=posed0 2"
caied "a enou+h* such a seies o" e'ents can suddenly
ma!e us con"ont ou shi"tin+ 'ie(s o" i+ht and (on+0 All
this stems "om a stict sense o" pupose0 Becht belie'ed
that* in ma!in+ an audience ta!e stoc! o" the elements in a
situation* the theate (as se'in+ the pupose o" leadin+ its
audience to a Auste undestandin+ o" the society in (hich it
li'ed* and so to leanin+ in (hat (ays that society (as
capable o" chan+e0
Alienation can (o! thou+h antithesisC paody* imitation*
citicism* the (hole an+e o" hetoic is open to it0 2t is the
puely theatical method o" dialectical e=chan+e0 Alienation
is the lan+ua+e open to us today that is as ich in
potentiality as 'ese? it is the possible de'ice o" a dynamic
theate in a chan+in+ (old* and thou+h alienation (e
could each some o" those aeas that Sha!espeae touched
by his use o" dynamic de'ices in lan+ua+e0 Alienation can
be 'ey simple* it can be no moe than a set o" physical
tic!s0 The "ist alienation de'ice 2 e'e sa( (as as a child*
in a S(edish chuchC the collection ba+ had a spi!e on the
end o" it to nud+e those o" the con+e+ation (hom the
97 THE EMPTY SPACE
semon had sent to sleep0 Becht used placads and 'isible
spotli+hts "o the same puposeC Koan 7ittle(ood dessed
he soldies as Pieots>alienation has endless possibilities0
2t aims continually at pic!in+ the balloons o" hetoical
playin+>ChaplinBs contastin+ sentimentality and calamity
is alienation0 O"ten (hen an acto is caied a(ay by his
pat he can +et moe and moe e=a++eated* moe and moe
cheaply emotional* and yet s(eep the audience alon+ (ith
him0 Hee the alienatin+ de'ice (ill !eep us a(a!e (hen
pat o" us (ishes to suende (holly to the tu+ on the
heatstin+s0 But it is 'ey had to inte"ee (ith a
spectatoBs stoc! eactions0 At the end o" the "ist act o" 'ear
(hen :louceste is blinded* (e bou+ht the house li+hts up
be"oe the last sa'a+e action (as completed>so as to ma!e
the audience ta!e stoc! o" the scene be"oe bein+ en+ul"ed
in automatic applause0 2n Pais* (ith The 8e0resentati#e (e
a+ain did all in ou po(e to inhibit applause* because
appeciation o" the actoBs talents seemed iele'ant in a
Concentation Camp document0 None the less* both the
un"otunate :louceste and the most nauseatin+ chaacte
o" all* the Ausch(it@ docto* al(ays le"t the sta+e to simila
ounds o" applause0
Kean :enet can (ite the most elo;uent lan+ua+e* but the
ama@in+ impessions in his plays ae 'ey o"ten bou+ht
about by the 'isual in'entions (ith (hich he Au=taposes
seious* beauti"ul* +otes;ue and idiculous elements0 Thee
ae "e( thin+s in the moden theate as compact and spell8
bindin+ as the clima= o" the "ist potion o" The "creens
(hen the sta+e action is a scibblin+ +a""iti o" (a on to
'ast (hite su"aces* (hile 'iolent phases* ludicous people
and outsi@e dummies all to+ethe "om a monument to
colonialism and e'olution0 Hee the potency o" the
conception is insepaable "om the multi8le'elled seies o"
de'ices that become its e=pession0 :enetBs The 1lac4s ta!es
on its "ull meanin+ (hen thee is a po(e"ul shi"tin+
elationship bet(een actos and public0 2n Pais* (itnessed
by intellectuals* the play (as bao;ue liteay
entetainmentC in 7ondon* (hee no audience could be
"ound (ho caed about eithe 1ench liteatue o Ne+oes*
the play (as meanin+lessC in Ne( )o!* in :ene 1an!elBs
supeb poduction it (as electic and 'ibant0 2 am told the
'ibations chan+ed "om ni+ht to ni+ht dependin+ on the
popotion o" blac!s to (hites in the house0
The Marat+"ade could not ha'e e=isted be"oe Becht? it is
concei'ed by Pete <eiss on many alienatin+ le'els? the
e'ents o" the 1ench Re'olution cannot be accepted liteally
because they ae bein+ played by madmen* and thei
actions in tun ae open to "uthe ;uestion because thei
diecto is the 3a;uis de Sade>and moeo'e the e'ents
o" #5/& ae bein+ seen (ith the eyes both o" #/&/ and o"
#-..>"o the people (atchin+ the play epesent an ealy
nineteenth8centuy audience and yet ae also thei
t(entieth8centuy sel'es0 All these ciss8cossin+ planes
thic!en the e"eence at each moment and compel an
acti'ity "om each membe o" the public0 At the end o" the
play the asylum +oes bese!? all the actos impo'ise (ith
99 THE EMPTY SPACE
the utmost 'iolence and "o an instant the sta+e ima+e is
natualistic and compellin+0 Nothin+* (e "eel* could e'e
stop this iot? nothin+* (e conclude* can e'e stop the
madness o" the (old0 )et it (as at this moment* in the
Royal Sha!espeae Theate 'esion* that a sta+e mana+eess
(al!ed on to the sta+e* ble( a (histle* and the madness
immediately ended0 2n this action* a conundum (as
pesented0 A second a+o* the situation had been hopeless?
no( it is all o'e* the actos ae pullin+ off thei (i+s? o"
couse* itBs Aust a play0 So (e be+in to applaud0 But une=8
pectedly the actos applaud us bac!* ionically0 <e eact to
this by a momentay hostility a+ainst them as indi'iduals*
and (e stop clappin+0 2 ;uote this as a typical alienation
seies* o" (hich each incident "oces us to eadAust ou
position0
Thee is an inteestin+ elationship bet(een Becht and
Cai+>Cai+ (anted a to!en shado( to ta!e the place o" a
complete painted "oest and he only did so because he
eco+nised that useless in"omation absobed ou attention
at the e?0ense of so2ething 2ore i20ortant) Becht too! this
i+ou and applied it not only to sceney but to the (o! o"
the acto and to the attitude o" the audience0 2" he cut out
supe"luous emotion* and the de'elopment o"
chaacteistics and "eelin+s that elated only to the
chaacte* it (as because he sa( that the claity o" his
theme (as theatened0 An acto in othe :eman theates o"
BechtBs day>and many an En+lish acto today>belie'es
that his entie Aob is to pesent his chaacte as "ully as
possible* in the ound0 This means that he spends his
obse'ation and his ima+ination in "indin+ additional
details "o his potait* "o* li!e the society painte* he (ants
the pictue to be as li"e8li!e and eco+ni@able as possible0
No one has told him thee could be any othe aim0 Becht
intoduced the simple and de'astatin+ idea that D"ullyB need
not mean Dli"eli!eB no Din the ound0B He pointed out that
e'ey acto has to se'e the action o" the play* but until the
acto undestands (hat the tue action o" the play is* (hat
its tue pupose is* "om the authoBs point o" 'ie( and in
elation to the needs o" a chan+in+ (old outside Iand (hat
side is he himsel" on in the stu++les that di'ide the (oldJ*
he cannot possibly !no( (hat he is se'in+0 Ho(e'e*
(hen he undestands pecisely (hat is demanded o" him*
(hat he must "ul"ill* then he can popely undestand his
ole0 <hen he sees himsel" in elation to the (holeness o"
the play he (ill see that not only is too much chaactei@in+
o"ten opposed to the playBs needs but also that many un8
necessay chaacteistics can actually (o! a+ainst him and
ma!e his o(n appeaance less sti!in+0 He (ill then see the
chaacte he is playin+ moe impatially* he (ill loo! at its
sympathetic o unsympathetic "eatues "om a di""eent
'ie(point* and in the end (ill ma!e di""eent decisions
"om those he made (hen he thou+ht Didenti"yin+B (ith the
chaacte (as all that matteed0 O" couse* this is a theoy
that can easily muddle an acto* because i" he attempts to
implement it nai'ely by s;uashin+ his instincts and
becomin+ an intellectual* he (ill end in disaste0 2t is a
mista!e to thin! that any acto can do (o! by theoy
101 THE EMPTY SPACE
alone0 No acto can play a ciphe? ho(e'e styli@ed o
schematic the (itin+* the acto 2ust al(ays belie'e to
some de+ee in the sta+e li"e o" the odd animal he
epesents0 But none the less an acto can play in a
thousand (ays* and playin+ a potait is not the only alte8
nati'e0 <hat Becht intoduced (as the idea o" the intelli8
+ent acto* capable o" Aud+in+ the 'alue o" his contibution0
Thee (ee and still ae many actos (ho pide themsel'es
on !no(in+ nothin+ about politics and (ho teat the
theate as an i'oy to(e0 1o Becht such an acto is not
(othy o" his place in adult company? an acto in a
community that suppots a theate must be as much
in'ol'ed in the outside (old as in his o(n ca"t0
<hen theoy is put into (ods* the doo is opened to
con"usion0 Becht poductions outside the Beline
Ensemble that ae based on BechtBs essays ha'e had Becht
economy* but aely his ichness o" thou+ht and "eelin+0
These ae o"ten shunned* and so the (o! appeas dy0 The
li'eliest o" theates tuns deadly (hen its coase 'i+ou
+oes? and Becht is destoyed by deadly sla'es0 <hen
Becht tal!s o" actos undestandin+ thei "unction* he
ne'e ima+ined that all could be achie'ed by analysis and
discussion0 The theate is not the classoom* and a diecto
(ith a peda+o+ic undestandin+ o" Becht can no moe
animate his plays than a pedant those o" Sha!espeae0 The
;uality o" the (o! done in any eheasal comes entiely
"om the ceati'ity o" the (o!in+ climate>and ceati'ity
cannot be bou+ht into bein+ by e=planations0 The lan+ua+e
of eheasals is li!e li"e itsel"? it uses (ods* but also silences*
stimuli* paody* lau+hte* unhappiness* despai* "an!ness
and concealment* acti'ity and slo(ness* claity and chaos0
Becht eco+ni@ed this and in his last yeas he supised his
associates by sayin+ that the theate must be nai'e0 <ith
this (od he (as not ene+in+ his li"eBs (o!? he (as
pointin+ out that the action o" puttin+ to+ethe a play is
al(ays a "om o" playin+* that (atchin+ a play is playin+?
he spo!e disconcetin+ly o" ele+ance and o" entetainment0
2t is not by chance that in many lan+ua+es the (od "o a
play and to play is the same0
2n his theoetical (itin+ Becht sepaates the eal "om the
uneal* and 2 belie'e that this has been the souce o" a +iant
con"usion0 2n tems o" semantics the subAecti'e is al(ays
opposed to the obAecti'e* the illusion sepaated "om the
"act0 Because o" these* his theate is "oced to maintain t(o
positions? public and pi'ate* o""icial and uno""icial*
theoetical and pactical0 2ts pactical (o! is based on a
deep "eelin+ "o an inne li"e in the acto? but in public it
denies this li"e because in a chaacte inne li"e ta!es on the
dead label Dpsycholo+ical0B This (od Dpsycholo+icalB is
in'aluable in coloued a+ument>li!e DnatualisticB it can
be used (ith contempt to close a subAect o scoe a point0
Un"otunately* it also leads to a simpli"ication* contastin+
the lan+ua+e o" action>this lan+ua+e is had* bi+ht and
e""ecti'e>(ith the lan+ua+e o" psycholo+y>this is
1eudian* mushy* shi"tin+* da!* impecise0 7oo!ed at this
(ay* o" couse psycholo+y must lose0 But is the di'ision a
103 THE EMPTY SPACE
tue oneG E'eythin+ is illusion0 The e=chan+e o"
impessions thou+h ima+es is ou basic lan+ua+e? at the
moment (hen one man e=pesses an ima+e at that same
instant the othe man meets him in belie"0 The shaed
association is the lan+ua+e>i" the association e'o!es
nothin+ in the second peson* i" thee is no instant o" shaed
illusion* thee is no e=chan+e0 Becht o"ten too! the case o" a
man descibin+ a steet accident as a naati'e situation>so
let us ta!e his e=ample and e=amine the pocess o"
peception that is in'ol'ed0 <hen someone descibes to us
a steet accident the psychic pocess is complicated? it can
best be seen as a thee8dimensional colla+e (ith built8in
sound* "o (e e=peience 2any unelated thin+s at once0 <e
see the spea!e* (e hea his 'oice* (e !no( (hee (e ae
and* at one and the same time* (e pecei'e supeimposed
on top o" him the scene he is descibin+? the 'i'idness and
the "ullness o" this momentay illusion depends on his
con'iction and s!ill0 2t also depends on the spea!eBs type0
2" he is a ceebal type* 2 mean a man (hose aletness and
'itality is mainly in the head* (e (ill ecei'e moe
impessions o" ideas than o" sensations0 2" he is emotionally
"ee* othe cuents (ill also "lo( so that (ithout any e""ot
o eseach on his pat he (ill ine'itably eceate a "ulle
ima+e o" the steet accident that he is emembein+* and (e
(ill ecei'e it accodin+ly0 <hate'e it is* he sends in ou
diection a comple= net(o! o" impessions* and as (e
pecei'e them* (e belie'e in them* thus losin+ ousel'es in
them at least momentaily0
2n all communication* illusions mateiali@e and disappea0
The Becht theate is a ich compound o" ima+es appealin+
"o ou belie"0 <hen Becht spo!e contemptuously o"
illusion* this (as not (hat he (as attac!in+0 He meant the
sin+le sustained Pictue* the statement that continued a"te
its pupose had been se'ed>li!e the painted tee0 But
(hen Becht stated thee (as somethin+ in the theate
called illusion* the implication (as that thee (as
somethin+ else that (as not illusion0 So illusion became
opposed to eality0 2t (ould be bette i" (e clealy opposed
dead illusion to li'in+ illusion* +lum statement to li'ely
statement* "ossili@ed shape to mo'in+ shado(* the "o@en
pictue to the mo'in+ one0 <hat (e see most o"ten is a
chaacte inside a pictue "ame suounded by a thee8
(alled inteio set0 This is natually an illusion* but Becht
su++ests (e (atch it in a state o" anaestheti@ed uncitical
belie"0 2"* ho(e'e* an acto stands on a bae sta+e beside a
placad emindin+ us that this is a theate* then in basic
Becht (e do not "all into illusion* (e (atch as adults>and
Aud+e0 This di'ision is neate in theoy than in pactice0
2t is not possible that anyone (atchin+ eithe a natualistic
poduction o" a play o" Che!ho' o a "omali@ed :ee!
ta+edy should suende to the belie" that he is in Russia o
Ancient Thebes0 )et it is su""icient in eithe case "o an acto
o" po(e to spea! a po(e"ul te=t "o the spectato to be
cau+ht up in an illusion* althou+h* o" couse* he (ill still
!no( that he is at e'ey instant in a theate0 The aim is not
ho( to a'oid illusion>e'eythin+ is illusion* only some
105 THE EMPTY SPACE
thin+s seem moe illusoy than othe0 2t is the hea'y8
handed 2llusion that does not be+in to con'ince us0 On the
othe hand* the illusion that is composed by the "lash o"
;uic! and chan+in+ impessions !eeps the dat o" the
ima+ination at play0 This illusion is li!e the sin+le dot in the
mo'in+ tele'ision pictue? it only lasts "o the instant its
"unction demands0
2t is an easy mista!e to conside Che!ho' as a natualistic
(ite* and in "act many o" the sloppiest and thinnest plays
o" ecent yeas called Dslice o" li"eB "ondly thin! themsel'es
Che!ho'ian0 Che!ho' ne'e Aust made a slice o" li"e>he
(as a docto (ho (ith in"inite +entleness and cae too!
thousands and thousands o" "ine layes o"" li"e0 These he
cultued* and then aan+ed them in an e=;uisitely
cunnin+* completely ati"icial and meanin+"ul ode in
(hich pat o" the cunnin+ lay in so dis+uisin+ the ati"ice
that the esult loo!ed li!e the !eyhole 'ie( it ne'e had
been0 Any pa+e o" The Three "isters +i'es the impession o"
li"e un"oldin+ as thou+h a tape8ecode had been le"t
unnin+0 2" e=amined cae"ully it (ill be seen to be built o"
coincidences as +eat as in 1eydeau>the 'ase o" "lo(es
that o'etuns* the "ie8en+ine that passes at Aust the i+ht
momentC the (od* the inteuption* the distant music* the
sound in the (in+s* the entance* the "ae(ell>touch by
touch* they ceate thou+h the lan+ua+e o" illusions an
o'eall illusion o" a slice o" li"e0 This seies o" impessions is
e;ually a seies o" alienations? each uptue is a subtle
po'ocation and a call to thou+ht0
2 ha'e aleady ;uoted pe"omances in :emany a"te the
(a0 2n a Hambu+ +aet 2 once sa( a poduction o" Cime
and Punishment* and that e'enin+ became* be"oe its "ou8
hou stetch (as o'e* one o" the most sti!in+ theate e=8
peiences 2 ha'e e'e had0 By shee necessity* all poblems
o" theate style 'anished? hee (as the eal main steam* the
essence o" an at that stems "om the stoy8telle loo!in+
ound his audience and be+innin+ to spea!0 All the theates
in the to(n had been destoyed* but hee* in this attic* (hen
an acto in a chai touchin+ ou !nees be+an ;uietly to say*
D2t (as in the yea o" #/> that a youn+ student* Roman
Rodiano'itchi Ras!olni!o'NB(e (ee +ipped by li'in+
theate0
:ipped0 <hat does that meanG 2 cannot tell0 2 only !no(
that these (ods and a so"t seious tone o" 'oice conAued
somethin+ up* some(hee* "o us all0 <e (ee listenes*
childen heain+ a bedside stoy yet at the same time
adults* "ully a(ae o" all that (as +oin+ on0 A moment
late* a "e( inches a(ay* an attic doo cea!ed open and an
acto impesonatin+ Ras!olni!o' appeaed* and aleady (e
(ee deep in the dama0 The doo at one instant seemed a
total e'ocation o" a steet lampC an instant late it became
the doo o" the money8lendeBs apatment* and still a
second late the passa+e to he inne oom0 )et* as these
(ee only "a+mentay impessions that only came into
bein+ at the instant they (ee e;uied* and at once
'anished a+ain* (e ne'e lost si+ht o" bein+ cammed
107 THE EMPTY SPACE
to+ethe in a co(ded oom* "ollo(in+ a stoy0 The naato
could add details* he could e=plain and philosophi@e* the
chaactes themsel'es could slip "om natualistic actin+
into monolo+ue* one acto could* by hunchin+ his bac!* slip
"om one chaactei@ation to anothe* and point "o point*
dot "o dot* sto!e "o sto!e* the (hole comple= (old o"
9ostoe's!yBs no'el (as eceated0
Ho( "ee is the con'ention o" a no'el* ho( e""otless the
elationship o" (ite to eade? bac!+ounds can be e'o!ed
and dismissed* the tansition "om the oute to the inne
(old is natual and continuous0 The success o" the
Hambu+ e=peiment eminded me a+ain o" ho(
+otes;uely clumsy* ho( inade;uate and piti"ul the theate
becomes* not only (hen a +an+ o" men and cea!in+
machines ae needed to mo'e us only "om one place to the
ne=t* but e'en (hen the tansition "om the (old o" action
to the (old o" thou+ht has to be e=plained by any de'ice>
by music* chan+in+ li+hts o clambein+ on to plat"oms0
2n the cinema* :odad has sin+lehanded bou+ht about a
e'olution by sho(in+ ho( elati'e the eality o" a
photo+aphed scene can be0 <hee +eneations o" "ilm8
ma!es had e'ol'ed la(s o" continuity and canons o"
consistency so as not to bea! the eality o" a continuous
action* :odad sho(ed that this eality (as yet anothe
"alse and hetoical con'ention0 By photo+aphin+ a scene
and at once smashin+ its appaent tuth* he has cac!ed into
dead 2llusion and enabled a steam o" opposin+
impessions to steam "oth0 He is deeply in"luenced by
Becht0
The Beline EnsembleBs ecent poduction o" 5oriolanus
undelines the (hole ;uestion o" (hee illusion be+ins and
ends0 2n most espects* this 'esion (as a tiumph0 3any
aspects o" the play (ee e'ealed as thou+h "o the "ist
time? much o" it can seldom ha'e been so (ell sta+ed0 The
company appoached the play socially and politically and
this meant that the stoc! mechanical (ays o" sta+in+ Sha!e8
speaian co(ds (ee no lon+e possible0 2t (ould ha'e
been impossible to +et any one o" those intelli+ent actos
playin+ an anonymous citi@en meely to ma!e chees*
muttes and Aees on cue li!e bit playes thou+h the a+es0
The ene+y that "ed the months o" (o! that e'entually
illuminated all the stuctue o" sub8plot came "om the
actoBs inteest in the social themes0 The small pats (ee
not boin+ to the actos>they ne'e became bac!+ound
because they ob'iously caied issues "ascinatin+ to study
and po'ocati'e to discuss0 The people* the tibunes* the
battle* the assemblies* (ee ich in te=tue? all "oms o"
theate (ee pessed into se'ice>the costumes had the
"eel o" e'eyday li"e but the sta+e positions had the
"omality o" ta+edy0 The speech (as sometimes
hei+htened* sometimes collo;uial* the battles used ancient
Chinese techni;ues to cay moden meanin+s0 Thee (as
not a moment o" stoc! theaticality* no any noble emotion
used "o its o(n sa!e0 Coiolanus (as not ideali@ed no
e'en li!eable? he (as e=plosi'e* 'iolent>not admiable but
109 THE EMPTY SPACE
con'incin+0 E'eythin+ se'ed the action (hich itsel" (as
cystal clea0
And then appeaed a tiny de"ect that became "o ne a deep*
inteestin+ "la(0 The maAo con"ontation scene bet(een
Coiolanus and Holumnia at the +ates o" Rome (as
e(itten0 2 do not "o one moment ;uestion the pinciple o"
e(itin+ Sha!espeae>a"te all* the te=ts do not +et
buned>each peson can do (hat he thin!s necessay (ith
a te=t and still no one su""es0 <hat is inteestin+ is the
esult0 Becht and his collea+ues did not (ish to allo( the
lynch8pin o" the entie action to be the elation bet(een
Coiolanus and his mothe0 They "elt that this did not ma!e
an inteestin+ contempoay point? in its place they (ished
to illustate the theme that no leade is indispensable0 They
in'ented an additional piece o" naati'e0 Coiolanus
demanded the citi@ens o" Rome to +i'e a smo!e si+nal i"
they (ee pepaed to suende0 At the end o" his
discussion (ith his mothe he sees a column o" smo!e
isin+ "om the ampats and is Aubilant0 His mothe points
out that the smo!e is not a si+n o" suende* but the smo!e
"om the "o+es o" the people amin+ themsel'es to de"end
thei homes0 Coiolanus eali@es that Rome can cay on
(ithout him and senses the ine'itability o" his o(n de"eat0
He yields0
2n theoy* this ne( plot is as inteestin+ and (o!s as (ell
as the old one0 But any play o" Sha!espeaeBs has an o+anic
sense0 On pape it (ould loo! as thou+h the episode can
easonably be substituted "o anothe* and cetainly in
many plays thee ae scenes and passa+es that can easily be
cut o tansposed0 But i" one has a !ni"e in one hand* one
needs a stethoscope in the othe0 The scene bet(een
Coiolanus and his mothe is close to the heat o" the play?
li!e the stom in 7ea o a Hamlet monolo+ue* its emotional
content en+endes the heat by (hich stands o" cool
thou+ht and pattens o" dialectical a+ument ae e'entually
"used0 <ithout the clash o" the t(o pota+onists in its most
intense "om* the stoy emains castated0 <hen (e lea'e
the theate (e cay a less insistent memoy (ith us0 The
"oce o" the scene bet(een Coiolanus and his mothe
depends on Aust those elements that do not necessaily
ma!e appaent sense0 Psycholo+ical lan+ua+e* also* +ets us
no(hee* "o labels donBt countC it is the deepe in+ o" tuth
that can command ou espect>the damatic "act o" a
mystey (e canBt completely "athom0
The Beline EnsembleBs choice implied that thei social
attitude (ould be (ea!ened by acceptin+ the un"athomable
natue o" the man8(ithin8the8social8scene0 Histoically it is
clea ho( a theate loathin+ the sel"8indul+ent
indi'idualism o" bou+eois at should ha'e tuned to
actions instead0
S S S
2n Pe!in+ today it seems to ma!e +ood sense to sho( +iant
<all Steet caicatue "i+ues plottin+ (a and destuction
111 THE EMPTY SPACE
and +ettin+ thei Aust desets0 2n elation to countless othe
"actos o" todayBs militant China* this is li'ely* meanin+"ul
popula at0 2n many South Ameican counties* (hee the
only theate acti'ity has been poo copies o" "oei+n
successes put on by "lybyni+ht impesaios* a theate only
be+ins to "ind its meanin+ and its necessity in elation to the
e'olutionay stu++le on the one hand and the +limmes o"
a popula tadition su++ested by (o!esB son+s and
'illa+e le+ends on the othe0 2n "act* an e=pession o"
todayBs militant themes thou+h taditional catholic
moality8play stuctues may (ell be the only possibility in
cetain e+ions o" "indin+ a li'ely contact (ith popula
audiences0 2n En+land* on the othe hand* in a chan+in+
society* (hee nothin+ is tuly de"ined* least o" all in the
ealm o" politics and political ideasC but (hee thee is a
constant e8e=amination in pocess that 'aies "om the
most intensely honest to the most "i'olously e'asi'e? (hen
the natual common8sense and the natual idealism* the
natual debun!in+ and the natual omanticism* the natual
democacy* the natual !indness* the natual sadism and
the natual snobbey all ma!e a mishmash o" intellectual
con"usion* it (ould be no use e=pectin+ a committed
theate to "ollo( a paty line>e'en supposin+ that such a
line could be "ound0
The accumulation o" e'ents o" the last "e( yeas* the
assassinations* schisms* do(n"alls* upisin+s and the local
(as ha'e had an inceasin+ly demysti"yin+ e""ect0 <hen
the theate comes closest to e"lectin+ a tuth in society* it
no( e"lects moe the (ish "o chan+e than the con'iction
that this chan+e can be bou+ht about in a cetain (ay0
Cetainly the ole o" the indi'idual in the society* his duties
and his needs* the issues o" (hat belon+s to him and (hat
belon+s to the state* ae in ;uestion a+ain0 A+ain* as in
Eli@abethan times* man is as!in+ (hy he has a li"e and
a+ainst (hat he can measue it0 2t is not by chance that the
ne( metaphysical theate o" :oto(s!i aises in a county
denched in both Communism and Catholicism0 Pete
<eiss* combinin+ Ke(ish "amily* C@ech upbin+in+*
:eman lan+ua+e* S(edish home* 3a=ist sympathies*
eme+es Aust at the moment (hen his Bechtianism is
elated to obsessi'e indi'idualism to a de+ee unthin!able
in Becht himsel"0 Kean :enet elates colonialism and
acialism to homose=uality* and e=ploes the 1ench
consciousness thou+h his o(n de+adation0 His ima+es ae
pi'ate yet national* and he comes close to disco'ein+
myths0
The poblem is di""eent "o each cente o" population0 On
the (hole* thou+h* the sti"lin+ e""ects o" a nineteenth8
centuy obsessi'e inteest in middle8class sentiment clouds
much t(entieth8centuy (o! in all lan+ua+es0 The
indi'idual and the couple ha'e lon+ been e=ploed in a
'acuum o in a social conte=t so insulated as to be the
e;ui'alent o" a 'acuum0 The elationship bet(een a man
and the e'ol'in+ society aound him is al(ays the one that
bin+s ne( li"e depth and tuth to his pesonal theme0 2n
Ne( )o! and 7ondon play a"te play pesents seious
113 THE EMPTY SPACE
leadin+ chaactes (ithin a so"tened diluted o une=ploed
conte=t>so that heoism* sel"8totue o matydom
become omantic a+onies* in the 'oid0
<hethe the emphasis "alls on the indi'idual o on the
analysis o" society has become almost completely a di'ision
bet(een 3a=ists and non83a=ists0 2t is the 3a=ist and
the 3a=ist alone (ho appoaches a +i'en situation
dialectically and scienti"ically* attemptin+ to e=ploe the
social and economic "actos that detemine the action0 Thee
ae non83a=ist economists and non83a=ist sociolo+ists*
but any (ite (ho be+ins to set a histoical chaacte "ully
in his conte=t is almost cetain to be (o!in+ "om a 3a=ist
point o" 'ie(0 This is because 3a=ism po'ides the (ite
(ith a stuctue* a tool and an aim>bee"t o" these thee
elements the non83a=ist tuns to 3an0 This can easily
ma!e the (ite 'a+ue and (oolly0 But the 'ey best non8
political (ite may be anothe sot o" e=pet* (ho can
disciminate 'ey pecisely in the teacheous (old o"
indi'idual shades o" e=peience0 The epic (ite o" 3a=ist
plays seldom bin+s to his (o! this same "ine sense o"
human indi'iduality? pehaps because he is un(illin+ to
e+ad a manBs sten+th and a manBs (ea!ness (ith e;ual
impatiality0 2t is pehaps "o this eason that stan+ely the
pop tadition in En+land has such (ide appeal? non8
political* unali+ned* it is none the less tuned in on a
"a+mented (old in (hich bombs* du+s* :od* paents*
se=* and pi'ate an=ieties* ae insepaable>and all
illuminated by a (ish* not a 'ey ston+ (ish* but a (ish all
the same>"o some sot o" chan+e o tans"omation0
Thee is a challen+e to all the theates in the (old (ho
ha'e not yet be+un to "ace the mo'ements o" ou time* to
satuate themsel'es in Becht* to study the Ensemble and
see all those "acets o" society that ha'e "ound no place in
thei shut8o"" sta+es0 Thee is a challen+e to e'olutionay
theates in counties (ith a clea8cut e'olutionay situation
li!e in 7atin Ameica to haness thei theates boldly to
unmista!ably clea8cut themes0 E;ually* thee is a challen+e
no( to the Beline Ensemble and its "ollo(es to
econside thei attitude to the da!ness o" indi'idual man0
This is ou only possibility>to loo! at the a""imations o"
Ataud* 3eye8hold* Stanisla's!y* :oto(s!i* Becht* then
compae them (ith the li"e o" the paticula place in (hich
(e (o!0 <hat is ou pupose* no(* in elation to the
people (e meet e'ey dayG 9o (e need libeationG 1om
(hatG 2n (hat (ayG
S S S
Sha!espeae is a model o" a theate that contains Becht and
Bec!ett* but +oes beyond both0 Ou need in the post8Becht
theate is to "ind a (ay "o(ads* bac! to Sha!espeae0 2n
Sha!espeae the intospection and the metaphysics so"ten
nothin+0 Ouite the e'ese0 2t is thou+h the uneconciled
opposition o" Rou+h and Holy* thou+h an atonal sceech o"
absolutely unsympathetic !eys that (e +et the distubin+
and the un"o+ettable impessions o" his plays0 2t is because
115 THE EMPTY SPACE
the contadictions ae so ston+ that they bun on us so
deeply0
Ob'iously* (e canBt (histle up a second Sha!espeae0 But
the moe clealy (e see in (hat the po(e o" Sha!espeaian
theate lies* the moe (e pepae the (ay0 1o e=ample* (e
ha'e at last become a(ae that the absence o" sceney in the
Eli@abethan theate (as one o" its +eatest "eedoms0 2n
En+land at least* all poductions "o ;uite some time ha'e
been in"luenced by the disco'ey that Sha!espeaeBs plays
(ee (itten to be pe"omed continuously* that thei
cinematic stuctue o" altenatin+ shot scenes* plot intecut
(ith subplot* (ee all pat o" a total shape0 This shape is
only e'ealed dynamically* that is* in the uninteupted
se;uence o" these scenes* and (ithout this thei e""ect and
po(e ae lessened as much as (ould be a "ilm that (as
poAected (ith bea!s and musical inteludes bet(een each
eel0 The Eli@abethan sta+e (as li!e the attic 2 (as
descibin+ in Hambu+* it (as a neutal open plat"om>
Aust a place (ith some doos>and so it enabled the
damatist e""otlessly to (hip the spectato thou+h an
unlimited succession o" illusions* co'ein+* i" he chose* the
entie physical (old0 2t has also been pointed out that the
natue o" the pemanent stuctue o" the Eli@abethan
playhouse* (ith its "lat open aena and its la+e balcony
and its second smalle +alley* (as a dia+am o" the
uni'ese as seen by the si=teenth8centuy audience and
play(i+ht>the +ods* the cout and the people>thee
le'els* sepaate and yet o"ten intemin+lin+>a sta+e that
(as a pe"ect philosopheBs machine0
<hat has not been appeciated su""iciently is that the
"eedom o" mo'ement o" the Eli@abethan theate (as not
only a matte o" sceney0 2t is too easy to thin! that so lon+
as a moden poduction mo'es "ast "om scene to scene* it
has leant the essential lesson "om the old playhouse0 The
pimay "act is that this theate not only allo(ed the play8
(i+ht to oam the (old* it also allo(ed him "ee passa+e
"om the (old o" action to the (old o" inne impessions0
2 thin! it is hee that (e "ind (hat is most impotant to us
today0 2n Sha!espeaeBs time* the 'oya+e o" disco'ey in the
eal (old* the ad'entue o" the ta'elle settin+ out into
the un!no(n* had an e=citement that (e cannot hope to
ecaptue in an a+e (hen ou planet has no secets and
(hen the pospect o" inteplanetay ta'el seems a petty
consideable boe0 Ho(e'e* Sha!espeae (as not satis"ied
(ith the mysteies o" the un!no(n continents? thou+h his
ima+ey>pictues da(n "om the (old o" "abulous
disco'eies>he penetates a psychic e=istence (hose
+eo+aphy and mo'ements emain Aust as 'ital "o us to
undestand today0
2n an ideal elation (ith a tue acto on a bae sta+e (e
(ould continually be passin+ "om lon+ shot to close* tac!8
in+ o Aumpin+ in and out and the planes o"ten o'elap0
Compaed (ith the cinemaBs mobility* the theate once
seemed pondeous and cea!y* but the close (e mo'e
to(ads the tue na!edness o" theate* the close (e
117 THE EMPTY SPACE
appoach a sta+e that has a li+htness and an+e "a beyond
"ilm o tele'ision0 The po(e o" Sha!espeaeBs plays is that
they pesent man simultaneously in all his aspects? touch
"o touch* (e can identi"y and (ithda(0 A pimiti'e
situation distubs us in ou subconsciousC ou intelli+ence
(atches* comments* philosophi@es0 Becht and Bec!ett ae
both contained in Sha!espeae uneconciled0 <e identi"y
emotionally* subAecti'ely>and yet at one and the same
time (e e'aluate politically* obAecti'ely in elation to
society0 Because the po"ound eaches past the e'eyday* a
hei+htened lan+ua+e and a itualistic use o" hythm bin+s
us to those 'ey aspects o" li"e (hich the su"ace hides? and
yet because the poet and the 'isionay do not seem li!e
odinay people* because the epic state is not one on (hich
(e nomally d(ell* it is e;ually possible "o Sha!espeae
(ith a bea! in his hythm* a t(ist into pose* a shi"t into
slan+y con'esation o else a diect (od "om the audience
to emind us>in plain common8sense>o" (hee (e ae
and to etun us to the "amilia ou+h (old o" spades as
spades0 So it is that Sha!espeae succeeded (hee no one
has succeeded be"oe o since in (itin+ plays that pass
thou+h many sta+es o" consciousness0 <hat enabled him
technically to do so* the essence* in "act* o" his style is a
ou+hness o" te=tue and a conscious min+lin+ o" opposites
(hich in othe tems could be called an absence o" style0
Holtaie could not bin+ himsel" to undestand it* and could
only label it Dbabaic0B
<e could ta!e Measure for Measure as a test case0 As lon+ as
scholas could not decide (hethe this play (as a comedy
o not* it ne'e +ot played0 2n "act* this ambi+uity ma!es it
one o" the most e'ealin+ o" Sha!espeaeBs (o!s>and one
that sho(s these t(o elements* Holy and Rou+h* almost
schematically* side by side0 They ae opposed and they
coe=ist0 2n Measure for Measure (e ha'e a base (old* a 'ey
eal (old in (hich the action is "imly ooted0 This is the
dis+ustin+* stin!in+ (old o" medie'al Hienna0 The
da!ness o" this (old is absolutely necessay to the
meanin+ o" the play? 2sabellaBs plea "o +ace has "a moe
meanin+ in this 9ostoe's!ian settin+ than it (ould in
lyical comedyBs ne'e8ne'e land0 <hen this play is
pettily sta+ed* it is meanin+less>it demands an absolutely
con'incin+ ou+hness and dit0 Also* (hen so much o" the
play is eli+ious in thou+ht* the loud humou o" the bothel
is impotant as a de'ice* because it is alienatin+ and
humani@in+0 1om the "anatical chastity o" 2sabella and the
mystey o" the 9u!e (e ae plun+ed bac! to Pompey and
Banadine "o douches o" nomality0 To e=ecute
Sha!espeaeBs intentions (e must animate all this stetch o"
the play* not as "antasy* but as the ou+hest comedy (e can
ma!e0 <e need complete "eedom* ich impo'isation* no
holdin+ bac!* no "alse espect>and at the same time (e
must ta!e +eat cae* "o all aound the popula scenes ae
+eat aeas o" the play that clumsiness could destoy0 As (e
ente this holie land* (e (ill "ind that Sha!espeae +i'es
us a clea si+nal>the ou+h is in pose* the est in 'ese0 2n
the pose scenes* 'ey boadly spea!in+* the (o! can be
eniched by ou o(n in'ention>the scenes need added
119 THE EMPTY SPACE
e=tenal details to assue them o" thei "ullest li"e0 2n the
passa+es in 'ese (e ae aleady on ou +uad? Sha!espeae
needs 'ese because he is tyin+ to say moe* to compact
to+ethe moe meanin+0 <e ae (atch"ul? behind each
'isible ma! on pape lu!s an in'isible one that is had to
sei@e0 Technically (e no( need less abandon* moe "ocus>
less beadth* moe intensity0
Ouite simply (e need a di""eent appoach* a di""eent
style0 Thee is nothin+ to be ashamed o" in chan+in+ style>
loo! at a pa+e o" a 1olio (ith hal"8closed eyes and you see a
chaos o" ie+ulaly spaced symbols0 2" (e ion Sha!espeae
into any one typo+aphy o" theate (e lose the eal
meanin+ o" the play>i" (e "ollo( his e'e8shi"tin+ de'ices*
he (ill lead us thou+h many di""eent !eys0 2" (e "ollo(
the mo'ement in Measure for Measure bet(een the Rou+h
and the Holy (e (ill disco'e a play about Austice* mecy*
honesty* "o+i'eness* 'itue* 'i+inity* se= and death?
!aleidoscopically one section o" the play mios the othe*
it is in acceptin+ the pism as a (hole that its meanin+s
eme+e0 <hen 2 once sta+ed the play 2 as!ed 2sabella*
be"oe !neelin+ "o An+eloBs li"e* to pause each ni+ht until
she "elt the audience could ta!e it no lon+e>and this used
to lead to a t(o8minute stoppin+ o" the play0 The de'ice
became a 'oodoo pole>a silence in (hich all the in'isible
elements o" the e'enin+ came to+ethe* a silence in (hich
the abstact notion o" mecy became concete "o that
moment to those pesent0
This Rou+hTHoly stuctue also sho(s clealy in the t(o
pats of Henry (*@1alsta"" and the pose ealism o" the inn
scenes on the one hand and the poetic le'els o" so much else
>both elements contained (ithin one comple= (hole0
2n A ,inter$s Tale a 'ey subtle constuction hin+es on the
!ey moment (hen a statue comes to li"e0 This is o"ten citi8
ci@ed as a clumsy de'ice* an implausible (ay o" (indin+ up
the plot* and it is usually Austi"ied only in tems o" omantic
"ictionC an a(!(ad con'ention o" the times that
Sha!espeae (as "oced to use0 2n "act* the statue that comes
to li"e is the tuth o" the play0 2n A ,inter$s Tale (e "ind a
natual di'ision into thee sections0 7eontes accuses his (i"e
o" in"idelity0 He condemns he to death0 The child is put to
sea0 2n the second pat the child +o(s up* and no( in a
di""eent pastoal !ey the 'ey same action is epeated0 The
man "alsely accused by 7eontes no( in tun beha'es Aust as
uneasonably0 The conse;uence is the same>the child
a+ain ta!es "li+ht0 He Aouney ta!es he bac! to 7eontesB
palace and the thid pat is no( in the same place as the
"ist* but t(enty yeas late0 A+ain* 7eontes "inds himsel" in
simila conditions* in (hich he could be as 'iolently
uneasonable as be"oe0 Thus the main action is pesented
"ist "eociouslyC then a second time by chamin+ paody
but in a bold maAo !ey* "o the pastoal o" the play is a
mio as (ell as a stai+ht de'ice0 The thid mo'ement is
in anothe contastin+ !ey>a !ey o" emose0 <hen the
youn+ lo'es ente 7eontesB palace the "ist and second
sections o'elap? both put into ;uestion the action that
121 THE EMPTY SPACE
7eontes no( can ta!e0 2" the damatistBs sense o" tuth
"oces him to ma!e 7eontes 'indicti'e (ith the childen*
then the play cannot mo'e out o" its paticula (old* and
its end (ould ha'e to be bitte and ta+ic? i" he can
tuth"ully allo( a ne( e;uality to ente 7eontesB actions*
then the (hole time patten o" the play is tans"omed? the
past and the "utue ae no lon+e the same0 The le'el
chan+es* and e'en i" (e call it a miacle* the statue has none
the less come to li"e0 <hen (o!in+ on The ,inter$s Tale 2
disco'eed that the (ay to undestand this scene is not to
discuss it but to play it0 2n pe"omance this action is
stan+ely satis"yin+>and so it ma!es us (onde deeply0
Hee (e ha'e an e=ample o" the Dhappenin+B e""ect>the
moment (hen the illo+ical bea!s thou+h ou e'eyday
undestandin+ to ma!e us open ou eyes moe (idely0 The
(hole play has established ;uestions and e"eences? the
moment o" supise is a Aolt to the !aleidoscope* and (hat
(e see in the playhouse (e can etain and elate to the
playBs ;uestions (hen they ecu tansposed* diluted and
dis+uised* in li"e0
2" (e ima+ine "o a moment Measure for Measure and A
,inter$s Tale (itten by Sate* it (ould be easonable to
+uess that in the one case 2sabella (ould not !neel "o
An+elo>so that the play (ould end (ith the hollo(
cac!le o" the "iin+ s;uad>and in the othe the statue
(ould not come to li"e* so that 7eontes (ould be "aced (ith
the blea! conse;uences o" his actions0 Both Sha!espeae
and Sate (ould be "ashionin+ plays accodin+ to thei
sense o" tuth? one authoBs inne mateial contains di""eent
intimations "om the otheBs0 The mista!e (ould be to ta!e
e'ents o episodes "om a play and ;uestion them in the
li+ht o" some thid outside standad o" plausibility>li!e
DealityB o Dtuth0B The sot o" play that Sha!espeae o""es
us is ne'e Aust a seies o" e'ents? it is "a easie to
undestand i" (e conside the plays as obAects>as many
"aceted comple=es o" "om and meanin+ in (hich the line o"
naati'e is only one amon+st many aspects>and cannot
po"itably be played o studied on its o(n0
E=peimentally* (e can appoach 7ea not as a linea
naati'e* but as a cluste o" elationships0 1ist* (e ty to
id ousel'es o" the notion that because the play is called
&ing 'ear it is pimaily the stoy o" one indi'idual0 So (e
pic! an abitay point in the 'ast stuctue>the death o"
Codelia* say* and no( instead o" loo!in+ to(ads the Kin+
(e tun instead to(ads the man (ho is esponsible "o he
death0 <e "ocus on this chaacte* Edmund* and no( (e
be+in to pic! ou (ay to and "o acoss the play* si"tin+ the
e'idence* tyin+ to disco'e (ho this Edmund is0 He is
clealy a 'illain* (hate'e ou standads* "o in !illin+ Co8
delia he is esponsible "o the most +atuitous act o" cuelty
in the play>yet i" (e loo! at ou "ist impession o" him in
the ealy scenes* (e "ind he is by "a the most attacti'e
chaacte (e meet0 2n the openin+ scenes thee is a denial o"
li"e in 7eaBs usty ionclad po(eC :louceste is tetchy*
"ussy and "oolish* a man blind to e'eythin+ e=cept his in8
123 THE EMPTY SPACE
"lated ima+e o" his o(n impotanceC and in damatic
contast (e see the ela=ed "eedom o" his bastad son0
E'en i" in theoy (e obse'e that the (ay he leads
:louceste by the nose is hadly moal* instincti'ely (e
cannot but side (ith his natual anachy0 Not only do (e
sympathi@e (ith :oneil and Re+an "o "allin+ in lo'e (ith
him* but (e tend to side (ith them in "indin+ Edmund so
admiably (ic!ed* because he a""ims a li"e that the
scleosis o" the olde people seems to deny0 Can (e !eep
this same attitude o" admiation to(ads Edmund (hen he
has Codelia !illedG 2" not* (hy notG <hat has chan+edG 2s
it Edmund (ho has chan+ed* thou+h outside e'entsG O is
it Aust the conte=t that is di""eentG 2s a scale o" 'alue
impliedG <hat ae Sha!espeaeBs 'aluesG <hat is the 'alue
o" a li"eG <e "lic! thou+h the play a+ain and "ind an
incident impotantly situated* unelated to the main plot*
o"ten ;uoted as an e=ample o" Sha!espeaeBs slo'enly con8
stuction0 This is the "i+ht bet(een Edmund and Ed+a0 2"
(e loo! closely* (e ae stuc! by one "act>it is not the
po(e"ul Edmund* but his youn+e bothe (ho (ins0 2n
the "ist scenes o" the play* Edmund had no touble at all in
out(ittin+ Ed+a>no( "i'e acts late in sin+le combat it is
Ed+a (ho dominates0 Acceptin+ this as damatic tuth
athe than omantic con'ention* (e ae "oced to as! ho(
it has come about0 Can (e e=plain it all ;uite simply in
tems o" moal +o(th>Ed+a has +o(n up* Edmund has
decayed>o is the (hole ;uestion o" Ed+aBs undoubted
de'elopment "om naA#etB to undestandin+>and
EdmundBs 'isible chan+e "om "eedom to entan+lement>
"a moe comple= than a cut8and8died ;uestion o" the
tiumph o" the +ood0 AenBt (e compelled in "act to elate
this to all the e'idence connected (ith the ;uestion o"
+o(th and decline* i0e0 youth and a+e* i0e0 sten+th and
(ea!ness0 2" "o a moment (e assume this point o" 'ie(*
then suddenly the (hole play seems concened (ith
scleosis opposin+ the "lo( o" e=istence* o" cataacts that
dissol'e* o" i+id attitudes that yield* (hile at the same time
obsessions "om and positions haden0 O" couse the (hole
play is also about si+ht and blindness* (hat si+ht amounts
to* (hat blindness means>ho( the t(o eyes o" 7ea i+noe
(hat the instinct o" the 1ool appehends* ho( the t(o eyes
o" :louceste miss (hat his blindness !no(s0 But the obAect
has many "acetsC many themes ciss8coss its pismatic
"om0 7et us stay (ith the stands o" a+e and youth* and in
pusuit o" them mo'e on to the 'ey last lines o" the play0
<hen (e ead o hea them "ist ou eaction is* DHo(
ob'ious0 <hat a tite end*B "o Ed+a says?
D<e that ae youn+
Shall ne'e see so much* no li'e so lon+0B
The moe (e loo! at them the moe toublin+ they become*
because thei appaent pecision 'anishes* ma!in+ (ay "o
a stan+e ambi+uity hidden in the naU'e Aan+le0 The last line
is* at its "ace 'alue* plain nonsense0 Ae (e to undestand
that the youn+ (ill ne'e +o( up* o ae (e to undestand
that the (old (ill ne'e a+ain !no( old menG Both o"
these seems a petty "eeble (indin+ up by Sha!espeae o" a
125 THE EMPTY SPACE
consciously (itten mastepiece0 Ho(e'e* i" (e loo! bac!
thou+h Ed+aBs o(n line o" action* (e see that althou+h
Ed+aBs e=peience in the stom paallels 7eaBs* it cetainly
has not (ou+ht in him the intense inne chan+e that has
ta!en place in 7ea0 )et Ed+a ac;uied the sten+th "o t(o
!illin+s>"ist Os(ald* then his bothe0 <hat has this done
to him>ho( deeply has he e=peienced this loss o"
innocenceG 2s he still (ide8eyedG 2s he sayin+ in his closin+
(ods that youth and a+e ae limited by thei o(n
de"initions>that the only (ay to see as much as 7ea is to
+o thou+h 7eaBs mill* and then i0so facto one is youn+ no
lon+e0 7ea li'es lon+e than :louceste>in time and in
depth>and as a esult he undoubtedly DseesB moe than
:louceste be"oe he dies0 9oes Ed+a (ish to say that it is
e=peience o" this ode and intensity that eally means
Dli'in+ lon+0B 2" so* the Dbein+ youn+B is a state (ith its o(n
blindness>li!e that o" the ealy Ed+a* and its o(n
"eedom li!e that o" the ealy Edmund0 A+e in tun has its
blindness and decay0 Ho(e'e* tue si+ht comes "om an
acuteness o" li'in+ that can tans"om the old0 2ndeed* it is
clealy sho(n to us in the un"oldin+ o" the play that 7ea
su""es most and D+ets "athest0B Undoubtedly* his bie"
moment o" capti'ity (ith Codelia is as a moment o" bliss*
peace and econciliation* and Chistian commentatos o"ten
(ite as thou+h this (ee the end o" the stoy>a clea tale
o" the ascent "om the in"eno thou+h pu+ation to
paadise0 Un"otunately "o this neat 'ie( the play
continues* pitilessly* a(ay "om econciliation0
D<e that ae youn+
Shall ne'e see so much* no li'e so lon+0B
The po(e o" Ed+aBs distubin+ statement>a statement
that in+s li!e a hal"8open ;uestion>is that it caies no
moal o'etones at all0 He does not su++est "o one moment
that youth o a+e* seein+ o not seein+* ae in any (ay
supeio* in"eio* moe desiable o less desiable one than
the othe0 2n "act (e ae compelled to "ace a play (hich e8
"uses all moali@in+>a play (hich (e be+in to see not as a
naati'e any lon+e* but as a 'ast* comple=* coheent poem
desi+ned to study the po(e and the emptiness o" nothin+
>the positi'e and ne+ati'e aspects latent in the @eo0 So
(hat does Sha!espeae meanG <hat is he tyin+ to teach
usG 9oes he mean that su""ein+ has a necessay place in li"e
and is (oth culti'atin+ "o the !no(led+e and inne
de'elopment it bin+sG O does he mean us to undestand
that the a+e o" titanic su""ein+ is no( o'e and ou ole is
that o" the etenally youn+G <isely* Sha!espeae e"uses to
ans(e0 But he has +i'en us his play* and its (hole "ield o"
e=peience is both ;uestion and ans(e0 2n this li+ht* the
play is diectly elated to the most bunin+ themes o" ou
time* the old and the ne( in elation to ou society* ou ats*
ou notions o" po+ess* ou (ay o" li'in+ ou li'es0 2" the
actos ae inteested* this is (hat they (ill bin+ out0 2" (e
ae inteested* that is (hat (e (ill "ind0 1ancy dess* then*
(ill be le"t "a behind0 The meanin+ (ill be "o the moment
o" pe"omance0 O" all the plays* none is so ba""lin+ and
elusi'e as The Te20est) A+ain* (e disco'e that the only
127 THE EMPTY SPACE
(ay to "ind a e(adin+ meanin+ in it is to ta!e it as a
(hole0 As a stai+ht8"o(ad plot it is uninteestin+C as a
pete=t "o costumes* sta+e e""ects and music it is hadly
(oth e'i'in+C as a potpoui o" !noc!about and petty
(itin+ it can at best please a "e( matinee8+oes>but
usually it only se'es to put +eneations o" school childen
o"" theate "o li"e0 But (hen (e see ho( nothin+ in the play
is (hat it seems* ho( it ta!es place on an island and not on
an island* duin+ a day and not duin+ a day* (ith a
tempest that sets o"" a seies o" e'ents that ae still (ithin a
tempest e'en then the stom is done* that the chamin+
pastoal "o childen natually encompasses ape* mude*
conspiacy and 'iolenceC (hen (e be+in to uneath the
themes that Sha!espeae so cae"ully buied* (e see that it
is his complete "inal statement* and that it deals (ith the
(hole condition o" man0 2n a simila (ay* Sha!espeaeBs
"ist play Titus Andronicus be+ins to yield its secets the
moment one ceases to e+ad it as a stin+ o" +atuitous
sto!es o" melodama and be+ins to loo! "o its
completeness0 E'eythin+ in Titus is lin!ed to a da!
"lo(in+ cuent out o" (hich su+e the hoos*
hythmically and lo+ically elated>i" one seaches in this
(ay one can "ind the e=pession o" a po(e"ul and
e'entually beauti"ul babaic itual0 But in Titus this un8
eathin+ is compaati'ely simple>today (e can al(ays
"ind ou (ay to the 'iolent sub8conscious0 The Te20est is
anothe matte0 1om "ist play to last* Sha!espeae mo'ed
thou+h many limbos? maybe the conditions cannot be
"ound today "o the playBs natue to be e'ealed "ully0 Until*
ho(e'e* a (ay o" pesentin+ it can be "ound* (e can at
least be (ay o" con"usin+ unsuccess"ul attempts at
(estlin+ (ith the te=t (ith the thin+ itsel"0 E'en i"
unplayable today* it emains an e=ample o" ho( a
metaphysical play can "ind a natual idiom that is holy*
comic and ou+h0
S S S
So it is that in the second hal" o" the t(entieth centuy in
En+land (hee 2 am (itin+ these (ods* (e ae "aced (ith
the in"uiatin+ "act that Sha!espeae is still ou model0 2n
this espect* ou (o! on Sha!espeae poduction is al(ays
to ma!e the plays DmodenB because it is only (hen the
audience comes into diect contact (ith the playsB themes
that time and con'entions 'anish0 E;ually* (hen (e
appoach the moden theate* in (hate'e "om* (hethe
the play (ith a "e( chaactes* the happenin+* o the play
(ith hodes o" chaactes and scenes* the poblem is al(ays
the same>(hee ae the e;ui'alents to the Eli@abethan
sten+ths* in the sense o" an+e and stetch0 <hat "om* in
moden tems* could that ich theate ta!eG :oto(s!i* li!e
a mon! (ho "inds a uni'ese in a +ain o" sand* calls his
holy theate a theate o" po'ety0 The Eli@abethan theate
that encompassed all o" li"e includin+ the dit and the
(etchedness o" po'ety is a ou+h theate o" +eat
ichness0 The t(o ae not nealy as "a apat as they mi+ht
seem0
129 THE EMPTY SPACE
2 ha'e tal!ed a lot about inne and oute (olds* but li!e all
oppositions it is a elati'e one* a con'enience o" notation0 2
ha'e tal!ed about beauty* ma+ic* lo'e? !noc!in+ these
(ods (ith one hand* seemin+ to each to(ads them (ith
the othe0 And yet the paado= is a simple one0 All that (e
see connected (ith these (ods seems deadly? (hat they
imply coesponds to (hat (e need0 2" (e do not
undestand cathasis* that is because it has become
identi"ied (ith an emotional steam bath0 2" (e do not
undestand ta+edy* it is because it has become con"used
(ith Actin+ The Kin+0 <e may (ant ma+ic* but (e con"use
it (ith hocus8pocus* and (e ha'e hopelessly mi=ed up lo'e
(ith se=* beauty (ith aestheticism0 But it is only by
seachin+ "o a ne( discimination that (e (ill e=tend the
hoi@ons o" the eal0 Only then could the theate be use"ul*
"o (e need a beauty (hich could con'ince us? (e need
despeately to e=peience ma+ic in so diect a (ay that ou
'ey notion o" (hat is substantial could be chan+ed0
2t is not as thou+h the peiod o" necessay debun!in+ (ee
no( o'e0 On the contay* all thou+h the (old in ode
to sa'e the theate almost e'eythin+ o" the theate still has
to be s(ept a(ay0 The pocess has hadly be+un* and
pehaps can ne'e end0 The theate needs its pepetual
e'olution0 )et (anton destuction is ciminalC it poduces
'iolent eaction and still +eate con"usion0 2" (e demolish a
pseudo8holy theate* (e must endea'ou not to bamboo@le
ousel'es into thin!in+ that the need "o the saced is old8
"ashioned and that cosmonauts ha'e po'ed once and "o
all that an+els do not e=ist0 Also* i" (e +et dissatis"ied (ith
the hollo(ness o" so much o" the theate o" e'olutionaies
and popa+andists* (e must not "o this eason assume that
the need to tal! o" people* o" po(e* o" money and o" the
stuctue o" society is a passin+ "ashion0
But i" ou lan+ua+e must coespond (ith ou a+e* then (e
must also accept that today ou+hness is li'elie and
holiness deadlie than at othe times0 Once* the theate
could be+in as ma+ic? ma+ic at the saced "esti'al* o ma+ic
as the "ootli+hts came up0 Today* it is the othe (ay ound0
The theate is hadly (anted and its (o!es ae hadly
tusted0 So (e cannot assume that the audience (ill
assemble de'outly and attenti'ely0 2t is up to us to captue
its attention and compel its belie"0
To do so (e must po'e that thee (ill be no tic!ey*
nothin+ hidden0 <e must open ou empty hands and sho(
that eally thee is nothin+ up ou slee'es0 Only then can
(e be+in0
6
The 2mmediate Theate
THERE 2S no doubt that a theate can be a 'ey special place0
2t is li!e a ma+ni"yin+ +lass* and also li!e a educin+ lens0 2t
is a small (old* so it can easily be a petty one0 2t is di""eent
"om e'eyday li"e so it can easily be di'oced "om li"e0 On
the othe hand* (hile (e li'e less and less in 'illa+es o
nei+hbouhoods* and moe and moe in open8ended +lobal
communities* the theate community stays the same? the
cast o" a play is still the si@e that it has al(ays been0 The
theate nao(s li"e do(n0 2t nao(s it do(n in many
(ays0 2t is al(ays had "o anyone to ha'e one sin+le aim in
li"e>in the theate* ho(e'e* the +oal is clea0 1om the "ist
eheasal* the aim is al(ays 'isible* not too "a a(ay* and it
in'ol'es e'eyone0 <e can see many model social pattens
at (o!? the pessue o" a "ist ni+ht* (ith its unmista!able
demands* poduce that (o!in+8to+ethe* that dedication*
that ene+y and that consideation o" each otheBs needs
that +o'enment despai o" e'e e'o!in+ outside (as0
1uthemoe* in society in +eneal the ole o" at is nebu8
lous0 3ost people could li'e pe"ectly (ell (ithout any at
at all>and e'en i" they e+etted its absence it (ould not
hampe thei "unctionin+ in any (ay0 But in the theate
thee is no such sepaation? at e'ey instant the pactical
131
THE IMMEDIATE THEATRE 132
;uestion is an atistic one? the most incoheent* uncouth
playe is as much in'ol'ed in mattes o" pitch and pace*
intonation and hythm* position* distance* colou and shape
as the most sophisticated0 2n eheasal* the hei+ht o" the
chai* the te=tue o" the costume* the bi+htness o" the li+ht*
the ;uality o" emotion* matte all the time? the aesthetics ae
pactical0 One (ould be (on+ to say that this is because
the theate is an at0 The sta+e is a e"lection o" li"e* but this
li"e cannot be e8li'ed "o a moment (ithout a (o!in+
system based on obse'in+ cetain 'alues and ma!in+
'alue8Aud+ements0 A chai is mo'ed up o do(n sta+e*
because itBs Dbette so0B T(o columns ae (on+>but
addin+ a thid ma!es them Di+htB>the (ods Dbette*B
D(ose*B Dnot so +ood*B DbadB ae day a"te day* but these
(ods (hich ule decisions cay no moal sense
(hatsoe'e0
Anyone inteested in pocesses in the natual (old (ould
be 'ey e(aded by a study o" theate conditions0 His
disco'eies (ould be "a moe applicable to +eneal society
than the study o" bees o ants0 Unde the ma+ni"yin+ +lass
he (ould see a +oup o" people li'in+ all the time accodin+
to pecise* shaed* but un8named standads0 He (ould see
that in any community a theate has eithe no paticula
"unction>o a uni;ue one0 The uni;ueness o" the "unction
is that it o""es somethin+ that cannot be "ound in the steet*
at home* in the pub* (ith "iends* o on a psychiatistBs
couchC in a chuch o at the mo'ies0 Thee is only one
inteestin+ di""eence bet(een the cinema and the theate0
133 THE EMPTY SPACE
The cinema "lashes on to a sceen ima+es "om the past0 As
this is (hat the mind does to itsel" all thou+h li"e* the
cinema seems intimately eal0 O" couse* it is nothin+ o" the
sot>it is a satis"yin+ and enAoyable e=tension o" the
uneality o" e'eyday peception0 The theate* on the othe
hand* al(ays assets itsel" in the pesent0 This is (hat can
ma!e it moe eal than the nomal steam o" consciousness0
This also is (hat can ma!e it so distubin+0
No tibute to the latent po(e o" the theate is as tellin+ as
that paid to it by censoship0 2n most e+imes* e'en (hen
the (itten (od is "ee* the ima+e "ee* it is still the sta+e
that is libeated last0 2nstincti'ely* +o'enments !no( that
the li'in+ e'ent could ceate a dan+eous electicity>e'en
i" (e see this happen all too seldom0 But this ancient "ea is
a eco+nition o" an ancient potential0 The theate is the
aena (hee a li'in+ con"ontation can ta!e place0 The "ocus
o" a la+e +oup o" people ceates a uni;ue intensity>
o(in+ to this "oces that opeate at all times and ule each
pesonBs daily li"e can be isolated and pecei'ed moe
clealy0
No(* 2 must become unashamedly pesonal0 2n the thee
pecedin+ chaptes 2 ha'e dealt (ith di""eent "oms o"
theate* in +eneal* as they occu all o'e the (old* and
natually as they occu to me0 2" this "inal section* (hich
ine'itably is a sot o" conclusion* ta!es the "om o" a theate
2 appea to ecommend* this is because 2 can only spea! o"
the theate 2 !no(0 2 must nao( my si+hts and tal! about
theate as 2 undestand it* autobio+aphically0 2 (ill
endea'ou to spea! o" actions and conclusions "om (ithin
my "ield o" (o!? this is (hat constitutes my e=peience
and my point o" 'ie(0 2n tun* the eade must obse'e that
it is insepaable "om all the thin+s on my passpot>
nationality* date o" bith* place o" bith* physical
chaacteistics* colou o" eyes* si+natue0 Also* it is
insepaable "om todayBs date0 This is a pictue o" the
autho at the moment o" (itin+? seachin+ (ithin a
decayin+ and e'ol'in+ theate0 As 2 continue to (o!* each
e=peience (ill ma!e these conclusions inconclusi'e a+ain0
2t is impossible to assess the "unction o" a boo!>but 2 hope
this one may pehaps be o" use some(hee* to someone else
(estlin+ (ith his o(n poblems in elation to anothe time
and place0 But i" anyone (ee to ty to use it as a handboo!*
then 2 can de"initely (an him>thee ae no "omulas?
thee ae no methods0 2 can descibe an e=ecise o a
techni;ue* but anyone (ho attempts to epoduce them
"om my desciption is cetain to be disappointed0 2 (ould
undeta!e to teach anyone all that 2 !no( about theate
ules and techni;ue in a "e( hous0 The est is pactice>
and that cannot be done alone0 <e can Aust attempt to
"ollo( this to a limited de+ee i" (e e=amine the
pepaation o" a play to(ads pe"omance0
2n pe"omance* the elationship is actoTsubAectTaudience0
2n eheasal it is actoTsubAectTdiecto0 The ealiest elation8
ship is diectoTsubAectTdesi+ne0 Sceney and costumes can
sometimes e'ol'e in eheasal at the same time as the est
135 THE EMPTY SPACE
o" the pe"omance* but o"ten pactical consideations o"
buildin+ and dess8ma!in+ "oce the desi+ne to ha'e his
(o! cut and died be"oe the "ist eheasal0 2 ha'e o"ten
done my o(n desi+ns0 This can be a distinct ad'anta+e* but
"o a 'ey special eason0 <hen the diecto is (o!in+ this
(ay* his theoetical undestandin+ o" the play and its
e=tension in tems o" shapes and colous both e'ol'e at the
same tempo0 A scene may escape the diecto "o se'eal
(ee!s* one shape in the set may seem incomplete>then as
he (o!s on the set he may suddenly "ind the place o" the
scene that eludes himC as he (o!s on the stuctue o" the
di""icult scene he may suddenly +limpse its meanin+ in
tems o" sta+e action o a succession o" colous0 2n (o!
(ith a desi+ne* a sympathy o" tempo is (hat mattes most0
2 ha'e (o!ed (ith Aoy (ith many ma'ellous desi+nes>
but ha'e at times been cau+ht in stan+e taps* as (hen the
desi+ne eaches a compellin+ solution too "ast>so that 2
"ound mysel" ha'in+ to accept o e"use shapes be"oe 2 had
sensed (hat shapes seemed to be immanent in the te=t0
<hen 2 accepted the (on+ shape* because 2 could "ind no
lo+ical eason "o opposin+ the desi+neBs con'inction* 2
loc!ed mysel" into a tap out o" (hich the poduction could
ne'e e'ol'e* and poduced 'ey bad (o! as a esult0 2
ha'e o"ten "ound that the set is the +eomety o" the
e'entual play* so that a (on+ set ma!es many scenes
impossible to play* and e'en destoys many possibilities "o
the actos0 The best desi+ne e'ol'es step by step (ith the
diecto* +oin+ bac!* chan+in+* scappin+* as a conception
o" the (hole +adually ta!es "om0 A diecto (ho does his
o(n desi+ns natually ne'e belie'es that the completion o"
the desi+ns can be an end in itsel"0 He !no(s that he is Aust
at the be+innin+ o" a lon+ cycle o" +o(th* because his o(n
(o! lies be"oe him0 3any desi+nes* ho(e'e* tend to "eel
that (ith the deli'ey o" the sets and costume s!etches a
maAo potion o" thei o(n ceati'e (o! in +enuinely
complete0 This paticulaly applies to +ood paintes
(o!in+ in the theate0 1o them* a completed desi+n is
complete0 At lo'es can ne'e undestand (hy all sta+e
desi+nin+ isnBt done by D+eatB paintes and sculptos0 <hat
is necessay* ho(e'e* is an incomplete desi+nC a desi+n
that has claity (ithout i+idityC one that could be called
DopenB as a+ainst Dshut0B This is the essence o" theatical
thin!in+? a tue theate desi+ne (ill thin! o" his desi+ns as
bein+ all the time in motion* in action* in elation to (hat
the acto bin+s to a scene as it un"olds0 2n othe (ods*
unli!e the easel painte* in t(o dimensions* o the sculpto
in thee* the desi+ne thin!s in tems o" the "outh
dimension* the passa+e o" time>not the sta+e pictue* but
the sta+e mo'in+ pictue0 A "ilm edito shapes his mateial
a"te the e'ent? the sta+e desi+ne is o"ten li!e the edito o"
an Alice8Thou+h8the87oo!in+8:lass "ilm* cuttin+ dynamic
mateial in shapes* be"oe this mateial has yet come into
bein+0 The late he ma!es his decisions* the bette0
2t is 'ey easy>and it happens ;uite o"ten>to spoil an
actoBs pe"omance (ith the (on+ costume0 The acto
(ho is as!ed his 'ie(s about a costume desi+n be"oe
eheasals stat is in a simila position to the diecto (ho is
137 THE EMPTY SPACE
as!ed "o a decision be"oe he is eady0 He has not yet had a
physical e=peience o" his ole>so his 'ie(s ae theoetical0
2" the desi+ne s!etches (ith panache>and i" the costume
is beauti"ul in its o(n i+ht>the acto (ill o"ten accept it
(ith enthusiasm* only to disco'e (ee!s late that it is out
o" tune (ith all that he is tyin+ to e=pess0 1undamental to
the (o! o" desi+nin+ is the poblem>(hat should an
acto (eaG A costume doesnBt Aust come out o" the
desi+neBs head? it spin+s "om a bac!+ound0 Ta!e the
situation o" a (hite Euopean acto playin+ a Kapanese0
E'en i" e'ey conti'ance is used* his costume (ill ne'e
ha'e the allue o" a Samuai in a Kapanese "ilm0 2n the
authentic settin+* the details ae i+ht and elated to one
anothe? in the copy based on a study o" documents* thee is
almost ine'itably a steady seies o" compomisesC the
mateial is only moe o less the same* the detail o" the cut
adapted and appo=imate* e'entually the acto himsel" is
unable to inhabit the costume (ith the instincti'e i+ht ness
o" the men close to the souce0
2" (e cannot pesent a Kapanese o an A"ican satis"actoily
by pocesses o" imitation* the same holds +ood "o (hat (e
call Dpeiod0B An acto (hose (o! seems eal in eheasal
clothes easily loses this inte+ity (hen dessed in a to+a
copied "om a 'ase in the Bitish 3useum0 )et (eain+
e'eyday clothes is seldom the ans(e* they ae usually in8
ade;uate as a uni"om "o pe"omance0 The Noh theate*
"o instance* has pese'ed itual pe"omin+ clothes that
ae o" +eat beauty* and so has the Chuch0 2n bao;ue
peiods* a contempoay D"ineyB e=isted>and so could be
the base o" clothin+ "o play o opea0 The omantic ball (as
still ecently a 'alid souce "o ema!able desi+nes li!e
Oli'e 3essel o Chistian BLad0 2n the U0S0S0R0 a"te the
Re'olution* the (hite tie and tails* dopped "om social li"e*
still supplied the "omal basis "o clothin+ musicians aptly
and ele+antly in a manne that sepaated the pe"omance
"om the eheasal0
1o us e'ey time (e stat a ne( poduction (e ae com8
pelled to eopen this ;uestion as thou+h "o the "ist time0
<hat can the actos (eaG 2s thee a peiod implied in the
actionG <hat is a DpeiodGB <hat is its ealityG Ae the
aspects +i'en to us by documents ealG O is some "li+ht o"
"ancy and inspiation moe ealG <hat is the damatic
puposeG <hat needs clothin+G <hat needs statin+G <hat*
physically* does the acto e;uieG <hat does the eye o" the
spectato demandG Should this demand o" the spectato be
met hamoniously o opposed* damaticallyG <hat can
colou and te=tue hei+htenG <hat mi+ht they bluG
Castin+ ceates a ne( set o" poblems0 2" eheasals ae
shot* type castin+ is ine'itable>but e'eyone deploes it*
natually0 2n e8action* e'ey acto (ants to play
e'eythin+0 2n "act* he canBt? each acto is e'entually
bloc!ed by his o(n tue limits* (hich outline his eal type0
All one can say is that most attempts to decide in ad'ance
(hat an acto can not do ae usually aboti'e0 The inteest
in actos is thei capacity "o poducin+ unsuspected taits
139 THE EMPTY SPACE
in eheasal? the disappointment in an acto is (hen he is
tue to "om0 To ty to cast D!no(in+lyB is usually a 'anity?
it is bette to ha'e the time and conditions in (hich it is
possible to ta!e is!s0 One may o"ten be (on+>but in
e=chan+e these (ill be ;uite une=pected e'elations and
de'elopments0 No acto stands completely still in his
caee0 2t is easy to ima+ine that he has +ot stuc! at a cetain
le'el* (hen in "act a consideable unseen chan+e is unde
(ay inside him0 The acto (ho seems 'ey +ood at an
audition may be 'ey talented* but on the (hole this is
unli!ely>he is moe pobably Aust e""icient and his
e""ecti'eness is only s!in8deep0 The acto (ho seems 'ey
bad at an audition is most li!ely the (ost acto pesent* but
this is not necessaily the case* and it is Aust possible he is
the best0 Thee is no scienti"ic (ay ound this? i" the system
dictates the employin+ o" actos one doesnBt !no(* one is
"oced to (o! la+ely by +uess(o!0
At the be+innin+ o" eheasals the actos ae the opposite o"
the ideally ela=ed ceatues they (ould li!e to be0 They
bin+ (ith them a hea'y ba++a+e o" tensions0 So 'aied ae
these tensions that (e can "ind some 'ey une=pected
phenomena0 1o instance* a youn+ acto playin+ (ith a
+oup o" ine=peienced "iends may e'eal a talent and a
techni;ue that put po"essionals to shame0 )et ta!e the 'ey
same acto (ho has* as it (ee* po'ed his (oth and
suound him (ith the olde actos he most espects* and
o"ten he becomes not only a(!(ad and sti""* but e'en his
talent +oes0 Put him then amon+st actos he despises and he
(ill come into his o(n a+ain0 1o talent is not static* it ebbs
and "lo(s accodin+ to many cicumstances0 Not all actos
o" the same a+e ae at the same sta+e o" thei po"essional
(o!0 Some ha'e a blend o" enthusiasm and !no(led+e
that is suppoted by a con"idence based on pe'ious small
successes and is not undemined by "ea o" imminent total
"ailue0 They stat eheasals "om a di""eent position "om
the pehaps e;ually youn+ acto (ho has made a sli+htly
+eate name and (ho is aleady be+innin+ to (onde ho(
much "athe he can +o>has he eally +ot any(hee yet*
(hat is his status* is he eco+ni@ed* (hat does the "utue
holdG The acto (ho belie'es he may one day play Hamlet
has endless ene+y? the one (ho sees that the outside (old
is not con'inced he (ill e'e play a lead is aleady tyin+
himsel" into pain"ul !nots o" intospection (ith a
conse;uent need "o sel"8assetion0
2n the +oup that +athes "o a "ist eheasal* (hethe a
scatch cast o a pemanent company* an in"inite numbe o"
pesonal ;uestions and (oies han+ unspo!en in the ai0
O" couse* these ae all enhanced by the pesence o" the
diecto? i" he (ee in a :od8sent state o" total ela=ation he
could +eatly help* but moe o" the time he too is tense and
in'ol'ed (ith the poblems o" his poduction and hee too
the need publicly to deli'e the +oods is "uel to his o(n
'anity and his sel"8absoption0 2n "act* a diecto can ne'e
a""od to be+in (ith his "ist poduction0 2 emembe
heain+ that a buddin+ hypnotist ne'e con"esses to a
subAect that he is hypnoti@in+ "o the "ist time0 He has
141 THE EMPTY SPACE
Ddone it success"ully many times0B 2 be+an (ith my second
poduction* because (hen at se'enteen 2 "aced my "ist
+oup o" shap and citical amateus* 2 (as "oced to in'ent
a non8e=istent Aust completed tiumph to +i'e them and
mysel" the con"idence (e both e;uied0
The "ist eheasal is al(ays to a de+ee the blind leadin+
the blind0 On the "ist day a diecto may sometimes ma!e a
"omal speech e=plainin+ the basic ideas behind the comin+
(o!0 O else he may sho( models o costume s!etches* o
boo!s o photo+aphs* o he may ma!e Ao!es* o else +et the
actos to ead the play0 Ha'in+ din!s o playin+ a +ame
to+ethe o machin+ ound the theate o buildin+ a (all
all (o! in the same (ay? no one is in a state to absob (hat
is said>the pupose o" anythin+ you do on the "ist day is
to +et you thou+h to the second one0 The second day is
aleady di""eent>a pocess is no( at (o!* and a"te
t(enty8"ou hous e'ey sin+le "acto and elationship has
subtly chan+ed0 E'eythin+ you do in eheasal a""ects this
pocess? playin+ +ames to+ethe is a pocess that has cetain
esults* li!e a +eate "eelin+ o" con"idence* "iendliness and
in"omality0 One can play +ames at auditions Aust to bin+
about an easie atmosphee0 The +oal is ne'e in the +ame
alone>in the shot time a'ailable "o eheasin+ a play*
social ease is not enou+h0 A hao(in+ collecti'e e=peience
>li!e the impo'isations on madness (e had to do "o the
Marat+"ade bin+s about anothe esultC the actos ha'in+
shaed di""iculties ae open to one anothe and to the play
in a di""eent (ay0
A diecto leans that the +o(th o" eheasals is a0
de'elopin+ pocessC he sees that thee 2s a i+ht time "o
e'eythin+* and his at is the at o" eco+ni@in+ these
moments0 He leans that he has no po(e to tansmit
cetain ideas in the ealy days0 He (ill come to eco+ni@e
the loo! on the "ace o" an appaently ela=ed but innely
an=ious acto (ho cannot "ollo( (hat he is bein+ told0 He
(ill then disco'e that all he needs is to (ait* not push too
had0 2n the thid (ee! all (ill ha'e chan+ed* and a (od
o a nod (ill ma!e instant communication0 And the
diecto (ill see that he too does not stay still0 Ho(e'e
much home8(o! he does* he cannot "ully undestand a
play by himsel"0 <hate'e ideas he bin+s on the "ist day
must e'ol'e continually* than!s to the pocess he is +oin+
thou+h (ith the actos* so that in the thid (ee! he (ill
"ind that he is undestandin+ e'eythin+ di""eently0 The
actosB sensibilities tun seachli+hts on to his o(n>and he
(ill eithe !no( moe* o at least see* moe 'i'idly that he
has so "a disco'eed nothin+ 'alid0
2n "act* the diecto (ho comes to the "ist eheasal (ith his
scipt pepaed (ith the mo'es and business* etc0* noted
do(n* is a eal deadly theate man0
<hen Si Bay Kac!son as!ed me to diect 'o#e$s 'a-our$s
'ost at Stat"od in #-64* it (as my "ist bi+ poduction and
2 had aleady done enou+h (o! in smalle theates to
!no( that actos* and abo'e all sta+e mana+es* had the
143 THE EMPTY SPACE
+eatest contempt "o anyone (ho* as they al(ays put it*
Ddid not !no( (hat he (anted0B So the ni+ht be"oe the "ist
eheasal 2 sat a+oni@ed in "ont o" a model o" the set* a(ae
that "uthe hesitation (ould soon be "atal* "in+ein+ "olded
pieces o" cadboad>"oty pieces epesentin+ the "oty
actos to (hom the "ollo(in+ monin+ 2 (ould ha'e to +i'e
odes* de"inite and clea0 A+ain and a+ain* 2 sta+ed the
'ey "ist enty o" the Cout* eco+ni@in+ that this (as (hen
all (ould be lost o (on* numbein+ the "i+ues* da(in+
chats* manoeu'in+ the scaps o" cadboad to and "o* on
and o"" the set* tyin+ them in bi+ batches* then in small*
"om the side* "om the bac!* o'e +ass mounds* do(n
steps* !noc!in+ them all o'e (ith my slee'e* cusin+ and
statin+ a+ain0 As 2 did so* 2 noted the mo'es* and (ith no
one to notice my indecision* cossed them out* then made
"esh notes0 The ne=t monin+ 2 ai'ed at eheasal* a "at
pompt boo! unde my am* and the sta+e mana+ement
bou+ht me a table* eactin+ to my 'olume* 2 obse'ed* (ith
espect0
2 di'ided the cast into +oups* +a'e them numbes and sent
them to thei statin+ places* then* eadin+ out my odes in
a loud con"ident (ay 2 let loose the "ist sta+e o" the mass
entance0 As the actos be+an to mo'e 2 !ne( it (as no
+ood0 These (ee not emotely li!e my cadboad "i+ues*
these la+e human bein+s thustin+ themsel'es "o(ad*
some too "ast (ith li'ely steps 2 had not "oeseen* bin+in+
them suddenly on top o" me>not stoppin+* but (antin+ to
+o on* stain+ me in the "ace? o else lin+ein+* pausin+*
e'en tunin+ bac! (ith ele+ant a""ectations that too! me by
supise>(e had only done the "ist sta+e o" the
mo'ement* lette a on my chat* but aleady no one (as
i+htly placed and mo'ement b could not "ollo(>my heat
san! and* despite all my pepaation* 2 "elt ;uite lost0 <as 2
to stat a+ain* dillin+ these actos so that they con"omed
to my notesG One inne 'oice pompted me to do so* but
anothe pointed out that my patten (as much less
inteestin+ than this ne( patten that (as un"oldin+ in
"ont o" me>ich in ene+y* "ull o" pesonal 'aiations*
shaped by indi'idual enthusiasms and la@inesses*
pomisin+ such di""eent hythms* openin+ so many
une=pected possibilities0 2t (as a moment o" panic0 2 thin!*
loo!in+ bac!* that my (hole "utue (o! hun+ in the
balance0 2 stopped* and (al!ed a(ay "om my boo!* in
amon+st the actos* and 2 ha'e ne'e loo!ed at a (itten
plan since0 2 eco+ni@ed once and "o all the pesumption
and the "olly o" thin!in+ that an inanimate model can stand
"o a man0
O" couse* all (o! in'ol'es thin!in+? this means com8
pain+* boodin+* ma!in+ mista!es* +oin+ bac!* hesitatin+*
statin+ a+ain0 The painte natually does this* so does the
(ite* but in secet0 The theate diecto has to e=pose his
uncetainties to his cast* but in e(ad he has a medium
(hich e'ol'es as it esponds? a sculpto says that the choice
o" mateial continually amends his ceation? the li'in+
mateial o" actos is tal!in+* "eelin+ and e=ploin+ all the
time>eheasin+ is a 'isible thin!in+8aloud0
145 THE EMPTY SPACE
7et me ;uote a stan+e paado=0 Thee is only one peson as
e""ecti'e as a 'ey +ood diecto>and that is a otten one0 2t
sometimes happens that a diecto is so bad* so completely
(ithout diection* so incapable o" imposin+ his (ill* that his
lac! o" ability becomes a positi'e 'itue0 2t di'es the actos
to despai0 :adually his incompetence ma!es a +ul" that
ya(ns in "ont o" the cast* and as the "ist ni+ht appoaches
insecuity +i'es (ay to teo* (hich becomes a "oce0 2t has
happened that in the last moments a company "ound a
sten+th and a unity as thou+h by ma+ic>and they +a'e a
"ist8ni+ht pe"omance "o (hich the diecto +ot hi+h
paise0 E;ually* (hen a diecto is "ied* the ne( man
ta!in+ o'e o"ten has an easy Aob? 2 once entiely e8sta+ed
someone elseBs poduction in the couse o" one ni+ht>and
+ot un"ai cedit "o the esult0 9espai had so pepaed the
+ound that a touch "om one "in+e (as all that (as
e;uied0
Ho(e'e* (hen the diecto is plausible enou+h* sten
enou+h* aticulate enou+h to +et the actosB patial tust*
then the esult can mis"ie easiest o" all0 E'en i" the acto
ends by disa+eein+ (ith some o" (hat he is told* he still
passes some o" the load on to the diecto "eelin+ that Dhe
may be i+ht*B o at least that the diecto is 'a+uely
DesponsibleB and (ill someho( Dsa'e the day0B This spaes
the acto the "inal pesonal esponsibility and pe'ents the
conditions "o the spontaneous combustion o" a company
comin+ into bein+0 2t is the modest diecto* the honouable
unassumin+ one* o"ten the nicest man* (ho should be
tusted least0
<hat 2 am sayin+ can 'ey easily be misundestood>and
diectos (ho do not (ish to be despots ae sometimes
tempted to the "atal couse o" doin+ nothin+* culti'atin+
noninte'ention in the belie" that this is the only (ay o"
espectin+ the acto0 This is a (etched "allacy>(ithout
leadeship a +oup cannot each a coheent esult (ithin a
+i'en time0 A diecto is not "ee o" esponsibility>he is
totally esponsible>but he is not "ee o" the pocess eithe*
he is pat o" it0
E'ey no( and then an acto tuns up (ho poclaims that
diectos ae unnecessay? actos could do it by themsel'es0
This may be tue0 But (hat actosG 1o actos to de'elop
somethin+ alone* they (ould need to be ceatues so hi+hly
de'eloped that they (ould hadly need eheasal eitheC
they (ould ead the scipt and in a (in! the in'isible
substance o" the play (ould appea "ully aticulated
amon+st them0 This is uneal? a diecto is thee to help a
+oup e'ol'e to(ads this ideal situation0 The diecto is
thee to attac! and yield* po'o!e and (ithda( until the
inde"inable stu"" be+ins to "lo(0 The anti8diecto (ants the
diecto out o" the (ay "om the "ist eheasal? any diecto
disappeas* a little late* on the "ist ni+ht0 Soone o late
the acto must appea and the ensemble ta!e command0
The diecto must sense (hee the acto (ants to +o and
(hat it is he a'oids* (hat bloc!s he aises to his o(n
147 THE EMPTY SPACE
intentions0 No diecto inAects a pe"omance0 At best a
diecto enables an acto to e'eal his o(n pe"omance*
that he mi+ht othe(ise ha'e clouded "o himsel"0
Actin+ be+ins (ith a tiny inne mo'ement so sli+ht that it is
almost completely in'isible0 <e see this (hen (e compae
"ilm and sta+e actin+? a +ood sta+e acto can act in "ilms* not
necessaily 'ice 'esa0 <hat happensG 2 ma!e a poposition
to an actoBs ima+ination such as* DShe is lea'in+ you0B At
this moment deep in him a subtle mo'ement occus0 Not
only in actos>the mo'ement occus in anyone* but in
most non8actos the mo'ement is too sli+ht to mani"est
itsel" in any (ay? the acto is a moe sensiti'e instument
and in him the temo is detected>in the cinema the +eat
ma+ni"ie* the lens* descibes this to the "ilm that notes it
do(n* so "o the cinema the "ist "lic!e is all0 2n ealy
theate eheasals* the impulse may +et no "uthe than a
"lic!e>e'en i" the acto (ishes to ampli"y it all sots o"
e=taneous psychic psycholo+ical tensions can inte'ene>
then the cuent is shot8cicuited* eathed0 1o this "lic!e
to pass into the (hole o+anism* a total ela=ation must be
thee* eithe +od8+i'en o bou+ht about by (o!0 This* in
shot* is (hat eheasals ae all about0 2n this (ay actin+ is
mediumistic>the idea suddenly en'elops the (hole in an
act o" possession>in :oto(s!iBs teminolo+y the actos
ae DpenetatedB>penetated by themsel'es0 2n 'ey youn+
actos* the obstacles ae sometimes 'ey elastic* penetation
can happen (ith supisin+ ease and they can +i'e subtle
and comple= incanations that ae the despai o" those (ho
ha'e e'ol'ed thei s!ill o'e yeas0 )et late* (ith success
and e=peience* the same youn+ actos build up thei
baies to themsel'es0 Childen can o"ten act (ith
e=taodinay natual techni;ue0 People "om eal li"e ae
ma'ellous on sceen0 But (ith adult po"essionals thee
has to be a t(o8(ay pocess* and the stiin+ "om (ithin
has to be aided by the stimulus "om outside0 Sometimes
study and thou+ht can help an acto to eliminate the
peconceptions that blind him to deepe meanin+s* but
sometimes it is the e'ese0 To each an undestandin+ o" a
di""icult ole* an acto must +o to the limits o" his
pesonality and intelli+ence>but sometimes +eat actos +o
"athe still i" they ehease the (ods and at the same time
listen acutely to the echoes that aise in them0
Kohn :iel+ud is a ma+ician>his "om o" theate is one that
is !no(n to each abo'e the odinay* the common* the
banal0 His ton+ue* his 'ocal chods* his "eelin+ "o hythm
compose an instument that he has consciously de'eloped
all thou+h his caee in a unnin+ analo+y (ith his li"e0 His
natual inne aistocacy* his oute social and pesonal
belie"s* ha'e +i'en him a hieachy o" 'alues* an intense
discimination bet(een base and pecious* and a con'iction
that the si"tin+* the (eedin+* the selectin+* the di'idin+* the
e"inin+ and the tansmutin+ ae acti'ities that ne'e end0
His at has al(ays been moe 'ocal than physical? at some
ealy sta+e in his caee he decided that "o himsel" the
body (as a less supple instument than the head0 He thus
Aettisoned pat o" an actoBs possible e;uipment but made
149 THE EMPTY SPACE
tue alchemy (ith the est0 2t is not Aust speech* not
melodies* but the continual mo'ement bet(een the (od8
"omin+ mechanism and his undestandin+ that has made
his at so ae* so touchin+ and especially so a(ae0 <ith
:iel+ud* (e ae conscious both o" (hat is e=pessed and o"
the s!ill o" the ceato? that a ca"t can be so de"t adds to ou
admiation0 The e=peience o" (o!in+ (ith him has been
amon+st my most special and ay +eatest Aoys0
Paul Sco"ield tal!s to his audience in anothe (ay0 <hile in
:iel+ud the instument stands hal"8(ay bet(een the music
and the heae* and so demands a playe* tained and
s!illed>in Sco"ield* instument and playe ae one>an
instument o" "lesh and blood that opens itsel" to the
un!no(n0 Sco"ield* (hen 2 "ist !ne( him as a 'ey youn+
acto* had a stan+e chaacteistic? 'ese hampeed him* but
he (ould ma!e un"o+ettable 'ese out o" lines o" pose0 2t
(as as thou+h the act o" spea!in+ a (od sent thou+h him
'ibations that echoed bac! meanin+s "a moe comple=
than his ational thin!in+ could "ind? he (ould ponounce a
(od li!e Dni+htB and then he (ould be compelled to pause?
listenin+ (ith all his bein+ to the ama@in+ impulses stiin+
in some mysteious inne chambe* he (ould e=peience
the (onde o" disco'ey at the moment (hen it happened0
Those bea!s* those sallies in depth* +i'e his actin+ its
absolutely pesonal stuctue o" hythms* its o(n
instincti'e meanin+s? to ehease a pat* he lets his (hole
natue>a milliad o" supe8sensiti'e scannes>pass to and
"o acoss the (ods0 2n pe"omance the same pocess
ma!es e'eythin+ that he has appaently "i=ed come bac!
a+ain each ni+ht the same and absolutely di""eent0
2 use t(o (ell8!no(n names as illustations* but the
phenomenon is thee all the time in eheasal* and con8
tinually eopens the poblem o" innocence and e=peience*
o" spontaneity and !no(led+e0 Thee ae also thin+s youn+
actos and un!no(n actos can do that ha'e passed beyond
the each o" "ine actos (ith e=peience and s!ill0
Thee ha'e been times in theate histoy (hen the actoBs
(o! has been based on cetain accepted +estues and e=8
pessions? thee ha'e been "o@en systems o" attitudes
(hich (e eAect today0 2t is pehaps less ob'ious that the
opposite pole* the 3ethod ActoBs "eedom in choosin+
anythin+ (hatsoe'e "om the +estues o" e'eyday li"e is
e;ually esticted* "o in basin+ his +estues on his
obse'ation o on his o(n spontaneity the acto is not
da(in+ on any deep ceati'ity0 He is eachin+ inside
himsel" "o an alphabet that is also "ossili@ed* "o the
lan+ua+e o" si+ns "om li"e that he !no(s is the lan+ua+e
not o" in'ention but o" his conditionin+0 His obse'ations o"
beha'iou ae o"ten obse'ations o" poAections o" himsel"0
<hat he thin!s to be spontaneous is "ilteed and monitoed
many times o'e0 <ee Pa'lo'Bs do+ impo'isin+* he
(ould still sali'ate (hen the bell an+* but he (ould "eel
sue it (as all his o(n doin+? D2Bm dibblin+*B he (ould say*
poud o" his dain+
151 THE EMPTY SPACE
Those (ho (o! in impo'isation ha'e the chance to see
(ith "i+htenin+ claity ho( apidly the boundaies o" so8
called "eedom ae eached0 Ou e=ecises in public (ith the
Theate o" Cuelty ;uic!ly led the actos to the point (hee
they (ee ni+htly in+in+ 'aiations on thei o(n clichLs>
li!e 3acel 3aceauBs chaacte (ho bea!s out o" one
pison to "ind himsel" (ithin anothe0 <e e=peimented "o
instance (ith an acto openin+ a doo and "indin+
somethin+ une=pected0 He had to eact to the une=pected
sometimes in +estue* sometimes in sound* sometimes (ith
paint0 He (as encoua+ed to e=pess the "ist +estue* cy o
splash that came to him0 At "ist* all this sho(ed (as the
actoBs stoc! o" similes0 The open mouth o" supise* the
step bac! in hoo? (hee did these so8called spontaneities
come "omG Clealy the tue and instantaneous inne
eaction (as chec!ed and li!e li+htnin+ the memoy
substituted some imitation o" a "om once seen0 9abbin+
the paint (as e'en moe e'ealin+? the haiBs8beadth o"
teo be"oe the blan!ness* and then the eassuin+ eady8
made idea comin+ to the escue0 This 9eadly Theate lu!s
inside us all0
The aim o" impo'isation in tainin+ actos in eheasal*
and the aim o" e=ecises* is al(ays the same? it is to +et
a(ay "om 9eadly Theate0 2t is not Aust a matte o"
splashin+ about in sel"8indul+ent euphoia as outsides
o"ten suspectC "o it aims at bin+in+ the acto a+ain and
a+ain to his o(n baies* to the points (hee in place o"
ne(8"ound tuth he nomally substitutes a lie0 An acto
playin+ a bi+ scene "alsely appeas "alse to the audience
because* instant "o instant* in his po+ession "om one
attitude o" the chaacte to anothe* he is substitutin+ "alse
details "o eal ones? tiny tansitional phoney emotions
thou+h imitation attitudes0 But this cannot be +appled
(ith (hile eheasin+ bi+ scenes>too much is +oin+ on* it
is "a too complicated0 The pupose o" an e=ecise is to
educe and etun? to nao( the aea do(n and do(n until
the bith o" a lie is e'ealed and cau+ht0 2" the acto can "ind
and see this moment he can pehaps open himsel" to a
deepe* moe ceati'e impulse0
Similaly* (hen t(o actos play to+ethe0 <hat (e !no(
most is e=tenal ensemble playin+? much o" the team(o!
o" (hich the En+lish theate is so poud is based on
politeness* coutesy* easonableness* +i'e8and8ta!e* you
tun* a"te you* and so on>a "acsimile (hich (o!s
(hene'e the actos ae in the same an+e o" style>i0e0
olde actos play beauti"ully to+ethe* and so do 'ey
youn+ onesC but (hen they ae mi=ed up* "o all thei cae
and mutual espect* the esult is o"ten a mess0 1o a
poduction 2 did o" :enetBs The 1alcony in Pais it (as
necessay to mi= actos o" 'ey di""eent bac!+ounds>
classically tained* "ilm tained* ballet tained and simple
amateu0 Hee* lon+ e'enin+s o" 'ey obscene bothel
impo'isations se'ed only one pupose>they enabled this
hybid +oup o" people to come to+ethe and be+in to "ind a
(ay o" espondin+ diectly to one anothe0
153 THE EMPTY SPACE
Some e=ecises open the actos to one anothe in a ;uite
di""eent (ay? "o e=ample* se'eal actos may play com8
pletely di""eent scenes side by side* but ne'e spea!in+ at
the same moment* so that each has to pay close attention to
the (hole* in ode to !no( Aust (hat moments depended
on him0 O else de'elopin+ a collecti'e sense o"
esponsibility "o the ;uality o" an impo'isation* and
s(itchin+ to ne( situations as soon as the shaed in'ention
"la+s0 3any e=ecises set out "ist to "ee the acto* so he
may be allo(ed to disco'e by himsel" (hat only e=ists in
himsel"? ne=t* to "oce him to accept blindly e=tenal
diections* so that by coc!in+ a sensiti'e enou+h ea he
could hea in himsel" mo'ements he (ould ne'e ha'e
detected any othe (ay0 1o instance a 'aluable e=ecise is
di'idin+ a Sha!espeae solilo;uy into thee 'oices* li!e a
canon* and then ha'in+ the thee actos ecite at bea!nec!
speed o'e and o'e a+ain0 At "ist* the technical di""iculty
absobs all the actosB attention* then +adually as they
maste the di""iculties they ae as!ed to bin+ out the
meanin+ o" the (ods* (ithout 'ayin+ the in"le=ible "om0
Because o" the speed and the mechanical hythm this seems
impossible? the acto is pe'ented "om usin+ any o" his
nomal e=pessi'e e;uipment0 Then suddenly he busts a
baie and e=peiences ho( much "eedom thee can be
(ithin the ti+htest discipline0
Anothe 'aiant is to ta!e the t(o lines DTo be o not to be*
That is the ;uestionB and +i'e them to ten actos* one (od
each0 The actos stand in a closed cicle and endea'ou to
play the (ods one a"te the othe* tyin+ to poduce a
li'in+ phase0 This is so di""icult that it instantly e'eals
e'en to the most uncon'inced acto ho( closed and
insensiti'e he is to his nei+hbou0 <hen a"te lon+ (o! the
sentence suddenly "lo(s* a thillin+ "eedom is e=peienced
by e'eyone0 They see in a "lash the possibility o" +oup
playin+* and the obstacles to it0 This e=ecise can be
de'eloped by substitutin+ othe 'ebs "o Dbe*B (ith the
same e""ect o" a""imation and denial>and e'entually it is
possible to put sounds o +estues in place o" one o all o"
the (ods and still maintain a li'in+ damatic "lo( bet(een
the ten paticipants0
The pupose o" such e=ecises is to lead actos to the point
(hee i" one acto does somethin+ une=pected but tue* the
othes can ta!e this up and espond on the same le'el0 This
is ensemble playin+? in actin+ tems it means ensemble
ceation* an a(esome thou+ht0 2t is no use thin!in+ that
e=ecises belon+ to school and only apply to a cetain
peiod o" the actoBs de'elopment0 An acto li!e any atist*
is li!e a +aden and it is no help to pull out the (eeds Aust
once* "o all time0 The (eeds al(ays +o(* this is ;uite
natual* and they must be cleaned a(ay* (hich is natual
and necessay too0
Actos must study by 'ayin+ means? an acto has mainly
an act o" elimination to ma!e0 Stanisla's!yBs title DBuildin+
a ChaacteB is misleadin+>a chaacte isnBt a static thin+
and it canBt be built li!e a (all0 Reheasals donBt lead
155 THE EMPTY SPACE
po+essi'ely to a "ist ni+ht0 This is somethin+ 'ey had
"o some actos to undestand>especially those (ho pide
themsel'es most on thei s!ill0 1o medioce actos the
pocess o" chaacte buildin+ is as "ollo(s? they ha'e an
acute moment o" atistic an+uish* at the 'ey stat>D<hat
(ill happen this timeGB>D2 !no( 2B'e played many
success"ul pats be"oe but* this time* (ill inspiation
comeGB This acto comes in teo to the "ist eheasal* but
+adually his standad pactices "ill the 'acuum o" his "ea?
as he Ddisco'esB a (ay o" doin+ each section* he battens it
do(n* elie'ed that once a+ain he has been spaed the "inal
catastophe0 So on the "ist ni+ht althou+h he is ne'ous* his
ne'es ae those o" the ma!sman (ho !no(s he can hit the
ta+et but is a"aid he (onBt +et a bullBs8eye a+ain (hen his
"iends ae (atchin+0
The eally ceati'e acto eaches a di""eent and "a (ose
teo on the "ist ni+ht0 All thou+h eheasals he has been
e=ploin+ aspects o" a chaacte (hich he senses al(ays to
be patial* to be less than the tuth>so he is compelled* by
the honesty o" his seach* endlessly to shed and stat a+ain0
A ceati'e acto (ill be most eady to discad the hadened
shells o" his (o! at the last eheasal because hee* (ith
the "ist ni+ht appoachin+* a billiant seachli+ht is cast on
his ceation* and he sees its piti"ul inade;uacy0 The ceati'e
acto also lon+s to clin+ on to all heBs "ound* he too (ants at
all costs to a'oid the tauma o" appeain+ in "ont o" an
audience* na!ed and unpepaed>still this is e=actly (hat
he must do0 He must destoy and abandon his esults e'en
i" (hat he pic!s up seems almost the same0 This is easie "o
1ench actos than "o En+lish ones* because tempea8
mentally they ae moe open to the idea that nothin+ is any
+ood0 And this is the only (ay that a pat* instead o" bein+
built* can be bon0 The ole that has been -uilt is the same
e'ey ni+ht>e=cept that it slo(ly eodes0 1o the pat that
is bon to be the same it must al(ays be ebon* (hich
ma!es it al(ays di""eent0 O" couse* paticulaly in a lon+
un* the e""ot o" daily e8ceation becomes unbeaable and
unthin!able* and this is (hee the e=peienced ceati'e
atist is compelled to "all bac! on a second le'el called
techni;ue to cay him thou+h0
2 did a play (ith that pe"ectionist Al"ed 7unt0 2n the "ist
act* he had a scene sittin+ on a bench0 2n eheasal* he
su++ested* as a piece o" natual business* ta!in+ o"" his shoe
and ubbin+ his "oot0 Then he added shadin+ the shoe to
empty it be"oe puttin+ it bac! on a+ain0 One day (hen (e
(ee on tou in Boston* 2 (al!ed past his dessin+8oom0
The doo (as aAa0 He (as pepain+ "o the pe"omance*
but 2 could see that he (as loo!in+ out "o me0 He bec!oned
e=citedly0 2 (ent into the dessin+8oom* he closed the doo*
as!ed me to sit do(n0 DTheeBs somethin+ 2 (ant to ty
toni+ht*B he said0 DBut only i" you a+ee0 2 (ent "o a (al! on
Boston Common this a"tenoon and "ound these0B He held
out his palm0 2t contained t(o tiny pebbles0 DThat scene
(ee 2 sha!e out my shoe*B he continued* Dits al(ays
(oied me that nothin+ "alls out0 So 2 thou+ht 2Bd ty
puttin+ the pebbles in0 Then (hen 2 sha!e it* youBd see
157 THE EMPTY SPACE
them dop>and youBd hea the sound0 <hat do you
thin!GB 2 said it (as an e=cellent idea and his "ace lit up0 He
loo!ed deli+htedly at the t(o little stones* bac! at me* then
suddenly his e=pession chan+ed0 He studied the stones
a+ain "o a lon+ an=ious moment0 D)ou donBt thin! it (ould
be bette (ith oneGB
The hadest tas! o" all "o an acto is to be sincee yet
detached>it is dummed into an acto that sinceity is all
he needs0 <ith its moal o'etones* the (od causes +eat
con"usion0 2n a (ay* the most po(e"ul "eatue o" the Becht
actos is the de+ee o" thei insincerity) 2t is only thou+h
detachment that an acto (ill see his o(n clichLs0 Thee is a
dan+eous tap in the (od sinceity0 1ist o" all* a youn+
acto disco'es that his Aob is so e=actin+ that it demands o"
him cetain s!ills0 1o instance* he has to be head? his body
has to obey his (ishes? he must be a maste o" his timin+*
not the sla'e o" hapha@ad hythms0 So he seaches "o
techni;ue? and soon he ac;uies a !no(8ho(0 Easily* !no(8
no( can become a pide and an end in itsel"0 2t becomes
de=teity (ithout any othe aim than the display o"
e=petise>in othe (ods* the at becomes insincee0 The
youn+ acto obse'es the insinceity o" the old8time and is
dis+usted0 He seaches "o sinceity0 Sinceity is a loaded
(od? li!e cleanliness it caies childhood associations o"
+oodness* tuth8tellin+ and decency0 2t seems a +ood ideal*
a0 bette aim than ac;uiin+ moe and moe techni;ue* and
as sinceity is a "eelin+* one can al(ays tell (hen oneBs
bein+ sincee0 So thee is a path one can "ollo(C one can "ind
oneBs (ay to sinceity by emotional D+i'in+*B by bein+
dedicated* by honesty* by ta!in+ a no8holds8baed
appoach and by* as the 1ench say* Dplun+in+ into the
bath0B Un"otunately* the esult can easily be the (ost !ind
o" actin+0 <ith any o" the othe ats* ho(e'e deep one
plun+es into the act o" ceatin+* it is al(ays possible to step
a(ay and loo! at the esult0 As the painte steps bac! "om
his can'as othe "aculties can spin+ into play and (an
him at once o" his e=cesses0 The tained pianistBs head is
physically less in'ol'ed than his "in+es and so ho(e'e
Dcaied a(ayB he is by the music* his ea caies its o(n
de+ee o" detachment and obAecti'e contol0 Actin+ is in
many (ays uni;ue in its di""iculties because the atist has
to use the teacheous* chan+eable and mysteious mateial
o" himsel" as his medium0 He is called upon to be
completely in'ol'ed (hile distanced>detached (ithout
detachment0 He must be sincee* he must be insincee? he
must pactise ho( to be insincee (ith sinceity and ho( to
lie tuth"ully0 This is almost impossible* but it is essential
and easily i+noed0 All too o"ten* actos>and it is not thei
"ault* but that o" the deadly schools (ith (hich the (old is
litteed>build thei (o! on "a+8ends o" doctine0 The
+eat system o" Stanisla's!y* (hich "o the "ist time
appoached the (hole at o" actin+ "om the point o" 'ie(
o" science and !no(led+e* has done as much ham as +ood
to many youn+ actos* (ho misead it in detail and only
ta!e a(ay a +ood hated o" the shoddy0 A"te Stanisla's!y*
AtaudBs e;ually si+ni"icant (itin+s* hal"8ead and a tenth
di+ested* ha'e led to a nai'e belie" that emotional
159 THE EMPTY SPACE
commitment and unhesitatin+ sel"8e=posue ae all that
eally count0 This is no( "ed "uthe by ill8di+ested*
misundestood bits o" :oto(s!i0 Thee is no( a ne( "om
o" sincee actin+ (hich consists o" li'in+ e'eythin+
thou+h the body0 2t is a !ind o" natualism0 2n natualism*
the acto ties sinceely to imitate the emotions and actions
o" the e'eyday (old and to li'e his ole0 2n this othe
natualism the acto +i'es himsel" o'e Aust as completely to
li'in+ his unealistic beha'iou* thou+h and thou+h0 This
is (hee he "ools himsel"0 Kust because the type o" theate
heBs connected (ith seems poles emo'ed "om old8
"ashioned natualism* he belie'es that he* too* is "a "om
this despised style0 2n "act* he appoaches the landscape o"
his o(n emotions (ith the same belie" that e'ey detail
must be photo+aphically epoduced0 So he is al(ays at
"ull "lood0 The esult is o"ten so"t* "labby* e=cessi'e and
uncon'incin+0
Thee ae +oups o" actos* paticulaly in the United States*
nouished on :enet and Ataud* (ho despise all "oms o"
natualism0 They (ould be 'ey indi+nant i" they (ee
called natualistic actos* but this is pecisely (hat limits
thei at0 To commit e'ey "ibe o" oneBs bein+ into an action
may seen a "om o" total in'ol'ement>but the tue atistic
demand may be e'en moe stin+ent than total in8
'ol'ement>and need "e(e mani"estations o ;uite
di""eent ones0 To undestand this* (e must see that alon+
(ith the emotion thee is al(ays a ole "o a special
intelli+ence* that is not thee at the stat* but (hich has to be
de'eloped as a selectin+ instument0 Thee is a need "o
detachment* in paticula* thee is a need "o cetain "oms?
all o" (hich is had to de"ine* but impossible to i+noe0 1o
instance* actos can petend to "i+ht (ith total abandon and
+enuine 'iolence0 E'ey acto is pepaed "o death scenes
>and he tho(s himsel" into them (ith such abandon that
he does not eali@e he !no(s nothin+ at all about death0
2n 1ance an acto comes to an audition* as!s to be sho(n
the most 'iolent scene in the play and (ithout a ;ualm
plun+es into it to demonstate his paces0 The 1ench acto
playin+ a classical pat pumps himsel" up in the (in+s then
plun+es into the scene? he Aud+es the success o "ailue o"
the e'enin+ by the de+ee he can suende to his emotions*
(hethe his inne cha+e is at its ma=imum pitch and "om
this comes a belie" in the 3use* in inspiation and so on0
The (ea!ness o" his (o! is that this (ay he tends to play
+eneali@ations0 By this 2 mean that in an an+y scene he
+ets on to his note o" an+e>o athe he plu+s into his
an+e8point and this "oce di'es him thou+h the scene0
This may +i'e him a cetain "oce and e'en at times a
cetain hypnotic po(e o'e the audience* and this po(e is
"alsely consideed to be DlyicalB and Dtanscendental0B 2n
"act* such an acto in his passion becomes its sla'e and is
unable to dop out o" the passion i" a subtle chan+e o" te=t
demands somethin+ ne(0 2n a speech that contains both
natual and lyical elements he declaims e'eythin+ as
thou+h all the (ods (ee e;ually pe+nant0 2t is this
clumsiness that ma!es actos appea stupid and +and
161 THE EMPTY SPACE
actin+ seem uneal0
Kean :enet (ishes the theate to come out o" the banal* and
he (ote a seies o" lettes to Ro+e Blin (hen Blin (as
diectin+ The "creens! u+in+ him to push the actos to(ads
Dlyicism0B This sounds (ell enou+h in theoy but (hat is
lyicismG <hat is Dout o" the odinayB actin+G 9oes it
dictate a special 'oice* a hi+h8blo(n manneG Old classical
actos seem to sin+ thei lines* is this the elic o" some 'alid
old taditionG At (hat point is a seach "o "om an
acceptance o" ati"icialityG This is one o" the +eatest
poblems (e "ace today* and so lon+ as (e etain any
snea!in+ belie" that +otes;ue mas!s* hei+htened ma!e8
ups* hieatic costumes* declamation* balletic mo'ement ae
someho( DitualisticB in thei o(n i+ht and conse;uently
lyical and po"ound>(e (ill ne'e +et out o" a taditional
at8theate ut0
At least one can see that e'eythin+ is a lan+ua+e "o some8
thin+ and nothin+ is a lan+ua+e "o e'eythin+0 E'ey
action happens in its o(n i+ht and e'ey action is an
analo+y o" somethin+ else0 2 cumple a piece o" pape? this
+estue is complete in itsel"? 2 can stand on a sta+e and (hat
2 do need be no moe than (hat appeas at the moment o"
the happenin+0 2t can also be a metapho0 Anyone (ho sa(
Patic! 3a+ee slo(ly teain+ stips o" ne(spape pecisely
as in li"e and yet uttely itualistically in PinteBs The
1irthday Party (ill !no( (hat this means0 A metapho is a
si+n and is an illustation>so it is a "a+ment o" lan+ua+e0
E'ey tone o" speech* e'ey hythmic patten is a "a+ment
o" lan+ua+e and coesponds to a di""eent e=peience0
O"ten* nothin+ is so deadly as a (ell8schooled acto
spea!in+ 'ese? thee ae o" couse academic la(s o"
posody and they can help to clai"y cetain thin+s "o an
acto at a cetain sta+e o" his de'elopment* but he must
e'entually disco'e that the hythms o" each chaacte ae
as distincti'e as thumbpints? then he must lean that e'ey
note in the musical scale coesponds>(hat toG That also
he must "ind0
3usic is a lan+ua+e elated to the in'isible by (hich a
nothin+ness suddenly is thee in a "om that cannot be seen
but can cetainly be pecei'ed0 9eclamation is not music*
yet it coesponds to somethin+ di""eent "om odinay
speech? "0rechgesang alsoC Cal O"" has set :ee! ta+edy
on to a hei+htened le'el o" hythmic speech suppoted and
punctuated by pecussion and the esult is not only
sti!in+* it is essentially di""eent "om ta+edy spo!en and
ta+edy sun+? it spea!s o" a di""eent thin+0 <e can sepaate
neithe the stuctue no the sound o" 7eaBs DNe'e ne'e
ne'e ne'e ne'eB "om its comple= o" meanin+s* and (e
cannot isolate 7eaBs D3onste 2n+atitudeB (ithout seein+
ho( the shotness o" the line o" 'ese bin+s a temendous
thic! emphasis on to the syllables0 Thee is a mo'in+
beyond (ods in D3onste 2n+atitude0B The te=tue o"
lan+ua+e is eachin+ to(ads the e=peiences that
Beetho'en imitated in pattens o" sound>yet it is not
music* it cannot be abstacted "om its sense0 Hese is
163 THE EMPTY SPACE
decepti'e0
An e=ecise (e once de'eloped in'ol'ed ta!in+ a scene o"
Sha!espeaeBs* such as RomeoBs "ae(ell to Kuliet* and
tyin+ Iati"icially o" couseJ to disentan+le the di""eent
intet(inin+ styles o" (itin+0 The scene eads?

3ulietC <ilt thou be +oneG 2t is not yet nea day0
2t (as the ni+htin+ale* and not the la!*
That pieced the "ea"ul hollo( o" thine ea0
Ni+htly she sin+ on yond pome+anate tee0
Belie'e me* lo'e* it (as the ni+htin+ale0
8o2eoC 2t (as the la!* the heald o" the monC
No ni+htin+ale0 7oo!* lo'e* (hat en'ious
stea!s
9o lace the se'ein+ clouds in yonde East0
Ni+htBs candles ae bunt out* and Aocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountains tops0
2 must be +one and li'e* o stay and die0
3ulietC )ond li+ht is not dayli+ht C 2 !no( it* 20
2t is some meteo that the sun e=hales
To be to thee this ni+ht a tochbeae
And li+ht thee on thy (ay to 3antua0
Thee"oe stay yet0 Thou needest not to be
+one0
8o2eoC 7et me be taBen* let me be put to death0
2 am content* so thou (ilt ha'e it so0
2Bll say yon +ey is not the monin+Bs eyeC
DTis but the pale e"le= o" CynthiaBs bo(0
No that is not the la! (hose notes do beat
The 'aulty hea'en so hi+h abo'e ou heads0
2 ha'e moe cae to stay than (ill to +o0
Come* death* and (elcomeM Kuliet (ills it so0
Ho( isBt* my soulG 7etBs tal!0 2t is not day0
The actos then (ee as!ed to select only those (ods that
they could play in a ealistic situation* the (ods that they
could use unsel"consciously in a "ilm0 This poduced?

3ulietC <ilt thou be +oneG 2t is not yet nea day0 2t (as the
ni+htin+ale D0auseE not the la! D0auseE
8o2eoC 2t (as the la! D0auseE no ni+htin+ale0 7oo!* lo'e
D0auseE 2 must be +one and li'e* o stay and die0
3ulietC )ond li+ht is no dayli+htC D0auseE thee"oe stay yet0
Thou needest not to be +one0
8o2eoC 7et me be taBen* let me be put to death0 2 am content*
so thou (ilt ha'e it so0 D0auseE Come* death and (elcomeM
Kuliet (ills it so0 Ho( isBt* my soulG 7etBs tal!0 2t is not day0
165 THE EMPTY SPACE
Then the actos played this as a +enuine scene "om a
moden play "ull o" li'in+ pauses>spea!in+ the selected
(ods out loud* but epeatin+ the missin+ (ods silently to
themsel'es to "ind the une'en len+ths o" the silences0 The
"a+ment o" scene that eme+ed (ould ha'e made +ood
cinema* "o the moments o" dialo+ue lin!ed by a hythm o"
silences o" une;ual duation in a "ilm (ould be sustained
by close shots and othe silent* elated ima+es0
Once this cude sepaation had been made* it (as then
possible to do the e'ese? to play the eased passa+es (ith
"ull eco+nition that they had nothin+ (hatsoe'e to do
(ith nomal speech0 Then it (as possible to e=ploe them in
many di""eent (ays>tunin+ them into sounds o mo'e8
ments>until the acto sa( moe and moe 'i'idly ho( a
sin+le line o" speech can ha'e cetain pe+s o" natual speech
ound (hich t(ist unspo!en thou+hts and "eelin+s
endeed appaent by (ods o" anothe ode0 This chan+e
o" style "om the appaently collo;uial to the e'idently
styli@ed is so subtle that it cannot be obse'ed by any cude
attitudes0 2" the acto appoaches a speech loo!in+ "o its
"om* he must be(ae not to decide too easily (hat is
musical* (hat is hythmic0 2t is not enou+h "o an acto
playin+ 7ea in the stom* to ta!e a unnin+ Aump at the
speeches* thin!in+ o" them as splendid slabs o" stom
music0 No is it any use spea!in+ them ;uietly "o thei
meanin+ on the +ounds that they ae actually ta!in+ place
inside his head0 A passa+e o" 'ese can be undestood moe
li!e a "omula cayin+ many chaacteistics>a code in
(hich each lette has a di""eent "unction0 2n the stom
speeches* the e=plosi'e consonants ae thee to su++est by
imitation the e=plosi'e patten o" thunde* (ind and ain0
But the consonants ae not e'eythin+? (ithin these
cac!lin+ lettes (ithes a meanin+* a meanin+ thatBs e'e
on the chan+e* a meanin+ thatBs caied by meanin+Bs
beae* ima+es0 Thus* Dyou cataacts and huicanes spoutB
is one thin+ DAll +emens spill at once That ma!e 2n+ate"ul
man*B is ;uite anothe0 <ith (itin+ as compact as this* the
last de+ee o" s!ill is needed? any loud acto can oa both
lines (ith the same noise* but the atist must not only
pesent to us (ith absolute claity the Hieonymous Bosch
>3a= Enst8li!e ima+e in the second line o" the hea'ens
spillin+ thei spemato@oa* he must pesent this (ithin the
conte=t o" 7eaBs o(n a+e0 He (ill obse'e a+ain that the
'ese +i'es +eat (ei+ht to DThat ma!e 2n+ate"ul man*B this
(ill each him as a 'ey pecise sta+e diection "om
Sha!espeae himsel"* and he (ill sense and +ope "o a
hythmic stuctue that enables him to +i'e to these "ou
(ods the sten+th and (ei+ht o" a lon+e line and in so
doin+ hul on to the lon+shot o" man in stom a temendous
close8up o" his absolute belie" in human in+atitude0 Unli!e
a close8up in the cinema* this sot o" close8up* close8up (ith
an idea* "ees us "om an e=clusi'e pe8occupation (ith the
man himsel"0 Ou comple= "aculties en+a+e moe "ully and
in ou minds (e place 2n+ate"ul man o'e 7ea and o'e
the (old* his (old* ou (old* at one and the same time0
167 THE EMPTY SPACE
)et this is the point (hee (e most need to !eep touch (ith
common8sense* (hee the i+ht ati"ice tuns stilted o bom8
bastic* DHa'e a (his!yB>the content o" this phase dealy is
bette endeed by a con'esational tone o" 'oice than by
son+0 DHa'e a (his!y*B this phase (e (ould a+ee has only
one dimension* one (ei+ht* one "unction0 )et in Mada2e
1utterfly these (ods ae sun+ and indiectly PucciniBs one
phase has bou+ht the (hole "om o" opea into idicule0
D9inne* hoMB in 7eaBs scene (ith his !ni+hts is simila to
DHa'e a (his!y0B 7eas o"ten declaim this phase* bin+in+
the play into ati"icialities* yet (hen 7ea says the (ods* he
is not actin+ in a poetic ta+edy* he is simply a man callin+
"o his dinne0 D2n+ate"ul manB and D9inne* hoMB ae both
lines by Sha!espeae in a 'ese ta+edy* but in "act they be8
lon+ to ;uite di""eent (olds o" actin+0
2n eheasal* "om and content ha'e to be e=amined some8
times to+ethe* sometimes sepaately0 Sometimes an
e=ploation o" the "om can suddenly open us up to the
meanin+ that dictated the "om>sometimes a close study o"
content +i'es us a "esh sound o" hythm0 The diecto must
loo! "o (hee the acto is messin+ up his o(n i+ht u+es
>and hee he must help the acto to see and o'ecome his
o(n obstacles0 All this is a dialo+ue and a dance bet(een
diecto and playe0 A dance is an accuate metapho* a
(alt@ bet(een diecto* playe and te=t0 Po+ession is
cicula* and decidin+ (hoBs the leade depends on (hee
you stand0 The diecto (ill "ind that all the time ne(
means ae needed? he (ill disco'e that any eheasal
techni;ue has its use* that no techni;ue is all8embacin+0 He
(ill "ollo( the natual pinciple o" otation o" cops? he (ill
see that e=planation* lo+ic* impo'isation* inspiation* ae
methods that apidly un dy and he (ill mo'e "om one to
the othe0 He (ill !no( that thou+ht* emotion* and body
canBt be sepaated>but he (ill see that a petended
sepaation must o"ten ta!e place0 Some actos do not
espond to e=planation* (hile othes do0 This di""es in each
situation* and one day it is une=pectedly the non8intel8
lectual acto (ho esponds to a (od "om the diecto*
(hile the intellectual undestands all "om a +estue0
2n ealy eheasals* impo'isation* e=chan+e o" associations
and memoies* eadin+ o" (itten mateial* eadin+ o"
peiod documents* loo!in+ at "ilms and at paintin+s can all
se'e to stimulate the mateial ele'ant to the theme o" a
play inside each indi'idual0 None o" these methods means
much in itsel">each is a stimulus0 2n the Marat+"ade! as
!inetic ima+es o" insanity ose up and possessed the acto
and as he yielded to them in impo'isation* the othes
obse'ed and citici@ed0 So a tue "om (as +adually
detached "om the standadi@ed clichLs that ae pat o" an
actoBs e;uipment "o mad scenes0 Then as he poduced an
imitation o" madness that con'inced his "ello(s by its
seemin+ eality* he had to come up a+ainst a ne( poblem0
He may ha'e used an ima+e "om obse'ation* "om li"e*
but the play is about madness as it (as in #/&/>be"oe
du+s* be"oe teatment* (hen a di""eent social attitude to
the insane made them beha'e di""eently* and so on0 1o
169 THE EMPTY SPACE
this* the acto had no outside model>he loo!ed at "aces in
:oya not as models to imitate but as pods to encoua+e his
con"idence in "ollo(in+ the ston+e and moe (oyin+ o"
his inne impulses0 He had to allo( himsel" to se'e these
'oices completelyC and in patin+ "om outside models* he
(as ta!in+ +eate is!s0 He had to culti'ate an act o"
possession0 As he did so* he "aced a ne( di""iculty* his
esponsibility to the play0 All the sha!in+* Auddein+ and
oain+* all the sinceity in the (old can still +et the play
no(hee0 He has lines to spea!>i" he in'ents a chaacte
incapable o" spea!in+ them he (ill be doin+ his Aob badly0
So the acto has to "ace t(o opposite e;uiements0 The
temptation is to compomise>to tone do(n the impulses
o" the chaacte to suit the sta+e needs0 But his eal tas! lies
in the opposite diection0 3a!e the chaacte 'i'id>and
"unctional0 Ho(G 2t is Aust thee that the need "o in8
telli+ence aises0
Thee is a place "o discussion* "o eseach* "o the study o"
histoy and documents as thee is a place "o oain+ and
ho(lin+ and ollin+ on the "loo0 Also* thee is a place "o
ela=ation* in"omality* chumminess* but also thee is a time
"o silence and discipline and intense concentation0 Be"oe
his "ist eheasal (ith ou actos* :oto(s!i as!ed "o the
"loo to be s(ept and "o all clothes and pesonal
belon+in+s to be ta!en out o" the oom0 Then he sat behind
a des!* spea!in+ to the actos "om a distance* allo(in+
neithe smo!in+ no con'esation0 This tense climate made
cetain e=peiences possible0 2" one eads Stanisla's!yBs
boo!s* one sees that some o" the thin+s said ae puely to
e'o!e a seiousness "om an acto at a time (hen the
maAoity o" theates (ee slipshod0 )et at times* nothin+ is
moe libeatin+ than in"omality and the chuc!in+ a(ay o"
all holy* hi+h8minded (ays0 Sometimes all the attention
must be +i'en to one actoC at othe times the collecti'e
pocess demands a halt to the indi'idualBs (o!0 Not e'ey
"acet can be e=ploed0 To discuss e'ey possible (ay (ith
e'eyone can be Aust too slo( and so it can be destucti'e to
the (hole0 Hee the diecto has to ha'e a sense o" time? it is
"o him to "eel the hythm o" the pocess and obse'e its
di'isions0 Thee is a time "o discussin+ the boad lines o" a
play* thee is a time "o "o+ettin+ them* "o disco'ein+
(hat can only be "ound thou+h Aoy* e=ta'a+ance*
iesponsibility0 Thee is a time (hen no one must (oy
himsel" about the esults o" his e""ots0 2 hate lettin+ people
(atch eheasals because 2 belie'e that the (o! is
pi'ile+ed* thus pi'ate? thee must be no concen about
(hethe one is bein+ "oolish o ma!in+ mista!es0 Also a
eheasal may be incompehensible>o"ten e=cesses can be
le"t o encoua+ed e'en to the ama@ement and dismay o"
the company until the moment is ipe to call a halt0 But
e'en in eheasal thee is a time (hen one needs outside
people (atchin+* (hen (hat al(ays seem to be hostile
"aces can ceate a +ood ne( tension and the tension a ne(
"ocus? the (o! must all the time set ne( demands0 Thee is
anothe point the diecto must sense0 He must sense the
time (hen a +oup o" actos into=icated by thei o(n talent
and the e=citement o" the (o! loses si+ht o" the play0
171 THE EMPTY SPACE
Suddenly one monin+ the (o! must chan+e? the esult
must become all impotant0 Ko!es and emboideies ae
then uthlessly paed a(ay and all the attention put on to
the "unction o" the e'enin+* on the naatin+* the
pesentin+* the techni;ue* the audibility* the
communicatin+ to the audience0 So it is "oolish "o a
diecto to ta!e a doctinaie 'ie(C eithe tal!in+ technical
lan+ua+e about pace* 'olume* etc0>o a'oidin+ one
because it is inatistic0 2t is (oe"ully easy "o a diecto to
+et stuc! in a method0 Thee comes a moment (hen tal!
about speed* pecision* diction is all that counts0 DSpeed up*B
D+et on (ith it*B DitBs boin+*B D'ay the pace*B D"o ChistBs
sa!eB is then the patte* yet a (ee! be"oe such old8time
tal! could ha'e stulti"ied all ceati'ity0
The close the acto appoaches the tas! o" pe"omin+* the
moe e;uiements he is as!ed to sepaate* undestand and
"ul"ill simultaneously0 He must bin+ into bein+ an uncon8
scious state o" (hich he is completely in cha+e0 The esult
is a (hole* indi'isible>but emotion is continually illu8
minated by intuiti'e intelli+ence so that the spectato*
thou+h (ooed* assaulted* alienated and "oced to eassess*
ends by e=peiencin+ somethin+ e;ually indi'isible0
Cathasis can ne'e ha'e been simply an emotional pu+e?
it must ha'e been an appeal to the (hole man0
No( the moment o" pe"omance* (hen it comes* is
eached thou+h t(o passa+e(ays>the "oye and the
sta+edoo0 Ae these* in symbolic tems* lin!s o ae they to
be seen as symbols o" sepaationG 2" the sta+e is elated to
li"e* i" the auditoium is elated to li"e* then the openin+s
must be "ee and open passa+e(ays must allo( an easy
tansition "om outside li"e to meetin+ place0 But i" the
theate is essentially ati"icial* then the sta+edoo eminds
the acto that he is no( entein+ a special place that
demands costume* ma!e up* dis+uise* chan+e o" identity>
and the audience also desses up* so as to come out o" the
e'eyday (old alon+ a ed capet into a place o" pi'ile+e0
Both o" these ae tue and both must be cae"ully compaed*
because they cay ;uite di""eent possibilities (ith them
and elate to ;uite di""eent social cicumstances0 The only
thin+ that all "oms o" theate ha'e in common is the need
"o an audience0 This is moe than a tuism? in the theate
the audience completes the steps o" ceation0 2n the othe
ats* it is possible "o the atist to use as his pinciple the
idea that he (o!s "o himsel"0 Ho(e'e +eat his sense o"
social esponsibility* he (ill say that his best +uide is his
o(n instinct>and i" he is satis"ied (hen standin+ alone
(ith his completed (o!* the chances ae that othe people
(ill be satis"ied too0 2n the theate this is modi"ied by the
"act that the last lonely loo! at the completed obAect is not
possible>until an audience is pesent the obAect is not
complete0 No autho* no diecto* e'en in a me+alomaniac
deam* (ould (ant a pi'ate pe"omance* Aust "o himsel"0
No me+alomaniac acto (ould (ant to play "o himsel"* "o
his mio0 So "o the autho o the diecto to (o! "o his
o(n taste and his o(n Aud+ement* he must (o!
appo=imately "o himsel" in eheasal and only tuly "o
173 THE EMPTY SPACE
himsel" (hen he is hemmed in by a dense ban! o" audience0
2 thin! any diecto (ill a+ee that his o(n 'ie( o" his o(n
(o! chan+es completely (hen he is sittin+ suounded by
people0
Seein+ a "ist public pe"omance o" a play one has diected
is a stan+e e=peience0 Only a day be"oe* one sat at a un8
thou+h and (as completely con'inced that a cetain acto
(as playin+ (ell* that a cetain scene (as inteestin+* a
mo'ement +ace"ul* a passa+e "ull o" clea and necessay
meanin+0 No( suounded by audience pat o" onesel" is
espondin+ li!e this audience* so it is onesel" (ho is sayin+
D2Bm boed*B DheBs said that aleady*B Di" she mo'es once moe
in that a""ected (ay 2Bll +o madB and e'en D2 donBt
undestand (hat theyBe tyin+ to say0B Apat "om the
o'e8sensibility bou+ht about by ne'es* (hat actually is
happenin+ to ma!e such a statlin+ chan+e in the diectoBs
'ie( o" his o(n (o!G 2 thin! that it is abo'e all a ;uestion
o" the ode in (hich the e'ents no( occu0 7et me e=plain
this by a sin+le e=ample0 2n the "ist scene o" a play a +il
meets he lo'e0 She has eheased (ith +eat tendeness
and tuth and in'ests a simple +eetin+ (ith an intimacy
that touches e'eyone>out o" conte=t0 2n "ont o" an
audience* it suddenly becomes clea the the pecedin+ lines
and actions ha'e in no (ay pepaed "o this? in "act* the
audience may be busy tyin+ to pic! up ;uite di""eent
tails elatin+ to othe chaactes and themes>then
suddenly it is "aced (ith a youn+ actess mumuin+ hal"
inaudibly to a youn+ man0 2n a late scene* the se;uence o"
e'ents could ha'e led to a hush in (hich this mumuin+
(ould be e=actly i+ht>hee it seems hal"8heated* the
intention unclea and e'en incompehensible0
The diecto ties to pese'e a 'ision o" the (hole* but he
eheases in "a+ments and e'en (hen he sees a un8
thou+h it is una'oidably (ith "oe!no(led+e o" all the
playBs intentions0 <hen an audience is pesent* compellin+
him to eact as an audience* this "oe!no(led+e is "ilteed
a(ay and "o the "ist time he "ind himsel" ecei'in+ the
impessions +i'en by the play in thei pope time8
se;uence* one a"te anothe0 Not supisin+ly he "inds that
e'eythin+ appeas di""eent0
1o this eason any e=peimente is concened (ith all
aspects o" his elationships (ith an audience0 He ties by
placin+ the audience in di""eent positions to bin+ about
ne( possibilities0 An apon sta+e* an aena* a "ully lit house*
a camped ban o oom>aleady these condition di""eent
e'ents0 But the di""eence may be supe"icial? a moe
po"ound di""eence can aise (hen the acto can play on a
chan+in+ inne elationship (ith the spectato0 2" the acto
can catch the spectatoBs inteest* thus lo(e his de"ences
and then coa= the spectato to an une=pected position o an
a(aeness o" a clash o" opposin+ belie"s* o" absolute
contadictions* then the audience becomes moe acti'e0 This
acti'ity does not demand mani"estations>the audience that
ans(es bac! may seem acti'e* but this may be ;uite
supe"icial>tue acti'ity can be in'isible* but also
175 THE EMPTY SPACE
indi'isible0
The one thin+ that distin+uishes the theate "om all the
othe ats is that it has no pemanence0 )et it is 'ey easy to
apply>almost "om "oce o" citical habit>pemanent
standads and +eneal ules to this ephemeal
phenomenon0 One ni+ht in an En+lish po'incial to(n*
Sto!e8on8Tent* 2 sa( a poduction o" Pyg2alion! sta+ed in a
theate8in8the8ound0 The combination o" li'ely actos*
li'ely buildin+* li'ely audience* bou+ht out the most
spa!lin+ elements o" the play0 2t D(entB ma'ellously0 The
audience paticipated "ully0 The pe"omance (as
tiumphantly complete0 The cast (ee all too youn+ "o
thei pats? they had uncon'incin+ +ey lines painted on
thei hai and 'ey ob'ious ma!e8ups0 2" by ma+ic they had
been tanspoted that 'ey instant to the <est End o"
7ondon and "ound themsel'es suounded by a 7ondon
audience in a con'entional 7ondon buildin+ they (ould
ha'e seemed uncon'incin+ and the audience (ould ha'e
been uncon'inced0 Ho(e'e* this does not mean that the
7ondon standad is bette o hi+he than the po'incial one0
2t is moe li!ely to be the e'ese* because it is unli!ely that
any(hee in 7ondon that e'enin+ the theatical
tempeatue (as nealy so hi+h as in Sto!e0 But the
compaison can ne'e been made0 The hypothetical Di" can
ne'e be put to the test* (hen itBs not Aust the actos o the
scipt* but the (hole o" the pe"omance that one is
assessin+0
At the Theate o" Cuelty pat o" ou study (as the
audience* and ou 'ey "ist public pe"omance (as an
inteestin+ e=peience0 The audience that came to see an
De=peimentalB e'enin+ ai'ed (ith the usual mi=tue o"
condescension* play"ulness and "aint disappo'al that the
notion o" the a#ant9garde aouses0 <e pesented to them a
numbe o" "a+ments0 Ou o(n pupose (as uni;uely
sel"ish>(e (anted to see some o" ou e=peiments in
pe"omance conditions0 <e did not +i'e the audience a
po+amme* list o" authos* o" names* o" items* no any
commentay o e=planation o" ou o(n intentions0
The po+amme be+an (ith AtaudBs thee8minute play*
The "0urt of 1lood! made moe Ataud than Ataud because
his dialo+ue (as entiely eplaced by sceams0 Pat o" the
audience (as immediately "ascinated* pat +i++led0 <e
meant it seiously* but ne=t (e played a little intelude that
(e ousel'es consideed a Ao!e0 No( the audience (as lost?
the lau+hes did not !no( (hethe to lau+h any moe* the
seious8minded (ho had disappo'ed o" thei nei+hbousB
lau+hte no lon+e !ne( (hat attitude to ta!e0 As the pe8
"omance continued* the tension +e(? (hen :lenda
Kac!son* because a situation demanded it* too! o"" all he
clothes a ne( tension came into the e'enin+ because the
une=pected no( mi+ht ha'e no bounds0 <e could obse'e
ho( an audience is in no (ay pepaed to ma!e its o(n
instant Aud+ements second "o second0 At the second
pe"omance the tension (as no lon+e the same0 Thee
(ee no e'ie(s* and 2 do not belie'e that many people on
177 THE EMPTY SPACE
the second ni+ht had been pimed by "iends (ho had
come the ni+ht be"oe0 )et the audience (as less tense0
Rathe 2 thin! that othe "actos (ee at (o!>they 4ne
(e had aleady pe"omed once be"oe and the "act that
thee (as nothing in the papes in itsel" tele+aphed a
eassuance0 The ultimate hoos could not ha'e ta!en
place>i" one o" the audience had been inAued>i" (e had
set "ie to the buildin+* then it (ould ha'e been on the "ont
pa+e0 No ne(s (as +ood ne(s0 Then as the un (oe on*
(od o" mouth +ot aound that thee (ee impo'isations*
some dull bits* a chun! o" :enet* a sha!e8up o"
Sha!espeae* some loud sounds and so the audience
ai'ed* selected* because o" couse some no( pe"eed to
stay at home* and +adually only the enthusiasts o the
detemined sco""es "ilteed thou+h0 <hene'e one has a
eal citical "lop* "o the emainde o" the un thee is
al(ays a small audience o" +eat enthusiasm>and on the
last ni+ht o" a D"ailueB thee ae al(ays chees0 E'eythin+
helps to condition an audience0 Those (ho +o to a theate
despite bad notices +o (ith a cetain (ish* a cetain
e=pectationC they ae pepaed* i" only "o the (ost0 Almost
al(ays (e ta!e ou places in a theate (ith an elaboate set
o" e"eences conditionin+ us be"oe the pe"omance
be+ins? (hen the play ends* (e ae automati@ed into
+ettin+ up and lea'in+ stai+ht a(ay0 <hen at the end o" DU
SB (e o""eed the audience the possibility o" silence* o"
sittin+ still "o a (hile i" it (anted>it (as inteestin+ to see
ho( this possibility o""ended some and +ati"ied othes0 2n
"act* thee is no eason (hy one should be hustled "om a
theate the moment the action is done* and a"te DU SB many
people sat still "o ten minutes o moe* then be+an
spontaneously to spea! to one anothe0 This seems to me to
be moe natual and moe healthy an end to a shaed
e=peience then ushin+ a(ay>unless the ushin+ a(ay is
also an act o" choice* not o" social habit0
Today* the ;uestion o" the audience seems to be the most
impotant and di""icult one to "ace0 <e "ind that the usual
theate audience is usually not a 'ey li'ely one* cetainly
not a paticulaly loyal one* so (e set o"" in seach o" a
Dne(B audience0 This is suely undestandable>and yet at
the same time athe ati"icial0 On the (hole it is tue that
the youn+e an audience* the moe s(i"t and "ee its
eactions0 2t is tue that on the (hole (hat alienates youn+
people "om the theate is (hat is bad in theate any(ay* so
in chan+in+ ou "oms to (oo the youn+ (e (ould seem to
be !illin+ t(o bids (ith one stone0 An obse'ation that can
easily be chec!ed at "ootball matches and do+ aces is that a
popula audience is "a moe 'i'id in its esponses than a
middle8class one0 So a+ain it (ould seem to ma!e sense to
(oo the popula audience thou+h a popula idiom0
But this lo+ic easily bea!s do(n0 The popula audience
e=ists and yet it is somethin+ o" a (ill8oB8the8(isp0 <hen
Becht (as ali'e* it (as the intellectuals o" <est Belin (ho
"loc!ed to his theate in the East0 Koan 7ittle(oodBs suppot
came "om the <est End* and she ne'e "ound a (o!in+8
class audience "om he o(n distict la+e enou+h to cay
179 THE EMPTY SPACE
he thou+h di""icult times0 The Royal Sha!espeae Theate
sends +oups out to "actoies and youth clubs>"ollo(in+
Continental pattens>to sell the notion o" theate to those
sections o" society (ho ha'e pehaps ne'e set "oot in a
theate and ae pehaps con'inced that theate is not "o
them0 These commandos aim at e'o!in+ inteest* bea!in+
do(n baies* ma!in+ "iends0 This is splendid* stimulatin+
(o!0 But behind it lu!s an issue pehaps too dan+eous to
touch>(hat tuly ae they sellin+G <e ae implyin+ to a
(o!in+ man that theate is pat o" Cultue>that is to say*
pat o" the bi+ ne( hampe o" +oods no( a'ailable to
e'eyone0 Behind all attempts to each ne( audiences thee
is a secet patona+e>Dyou too can come to the patyB>and
li!e all patona+e* it conceals a lie0 The lie is the implication
that the +i"t is (oth ecei'in+0 9o (e tuly belie'e in its
(othG <hen people* (hose a+e o class has !ept them
a(ay "om theates* ae lued into them* is it enou+h to +i'e
them Dthe bestGB The So'iet Theate attempts to +i'e Dthe
best0B National Theates o""e Dthe best0B At the 3etopolitan
Opea in Ne( )o! in a band8ne( buildin+ the best o"
EuopeBs sin+es unde the baton o" the best 3o@at
conducto* and o+ani@ed by the best poduce* play a
Magic Flute) Apat "om the music and the actin+* on a
ecent occasion the cup o" cultue (as eally "illed to the
bim because a splendid seies o" paintin+s by Cha+all (ee
also displayed scene by scene at the same time0 Accodin+
to the addicti'e 'ie( o" cultue* it (ould be impossible to
+o "uthe>the youn+ man pi'ile+ed to ta!e his +il to the
Magic Flute eaches the pinnacle o" (hat his community can
o""e in tems o" the ci'ili@ed li"e0 The tic!et is DhotB>but
(hat is the e'enin+ (othG 2n a sense* all "oms o" audience
(ooin+ "lit dan+eously (ith this same poposition>come
and shae in the +ood li"e (hich is +ood* because it has to
be +ood* because it contains the best0
This can ne'e eally chan+e so lon+ as cultue o any at is
simply an appenda+e on li'in+* sepaable "om it and* once
sepaated* ob'iously unnecessay0 Such at then is only
"ou+ht "o by the atist to (hom* tempeamentally* it is
necessay* "o it is his li"e0 2n the theate (e al(ays etun to
the same point? it is not enou+h "o (ites and actos to
e=peience this compulsi'e necessity* audiences must shae
it* too0 So in this sense it is not Aust a ;uestion o" (ooin+ an
audience0 2t is an e'en hade matte o" ceatin+ (o!s that
e'o!e in audiences an undeniable hun+e and thist0
A tue ima+e o" necessay theate8+oin+ 2 !no( is a
psychodama session in an asylum0 7et us e=amine "o a
moment the conditions that pe'ail thee0 Thee is a small
community* (hich leads a e+ula* monotonous li"e0 On
cetain days* "o some o" the inmates* thee is an e'ent*
somethin+ unusual* somethin+ to loo! "o(ad to* a session
o" dama0 <hen they come into the oom (hee the session
is to ta!e place* they !no( that (hate'e is +oin+ to
happen is di""eent "om (hat happens in the (ads* the
+aden* the tele'ision oom0 They all sit in a cicle0 At the
stat* they ae o"ten suspicious* hostile* (ithda(n0 The
docto in cha+e ta!es the initiati'e and as!s the patients to
181 THE EMPTY SPACE
popose themes0 Su++estions ae made* they ae discussed
and slo(ly thee eme+e points that inteest moe than one
patient* points that liteally become points o" contact0
Con'esation de'elops pain"ully aound these subAects and
the docto (ill at once pass to damati@in+ them0 2n the
cicle* soon* e'eyone (ill ha'e his ole>but this does not
mean that e'eyone is pe"omin+0 Some (ill natually step
"o(ad as pota+onists* (hile othes (ill pe"e to sit and
(atch* eithe identi"yin+ (ith the pota+onist* o "ollo(in+
his actions* detached and citical0
A con"lict (ill de'elop? this is tue dama because the
people on thei "eet (ill be spea!in+ about tue issues
shaed by all pesent in the only manne that can ma!e
these issues eally come to li"e0 They may lau+h0 They may
cy0 They may not eact at all0 But behind all that +oes on*
amon+st the so8called insane* lu!s a 'ey simple* 'ey sane
basis0 They all shae a (ish to be helped to eme+e "om
thei an+uish* e'en i" they donBt !no( (hat this help may
be* o (hat "om it could ta!e0 At this point* let me ma!e it
clea that 2 ha'e no 'ie(s at all on the 'alue o"
psychodama as a teatment0 Pehaps it has no lastin+
medical esult at all0 But in the immediate e'ent thee is an
unmista!able esult0 T(o hous a"te any session be+ins all
the elations bet(een the people pesent ae sli+htly
modi"ied* because o" the e=peience in (hich they ha'e
been plun+ed to+ethe0 As a esult* somethin+ is moe
animated* somethin+ "lo(s moe "eely* some embyonic
contacts ae bein+ made bet(een pe'iously sealed8o""
souls0 <hen they lea'e the oom* they ae not ;uite the
same as (hen they enteed0 2" (hat has happened has been
shattein+ly uncom"otable* they ae in'i+oated to the
same de+ee as i" thee ha'e been +eat outbusts o"
lau+hte0 Neithe pessimism no optimism apply? simply*
some paticipants ae tempoaily* sli+htly* moe ali'e0 2"*
as they +o out o" the doo* this all e'apoates* it does not
matte eithe0 Ha'in+ had this taste* they (ill (ish to come
bac! "o moe0 The dama session (ill seem an oasis in thei
li'es0
This is ho( 2 undestand a necessay theateC one in (hich
thee is only a pactical di""eence bet(een acto and audi8
ence* not a "undamental one0
As 2 (ite* 2 do not !no( (hethe it is only on a tiny scale*
in tiny communities* that dama can be ene(ed0 O
(hethe it is possible on a la+e scale* in a bi+ playhouse in
a capital city0 Can (e "ind* in tems o" pesent need* (hat
:lyndeboune and Bayeuth achie'ed in ;uite othe
cicumstances* (ith ;uite di""eent idealsG That is to say*
can (e poduce homo+eneous (o! that shapes its
audience be"oe it has e'en passed thou+h its doosG
:lyndeboune and Bayeuth (ee in tune (ith thei society
and the classes to (hom they cateed0 Today* it is had to
see ho( a 'ital theate and a necessay one can be othe
than out o" tune (ith society>not see!in+ to celebate the
accepted 'alues* but to challen+e them0 )et the atist is not
thee to indict* no to lectue* no to haan+ue* and least o"
183 THE EMPTY SPACE
all to teach0 He is a pat o" Dthem0B He challen+es the
audience tuly (hen he is the spi!e in the side o" an
audience that is detemined to challen+e itsel"0 He
celebates (ith an audience most tuly (hen he is the
mouthpiece o" an audience that has a +ound o" Aoy0
<ee ne( phenomena to come into bein+ in "ont o" an
audience* and (ee the audience open to them* a po(e"ul
con"ontation (ould occu0 <ee this to occu* the scatteed
natue o" social thin!in+ (ould +athe ound cetain bass
notesC cetain deep aims (ould be e"elt* ene(ed*
easseted0 2n this (ay the di'isions bet(een positi'e and
ne+ati'e e=peience* bet(een optimism and pessimism*
(ould become meanin+less0
At a time (hen all sands ae shi"tin+* the seach is
automatically a seach "o "om0 The destuction o" old
"oms* the e=peimentin+ (ith ne( ones? ne( (ods* ne(
elationships* ne( places* ne( buildin+s? they all belon+ to
the same pocess* and any indi'idual poduction is Aust a
sepaate shot at an unseen ta+et0 2t is "oolish today to
e=pect any sin+le poduction* +oup* style o line o" (o! to
e'eal (hat (eBe loo!in+ "o0 The theate can only ad'ance
cab(ise in a (old (hose mo'in+ "o(ad is as o"ten
side(ays as bac!(ads0 This is (hy "o a 'ey lon+ time
thee cannot possibly be a (old style "o a (old theate>
as thee (as in the theates and opea houses o" the
nineteenth centuy0
But all is not mo'ement* all is not destuction* all is not
estlessness* all is not "ashion0 Thee ae pillas o" a""ima8
tion0 Those ae the moments o" achie'ement (hich do
occu* suddenly* any(hee? the pe"omances* the occasions
(hen collecti'ely a total e=peience* a total theate o" play
and spectato ma!es nonsense o" any di'isions li!e 9eadly*
Rou+h and Holy0 At these ae moments* the theate o" Aoy*
o" cathasis* o" celebation* the theate o" e=ploation* the
theate o" shaed meanin+* the li'in+ theate ae one0 But
once +one* the moment is +one and it cannot be ecaptued
sla'ishly by imitation>the deadly ceeps bac!* the seach
be+ins a+ain0
E'ey cue to action has a call bac! to inetia (ithin it0 Ta!e
that holiest o" e=peiences>music0 3usic is the one thin+
that ma!es li"e toleable "o a +eat numbe o" people0 So
many hous o" music a (ee! emind people that li"e could
be (oth li'in+>but these instants o" solace blunt the ed+e
o" thei dissatis"action and so ma!e them moe eady to
accept an othe(ise intoleable (ay o" li"e0 Ta!e the
shoc!in+ atocity stoies* o the photo o" the napalmed
child* these shoc!s ae the ou+hest o" e=peiences>but
they open the spectatosB eyes to the need "o an action
(hich in the e'ent they someho( sap0 2t is as thou+h the
"act o" e=peiencin+ a need 'i'idly ;uic!ens this need and
;uenches it in the same beath0 <hat then can be doneG
2 !no( o" one acid test in the theate0 2t is liteally an acid
test0 <hen a pe"omance is o'e* (hat emainsG 1un can be
185 THE EMPTY SPACE
"o+otten* but po(e"ul emotion also disappeas and +ood
a+uments lose thei thead0 <hen emotion and a+ument
ae hanessed to a (ish "om the audience to see moe
clealy into itsel">then somethin+ in the mind buns0 The
e'ent scoches on to the memoy an outline* a taste* a tace*
a smell>a pictue0 2t is the playBs cental ima+e that
emains* its silhouette* and i" the elements ae i+htly
blended this silhouette (ill be its meanin+* this shape (ill
be the essence o" (hat it has to say0 <hen yeas late 2 thin!
o" a sti!in+ theatical e=peience 2 "ind a !enel en+a'ed
on my memoy? t(o tamps unde a tee* an old (oman
da++in+ a cat* a se+eant dancin+* thee people on a so"a
in hell>o occasionally a tace deepe than any ima+ey0 2
ha'enBt a hope o" emembein+ the meanin+s pecisely* but
"om the !enel 2 can econstuct a set o" meanin+s0 Then a
pupose (ill ha'e been se'ed0 A "e( hous could amend
my thin!in+ "o li"e0 This is almost but not ;uite impossible
to achie'e0
The acto himsel" is hadly e'e scaed by his e""ots0 Any
acto in his dessin+8oom a"te playin+ a temendous*
hoi"yin+ ole is ela=ed and +lo(in+0 2t is as thou+h the
passa+e o" ston+ "eelin+s thou+h someone en+a+ed in
ston+ physical acti'ity is 'ey healthy0 2 belie'e it is +ood
"o a man to be an ochestal conducto* +ood "o him to be
a ta+edian? as a ace* they seem consistently to each a ipe
old a+e0 But 2 also thin! that thee is a pice0 The mateial
you use to ceate these ima+inay people (ho you can pic!
up and discad li!e a +lo'e is you o(n "lesh and blood0
The acto is +i'in+ o" himsel" all the time0 2t is his possible
+o(th* his possible undestandin+ that he is e=ploitin+*
usin+ this mateial to (ea'e these pesonalities (hich dop
a(ay (hen the play is done0 Ou ;uestion hee is (hethe
anythin+ at all can pe'ent the same thin+ happenin+ to the
audience0 Can the audience etain a ma! o" its cathasis>
o is a +lo( o" (ell8bein+ the 'ey best it can e'e eachG
E'en hee thee ae many contadictions0 The act o" theate
is a elease0 Both lau+hte and intense "eelin+s clea some
debis "om the system>in this (ay they ae the opposite
o" tacema!es* "o li!e all pu+ations they ma!e all clean
and ne(0 )et ae the e=peiences that "ee and the
e=peiences that emain so completely di""eentG 2snBt it a
'ebal naU'ety to belie'e that one is opposed to the otheG
2snBt it tue to say that in a ene(al all thin+s ae possible
a+ainG
Thee ae many pin! old men and (omen0 Thee ae those
(ho ha'e astonishin+ 'i+ou* but (ho ae +eat babies? un8
lined in "ace and natue? Aolly* but not +o(n8up0 Thee ae
also othe old people* not cabbed* not decepit? lined*
ma!ed* used>(ho ae +lo(in+* ene(ed0 E'en youth and
a+e can supeimpose0 The eal ;uestion "o the old acto is
(hethe in an at that so ene(s him he could also* i" he
acti'ely (ished* "ind anothe +o(th0 The ;uestion "o the
audience* happy and e"eshed by a Aoyous e'enin+ at the
theate* is also the same one0 2s thee a "uthe possibilityG
<e !no( a "leetin+ libeation can happenC can somethin+
187 THE EMPTY SPACE
also stayG
Hee the ;uestion comes bac! to the spectato0 9oes he
(ant any chan+e in his cicumstancesG 9oes he (ant any8
thin+ di""eent in himsel"* his li"e* his societyG 2" he doesnBt*
then he doesnBt need the theate to be an acid* a ma+ni"yin+
+lass* a seachli+ht o a place o" con"ontation0
On the othe hand* he may need one o all o" these thin+s0
2n this case* he not only needs the theate* he needs e'ey8
thin+ he can +et thee0 He despeately needs that tace that
scoches* he despeately needs it to stay0
<e ae on the 'e+e o" a "omula* an e;uation that eads
Theatre F 8 r a) To ai'e at these lettes (e ae "oced to
da( "om an une=pected souce0 The 1ench lan+ua+e
does not contain the (ods ade;uate "o the tanslation o"
Sha!espeae* yet stan+ely it is Aust in this lan+ua+e that (e
"ind thee (ods used e'ey day (hich e"lect the poblems
and the possibilities o" the theate e'ent0
Repetition* epesentation* assistance* The (ods (o! Aust
as (ell in En+lish0 But (e nomally spea! o" a eheasal?
re0etition say the 1ench* and thei (od conAues up the
mechanical side o" the pocess0 <ee! a"te (ee!* day a"te
day* hou a"te hou* pactice ma!es pe"ect0 2t is a dud+e*
a +ind* a disciplineC it is a dull action that leads to a +ood
esult0 As e'ey athlete !no(s* epetition e'entually bin+s
about chan+e? hanessed to an aim* di'en by a (ill* epe8
tition is ceati'e0 Thee ae cabaet sin+es (ho pactise a
ne( son+ a+ain and a+ain "o a yea o moe be"oe 'en8
tuin+ to pe"om it in public? then they may epeat this
son+ to audiences "o a "uthe "i"ty yeas0 7auence Oli'ie
epeats lines o" dialo+ue to himsel" a+ain and a+ain until he
conditions his ton+ue muscles to a point o" absolute
obedience>and so +ains total "eedom0 No clo(n* no
acobat* no dance (ould ;uestion that epetition is the
only (ay cetain actions become possible* and anyone (ho
e"uses the challen+e o" epetition !no(s that cetain
e+ions o" e=pession ae automatically baed to him0 At
the same time* epetition is a (od (ith no +lamou* it is a
concept (ithout (amth? the immediate association is a
deadly one0 Repetition is the piano lessons (e emembe
"om childhood* the epeated scalesC epetition is the
touin+ musical comedy epeatin+ automatically* (ith its
"i"teenth cast* actions that ha'e lost thei meanin+ and lost
thei sa'ou0 Repetition is (hat leads to all that is
meanin+less in tadition? the soul8destoyin+ lon+ un* the
undestudy eheasals* all that sensiti'e actos dead0 These
cabon8copy imitations ae li"eless0 Repetition denies the
li'in+0 2t is as thou+h in one (od (e see the essential
contadiction in the theate "om0 To e'ol'e* somethin+
needs to be pepaed and the pepaation o"ten in'ol'es
+oin+ o'e the same +ound a+ain and a+ain0 Once
completed* this needs to be seen and may e'o!e a
le+itimate demand to be epeated a+ain and a+ain0 2n this
epetition* lie the seeds o" decay0
189 THE EMPTY SPACE
<hat can econcile this contadictionG Hee* the 1ench
(od "o pe"omance>re0resentation@contains an ans(e0
A epesentation is the occasion (hen somethin+ is
epesented* (hen somethin+ "om the past is sho(n a+ain
>somethin+ that once (as* no( is0 1o epesentation it is
not an imitation o desciption o" a past e'ent* a
epesentation denies time0 2t abolishes that di""eence
bet(een yesteday and today0 2t ta!es yestedayBs action
and ma!es it li'e a+ain in e'ey one o" its aspects>
includin+ its immediacy0 2n othe (ods* a epesentation is
(hat it claims to be>a ma!in+ pesent0 <e can see ho(
this is the ene(al o" the li"e that epetition denies and it
applies as much to eheasal as to pe"omance0
The study o" (hat e=actly this means opens a ich "ield0 2t
compels us to see (hat li'in+ action means* (hat
constitutes a eal +estue in the immediate pesent* (hat
"oms the "a!es assume* (hat is patially ali'e* (hat is
completely ati"icial>until slo(ly (e can be+in to de"ine
the actual "actos that ma!e the act o" epesentation so
di""icult0 And the moe (e study this the moe (e see that
"o a epetition to e'ol'e into a epesentation* somethin+
"uthe is called "o0 The ma!in+ pesent (ill not happen by
itsel"* help is needed0 This help is not al(ays thee? yet
(ithout this tue aid* the tue ma!in+ pesent (ill not ta!e
place0 <e (onde (hat this necessay in+edient could be*
and (e loo! at a eheasal* (atchin+ the actos toilin+ a(ay
at thei pain"ul epetitions0 <e eali@e that in a 'acuum
thei (o! (ould be meanin+less0 Hee (e "ind a clue0 2t
leads us natually to the idea o" an audienceC (e see that
(ithout an audience thee is no +oal* no sense0 <hat is an
audienceG 2n the 1ench lan+ua+e amon+st the di""eent
tems "o those (ho (atch* "o public* "o spectato* one
(od stands out* is di""eent in ;uality "om the est0 Assist9
ance@2 (atch a play? >$assiste G une 0iHce) To assist>the
(od is simple? it is the !ey0 An acto pepaes* he entes
into a pocess that can tun li"eless at any point0 He sets out
to captue somethin+* to ma!e it incanate0 2n eheasal* the
'ital element o" assistance comes "om the diecto* (ho is
thee to aid by (atchin+0 <hen the acto +oes in "ont o" an
audience* he "inds that the ma+ic tans"omation does not
(o! by ma+ic0 The spectatos may Aust stae at the
spectacle* e=pectin+ the acto to do all the (o! and be"oe
a passi'e +a@e he may "ind that all he can o""e is a
epetition o" eheasals0 This may distub him deeply* he
may put all his +ood(ill* inte+ity* adou into (o!in+ up
li'eliness and yet he senses all the time a lac!0 He tal!s
about a DbadB house0 Occasionally* on (hat he calls a D+ood
ni+ht*B he encountes an audience that by chance bin+s an
acti'e inteest and li"e to its (atchin+ ole>this audience
assists0 <ith this assistance* the assistance o" eyes and "ocus
and desies and enAoyment and concentation* epetition
tuns into epesentation0 Then the (od epesentation no
lon+e sepaates acto and audience* sho( and public? it
en'elops them? (hat is pesent "o one is pesent "o the
othe0 The audience too has unde+one a chan+e0 2t has
come "om a li"e outside the theate that is essentially
epetiti'e to a special aena in (hich each moment is li'ed
191 THE EMPTY SPACE
moe clealy and moe tensely0 The audience assists the
acto* and at the same time "o the audience itsel" assistance
comes bac! "om the sta+e0
Repetition* epesentation* assistance0 These (ods sum up
the thee elements* each o" (hich is needed "o the e'ent to
come to li"e0 But the essence is still lac!in+* because any
thee (ods ae static* any "omula is ine'itably an attempt
to captue a tuth "o all time0 Tuth in the theate is al(ays
on the mo'e0
As you ead this boo!* it is aleady mo'in+ out o" date0 2t is
"o me an e=ecise* no( "o@en on the pa+e0 But unli!e a
boo!* the theate has one special chaacteistic0 2t is al(ays
possible to stat a+ain0 2n li"e this is a mythC (e ousel'es
can ne'e +o bac! on anythin+0 Ne( lea'es ne'e tun*
cloc!s ne'e +o bac!* (e can ne'e ha'e a second chance0
2n the theate the slate is (iped clean all the time0
2n e'eyday li"e* Di"B is a "iction* in the theate Di"B is an
e=peiment0
2n e'eyday li"e* Di"B is an e'asion* in the theate Di"B is the
tuth0
<hen (e ae pesuaded to belie'e in this tuth* then the
theate and li"e ae one0
This is a hi+h aim0 2t sounds li!e had (o!0
To play needs much (o!0 But (hen (e e=peience the
(o! as play* then it is not (o! any moe0
A play is play0
PETER BROOK
Pete Boo! (as bon in 7ondon and ecei'ed his 30 A0 at
O="od* (hee he "ounded the O="od Uni'esity 1ilm
Society0 He has been a diecto o" the Royal Sha!espeae
Company and cuently heads the 2ntenational Cente o"
Theate Reseach in Pais0
He has diected o'e "i"ty poductions* amon+ them V7o'eBs
7abouBs 7ost*E VThe Tempest*E and VKin+ 7eaE in
Stat"od8upon8A'onC VRin+ Aound the 3oon*E VOedipus*E
VA Hie( "om the Bid+e*E and VHamletE in 7ondonC
VSe+eant 3us+a'eBs 9ance*E VThe Con"eence o" the
Bids*E VTo 3oan o" Athens*E VThe 3ahabhaata*E VThe
Chey Ochad*E and VThe TempestE in PaisC VThe Hisit*E
V3aatTSade*E VA 3idsumme Ni+htBs 9eam*E and VThe
Ta+edy o" Camen*E in Ne( )o!0 His most ecent
poduction VThe 3an <hoE be+an a (old(ide tou in
#--%0
His "ilms include V7od o" the 1lies*E VKin+ 7ea*E and
V3eetin+s (ith Rema!able 3en*E amon+ othes0 His
opeas include VThe 3aia+e o" 1i+ao*E and VBois
:oduno'E at Co'ent :aden and V1austE and VEu+ene
One+inE at the 3etopolitan Opea* and most ecently*
V2mpessions dePelleas0E
2n addition to THE E3PT) SPACE and THE OPEN 9OOR
Ipublished in En+land in #-/5 as THE SH21T2N: PO2NTJ* he
has (itten numeous aticles0

Peter Brook The Empty Space

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The Empty Space

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