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POOR THEATRE
Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999) is best known for his
intense actor training processes in the 1960s and
70s. At the Laboratory Theatre in Opole, Grotowski
and his small groups of actors experimented with
the physical, spiritual and ritualistic aspects of
theatre, the nature of role, and the relationship
between actor and spectator
THEORY OF THE STYLE
notable influences on Grotowski included
Stanislavski, Brecht and Meyerhold
most of Grotowski’s work focused on actor training
his was probably the most extensive actor training
program developed since Stanislavski
the concept of Poor Theatre strips away all of
theatre’s excesses
Poor Theatre is non-commercial theatre; the
antithesis of modern-day blockbusters
Grotowski argued theatre could never compete
with film and television, so it should never attempt
to
few Poor Theatre works reached performance,
those that did were often performed only once
before a small number of spectators
PERFORMANCE SPACE & ACTOR-AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP
traditional theatre spaces were ignored by
Grotowski in preference for rooms and buildings
REALISTIC THEATRE
Realism is a genre or style of theatre/film that
seeks to portray life as it is. Using actual set pieces,
actual props, actual clothing and speech patterns
from daily life. • For example a play takes place in a
dorm room then there would be a bed, a wooden
desk, books, scattered clothing, etc. • The actor
would wear jeans, t – shirt, etc.
Realism sometimes given an "experimental"
approach, examining relationships between
subjects and environment
Magic If
What would I do if I were in this situation?
This helps to put you in the character's shoes; it
acts as a lever lifting us into the world where it is
possible to create – the world of imagination.
It does not ask you to believe something is real;
you simply act as if you were in those
circumstances.
“ … ““As If” leads to action- both internal and
external- and it does this without force, in a natural
way.”
Do not forget the Given Circumstances.
Konstantin Stanislavski
At the heart of all drama is the need for acting to
be believable. It is a strange concept, but an
audience initially sits down before a theatre

he saw little need for a traditional stage dedicated
to acting or a purpose-built theatre for
performances
Grotowski’s work involved an intense exploration
of the relationship between participant and
spectator
his aim was to eliminate the division between actor
and audience, creating a communion between the
two
actors typically performed with the spectators on
many sides
participants also performed in and around the
spectators strategically placed amongst them in
the space
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performance not believing. They have arrived at
the theatre that evening from a busy day at the
office and know full well they will soon be watching
a group of actors perform a play. We are going to
call the fact they begin by not really believing in the
drama, as ‘disbelief’. It is then the actors’ job to
make the acting so realistic that it forces the
audience to hold off their disbelief and start
believing in the stage action, as if it were a real life
drama happening before their very eyes.
If the audience forgets they are sitting in the
theatre while watching a play (or in our case, the
drama classroom), then the actors have
successfully made the audience ‘suspend their
disbelief’, and are therefore performing a totally
convincing and believable play. If a drama
performance is believable, then it is almost
certainly realistic and therefore performed in the
style of realism. If an actor does not fully believe in
his or her character they are portraying, then the
audience will feel cheated. They will instantly see
acting that is not convincing. If an actor does not
believe in his or her role, then why should the
audience?
Here is a list of some of the common ingredients
essential to all realistic performances. You should
carefully consider each of one of them, including
them in your drama performances in class. It may
prove worthwhile discussing your performance and
receiving constructive critical feedback from other
classmates:
little or no backs to the audience, unless stylised
and briefly used for effect
loud vocal projection (louder than normal everyday
conversation level)
appropriate stance and stage movements for the
character being portrayed (remember, a young
child may crawl, but an old man will walk slowly)
small gestures that add a convincing ‘extra touch’
to the character (also making this character unique
from others on the stage in the drama)
suitable facial expressions at particular moments in
the drama
stage movement that occurs naturally, usually
based on certain lines
realistic props, costumes, lighting and sets
If performing in the style of realism, then your
‘level’ of acting must be at a certain point to begin

STAGECRAFT – SET, LIGHTING, SOUND
As a director, Grotowski preferred to perform
works in non-traditional spaces such as buildings
and rooms, instead of mainstream theatre houses
with traditional stages. Typically, the audience was
placed on many sides of the action or in and
amongst the action, itself.
Grotowski’s acting area was typically bare, with
few props and no set
object transformation was a key aspect of Poor
Theatre
after transformation, objects were often symbolic
and/or of great significance
lighting typically flooded the acting area with no
use of spotlights or focus areas
if used at all, ‘costumes’ would be anonymous, not
identifying character (as with realism)
ACTING & CHARACTERISATION
the actor and his/her skills was at the core of all
Poor Theatre performances
on occasions, performances used no ‘real’ props,
but employed actors as props instead
actor training was intense over long periods of
time
actors with egos had no place in Grotowski’s
theatre
aim was for acting to be authentic, akin to
Stanislavski’s system (but more physical)
Grotowski used a variation of Stanislavski’s
emotion memory technique with his own actors
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with. It is slightly exaggerated (heightened)
because if you spoke at exactly the same volume as
you would in a particular situation in everyday life,
then the audience may not hear you. You have to
be aware of the presence of the audience and yet
ignore them at the same time.
Realistic plays took place in three-dimensional
rooms instead of the more traditional approach of
using flat painted or constructed backdrops
(Berggren). Realism in modern theatre also
popularized the usage of “box-sets”. The box set
was first introduced in 1832 and was not used
often until the end of the 19th century where it
became a common feature of the modern theatre.
Box sets feature very detailed, three-walled, roofed
setting that simulates a room with the fourth wall
removed in order for the audience to see the
action taking place in the room. Authentic details
include doors with real moldings, windows with
outdoor scenery, stairways, and painted highlights
and shadows
Relaxation. Learning to relax the muscles and
eliminate physical tension while performing.
Concentration. Learning to think like an actor and
to respond to one’s own imagination.
Work with the senses. Discovering the sensory
base of the work: learning to memorize and recall
sensations, often called “sense memory” and /or
“affective memory”; learning to work from a small
sensation and expand it, a technique Stanislavski
called “spheres of attention”.
Sense of truth. Learning to tell the difference
between the organic and the artificial. Stanislavski
believed that there were natural laws of acting,
which were to be obeyed.
Given Circumstances. Developing the ability to use
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previous four skills to create the world of the play

(the circumstances given in the text) through true
and organic means.

Contact and communication. Developing the ability

to interact with other performers spontaneously,
and with an audience, without violating the world
of the play.

Units and objectives. Learning to divide the role

into sensible units that can be worked on
individually, and developing the ability to define
each unit of the role by an active goal desired by
the character rather than as an entirely literary
idea.

Logic and believability. Discovering how to be

certain that the sum of the combined objectives
are consistent and coherent and that they are in
line with the play as a whole.

Work with the text. Developing the ability to

uncover the social, political, and artistic meaning of
the text, and seeing that these ideas are contained
within the performance.

The creative state of mind. An automatic

culmination of all the previous steps.