Grotowski's Intentions

Question 1

What philosophy affected Grotowski?

Answer 1

• the existential philosophy affected him
• as he began questioning the nature of theatre at the time

Question 2

What did Grotowski want to identify and what did he subsequently do?

Answer 2

• he wanted to identify the true essence of theatre
• he set out to answer the question, ‘What is theatre?’

Question 3

Why was Grotowski dissatisfied with the theatre of the time?

Answer 3

• he believed it to be trying too hard to copy television and film

Question 4

What did Grotowski want to discover about theatre vs television and what did he believe?

Answer 4

• he wanted to discover what is was that theatre could offer to audiences that television could not
• he believed theatre should be brought back to its original roots

Question 5

What was Grotowski the founder of?

Answer 5

• the Polish Laboratory Theatre

Question 6

What was the Polish Laboratory Theatre?

Answer 6

• an experimental company

Question 7

Why was the Polish Laboratory Theatre aptly named?

Answer 7

• it was not a place where one went for entertainment
• it was a place of research where the actors explored potential in themselves and texts
• where experiments were conducted and observations made

Question 8

What did the group from the Polish Laboratory Theatre perform?

Answer 8

• they did not attempt to perform a variety of works
• but concentrated instead upon a limited number of dramatic pieces which they constantly reinterpreted and rediscovered