Towards Poor Theatre by 
Born: born August 11, 1933 in Rzeszów, Poland
Died: died January 14, 1999 in Pontedera, Italy
Nationality: Polish
Occupation: Stage director and theatrical theorist
Jerzy Grotowski was founder and director of the small but influential Polish Laboratory Theatre (1959). He propounded a "poor theatre," which eliminates all nonessentials, i.e., costumes, sound effects, makeup, sets, lighting, and strictly defined playing area, in an effort to redefine the relation between actors and the audience. Late in his career (1986) he opened the Workcenter in the village of Pontedera, Italy, where his ideas about theater are still explored, actors are trained in his methods, and an abstract song and movement composition called Action is frequently performed.
"Grotowski, Jerzy." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™, CUP, 2017. Research in Context
Grotowski, Jerzy [Image]. Encyclopædia Britannica.
Rating: E Production Year: 2013 Duration: 33:01
Description: World famous theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski has had an enormous and positive influence on contemporary theatre. This programme explores his life and work and shows how his ideas and approaches can be used by students and teachers to create powerful and successful performances. Through the use of archive performance footage, interviews and examples of Grotowski inspired pieces, this resource enables students to apply Grotowski’s visionary insights to their own devised and scripted work.
