What is Artaud’s Theatre of cruelty?



The Theatre of Cruelty, developed by Antonin ArtaudAntonin ArtaudArtaud would continue to publish some of his most important work in the NRF, including the “First Manifesto for a Theatre of Cruelty” (1932) and “Theatre and the plague” (1933). He would draw from these publications when putting together The Theatre and Its Double.

How did Antonin Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty describe Cruelty?

For Artaud, cruelty is not exclusively sadism or causing pain, but just as often a violent, physical determination to shatter a false reality. He believed that text had been a tyrant over meaning, and advocated, instead, for a theatre made up of a unique language, halfway between thought and gesture.

What is Theatre of Cruelty in theatre?

The Theatre of Cruelty is a type of theatre in which the audience’s senses are constantly stressed and engaged by lights, sounds, movements, and more. Text and dialogue are far less important in this genre of experimental theatre than the relationship between the performers and the audience members.

What is Artaud’s style of theatre?





Antonin Artaud (1896-1948) was a French dramatist, playwright, poet, actor and theoretician. He advocated an experimental theatre focusing on movement, gesture, dance and signals instead of relying primarily on text as a means of communication.

What did Antonin Artaud mean by Theatre of Cruelty quizlet?

He wanted the theatre of cruelty to hypnotise the audience, putting them into a trance like state, in which they could be shocked into confronting themselves, their way of life, and the meaning of all existence. He would ‘assault the senses’ using lights, music and sound.

What is the aim of Theatre of Cruelty?

The Theatre of Cruelty, developed by Antonin Artaud, aimed to shock audiences through gesture, image, sound and lighting.