Why did Artaud create the Theatre of cruelty?

2 years ago

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Artaud wanted to disrupt the relationship between audience and performer. The ‘cruelty’ in Artaud’s thesis was sensory, it exists in the work’s capacity to shock and confront the audience, to go beyond words and connect with the emotions: to wake up the nerves and the heart.

What influenced Theatre of Cruelty?

The theatre lasted only two years. After his work in surrealist theatre, Artaud went on to develop his theories on the Theatre of Cruelty after he was inspired by a Balinese dance troupe performance that he viewed at the Paris Colonial Exhibit in 1931.

What was the purpose of Antonin Artaud’s 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.

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.

When did Antonin Artaud create Theatre of Cruelty?

Between 1931 and 1936 Artaud formulated a theory for what he called a Theatre of Cruelty in a series of essays published in the Nouvelle Revue Française and collected in 1938 as Le Théâtre et son double (The Theatre and Its Double).

How did Artaud involve the audience?

Piercing sound and bright stage lights bombarded the audience during performances. Artaud experimented with the relationship between performer and audience, preferring to place spectators at the very centre with the intention of trapping them inside the drama.