The Medieval Space: Early Medieval Documents as Stages
Kyle A. Thomas
Peter Brook begins the second chapter of The Empty Space, “The Holy Theatre,” with a lament for loss sacred approaches to theatre; that satisfy community's need make visible its identity, hope, and history. In describing vacuum within modern theatre once occupied by ceremony—what he defines as importance noble aim theatre—Brook critiques hollow backward attempts fill new grand spaces old meaningless ritual. postwar Europe, saw “crie[d] out ceremony, but course it is ceremony should have come first—it in all meanings dictated shape place.” Brook's assessment European bourgeois search meaningful agendas framed conceptions space antecedent action, requiring only performer audience order occur, be called theatre. Indeed, theatrical always product well-established cultural performance conventions—a phenomenon common throughout critique focuses on conventions developed from romantic dramas spectacle-driven performances late nineteenth century continued well into twentieth century. Echoing Bertolt Brecht, rejected theatres predetermined limits drama performance, arguing was necessary strip them conventional expectations lay bare their potential. Essentially, asks: When how does become theatre?
Theatre Survey