The Art of Rehearsal : Conversations with Contemporary Theatre Makers

What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, 19 international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create work which is original and authentic. Among the contemporary directors, choreographers, performers, and actors to share their insights are: Annabel Arden (Complicite, UK), Richard Lowdon (Forced Entertainment, UK), Richard Foreman (Ontological-Hysteric Theatre, USA), Sean Patten, Berit Stumpf (Gob Squad, UK), Maxine Doyle (Punchdrunk, UK), Soheil Parsa (Modern Times Stage Company, Canada), Eugenio Barba (Odin Teatret, Denmark), Jan Fabre (Belgium), Heiner Goebbels (Germany), Jerome Bel (France), Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll, Germany) What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, 18 international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create groundbreaking new work.Among the contemporary directors, choreographers, performers, and actors to share their insights are: Annabel Arden (Complicite), Richard Lowdom (Forced Entertainment), Richard Foreman (Ontological-Hysteric Theatre), Maxine Doyle (Punchdrunk), Eugenio barba (Odin Teatret), Jan Fabre, and Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll). The interviews spring from the research project Rehearsal Matters, co-created by Barbara Simonsen, Isabelle Reynaud and Deborah Vlaeymans. Videos of several of the interviews can be found here What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, eighteen international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create groundbreaking new work. Among the contemporary directors, choreographers, performers, and actors to share their insights are: Annabel Arden (Complicite), Richard Lowdon (Forced Entertainment), Richard Foreman (Ontological-Hysteric Theatre), Maxine Doyle (Punchdrunk), Eugenio Barba (Odin Teatret), Jan Fabre, and Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll). The interviews spring from the research project Rehearsal Matters, co-created by Barbara Simonsen, Isabelle Reynaud and Deborah Vlaeymans. -- from back cover What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, eighteen international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create groundbreaking new work. Among the contemporary directors, choreographers, performers, and actors to share their insights are: Annabel Arden (Complicite), Richard Lowdon (Forced Entertainment), Richard Foreman (Ontological-Hysteric Theatre), Maxine Doyle (Punchdrunk), Eugenio Barba (Odin Teatret), Jan Fabre, and Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll). The interviews spring from the research project Rehearsal Matters, co-created by Barbara Simonsen, Isabelle Reynaud and Deborah Vlaeymans. -- (Baksidestext) FC -- Half title -- Related titles from Bloomsbury Methuen Drama -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- Preface Paul Allain -- Introduction: No one's ever asked me that Barbara Simonsen -- Interviews -- 1 Annabel Arden -- 2 Eugenio Barba -- 3 Jérôme Bel -- 4 Rachel Chavkin -- 5 Kirsten Dehlholm -- 6 Maxine Doyle -- 7 Jan Fabre -- 8 Richard Foreman -- 9 Heiner Goebbels -- 10 Helgard Haug -- 11 Bojan Jablanovec -- 12 Elizabeth LeCompte -- 13 Richard Lowdon -- 14 Soheil Parsa -- 15 Diane Paulus -- 16 Catherine Poher -- 17 Berit Stumpf and Sean Patten -- 18 Wayn Traub -- Notes on contributors -- Appendix of interview dates and translators -- Index "What are the key elements that go into creating a work of art for the stage? Which are the most productive conditions and methods of rehearsal? In this collection of interviews, 18 international artists share their experience and offer practical advice on the creation of performance work. Their answers provide a goldmine of tried and tested approaches as they discuss the common problems and difficulties of creative work, their turning-point experiences, and ways in which they have challenged performers and themselves to go beyond conditioned reflexes to create groundbreaking new work."-- Provided by publisher