theatre of the absurd, auteurism, and mise-en-scene in jerzy grotowski's akropolis and stanley ...

58 Pages·2014·0.26 MB·English

DOMINANT GAZES: THEATRE OF THE ABSURD, AUTEURISM, AND MISE-EN-SCENE

IN JERZY GROTOWSKI’S AKROPOLIS AND STANLEY KUBRICK’S

DR. STRANGELOVE

A Thesis

Presented to the faculty of the Department of Theatre Arts
California State University, Sacramento

Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

in

Theatre Arts

by

Ann Marie Muehlenbruch

SPRING
2014
© 2014

Ann Marie Muehlenbruch
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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DOMINANT GAZES: THEATRE OF THE ABSURD, AUTEURISM, AND MISE-EN-SCENE

IN JERZY GROTOWSKI’S AKROPOLIS AND STANLEY KUBRICK’S

DR. STRANGELOVE

A Thesis

by

Ann Marie Muehlenbruch

Approved by:

__________________________________, Committee Chair
Roberto Pomo, Ph.D.

__________________________________, Second Reader
Jason Gieger, Ph.D.

____________________________
Date

iii
Student: Ann Marie Muehlenbruch

I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format
manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for
the thesis.

__________________________, Department Chair___________________
Melinda Wilson-Ramey, Ph.D. Date

Department of Theatre and Dance
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Abstract

of

DOMINANT GAZES: THEATRE OF THE ABSURD, AUTEURISM, AND MISE-EN-SCENE

IN JERZY GROTOWSKI’S AKROPOLIS AND STANLEY KUBRICK’S

DR. STRANGELOVE

by

Ann Marie Muehlenbruch

This thesis focuses on examining director and theatre method innovator Jerzy Grotowski’s
argument that theatre can do what film cannot: involve the spectator permitting a connection. By
comparing the methods and theories of film director Stanley Kubrick and Jerzy Grotowski, I
introduce a new analysis and comparison of theatre and film. This thesis is the first to challenge
Grotowski’s view and show the similarities between theatre and film by studying Grotowski’s
Akropolis and Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. I argue that Kubrick can involve the audience by using
similar methods, techniques, and theories as Grotowski. In my analysis, I am suggesting that
these similarities can be seen through Theatre of the Absurd, auteurism, and mise-en-scene.

__________________________, Committee Chair
Roberto Pomo, Ph.D.

__________________________
Date
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are many people that helped me along this writing journey. To Dr. Roberto
Pomo: I give you my sincerest and biggest thank you for your time, advice, guidance,
believing in this thesis, and being a tremendous mentor. To Anita Scharf: a heartfelt
thank you, I could not have done this without you. To Dr. Jason Gieger: my sincere
thanks for your advice and understanding. To my cousin, Diane: a special thank you for
your encouragement at the end of my process and reminding me of the word
perseverance. To my parents and Roy: a loving thanks for giving me a kick and
consoling me whenever I needed it. Also, to Dr. Melinda Wilson-Ramey: thank you for
letting me finish what I started. You all were important in helping me and I am so
grateful to have you all as part of my life.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ vi
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………….. 1
2. THEATRE OF THE ABSURD ......................................................................................... 4
3. AUTEURISM ................................................................................................................. 25
4. MISE-EN-SCENE .......................................................................................................... 37
5. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 48
Work Cited ........................................................................................................................... 50

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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Jerzy Grotowski, a theatrical method innovator, expressed that theatre should not
try to compete with film or television. He writes in his book Towards a Poor Theatre,
“no matter how much theatre expands and exploits its mechanical resources, it will
remain technologically inferior to film and television” (31). Since he felt theatre could
not compete with what he called “the spectacle of film,” he created his method of “poor”
theatre, “poor” not being meant in the literal sense. Grotowski believed that theatre could
still exist without superfluous elements, such as lighting, sound, and costumes.
Grotowski’s idea of Via Negativa states that precision and quality, dealing mainly with
the actors, was more important than any unnecessary technical aspects. “Poor” theatre
then focused on what Grotowski felt theatre could do that film could not, such as, what
Grotowski states, involve the spectator permitting a connection. This meant he felt that
theatre could engage audiences better since there is a “live” aspect.
As a graduate student at Sacramento State, I was sitting in a film class watching
Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, after
having just presented on Jerzy Grotowski’s methods in a theatre class the day before, and
I was analyzing Kubrick’s use of camera angles and shots. I then thought to myself, film
can involve an audience permitting a connection just as well as film. What is Grotowski
talking about? This sparked my interest in researching Grotowski’s and Kubrick’s ideas
and theories further. As I discovered, this research was, as a whole, new territory as I
could not find one lengthy literary piece that covered how two directors from separate
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mediums, such as theatre and film, could present similar concepts and philosophies.
What I was able to piece together was the fact that Kubrick achieves similar effects on his
audiences as Grotowski by using related ideas and methods since he too wanted to create
his own type of cinema that did not need to compete with mainstream films. After much
research, I found that Grotowski and Kubrick have similar theories, attitudes, and results.
This thesis will discuss these similarities. The first chapter will cover how
elements of Theatre of the Absurd can be seen in both of their works. By analyzing
absurdism, we see how they similarly use language, texts with a lack of plot and no
resolution, and unique characters placed in a difficult situation to connect their audiences.
Chapter two will discuss auteur theory and the similar characteristics that make each of
them auteurs. This will help clarify how they similarly engage their audiences and how
Grotowski and Kubrick use a comparable minimalist approach. Chapter three will
discuss Grotowski’s and Kubrick’s similar use of mise-en-scene and will clarify how it
also assists in involving their audiences and the idea of “poor” theatre, or film,
philosophy.
For the purpose of this thesis, I will only examine in detail using the productions
of Grotowski’s Akropolis and Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or How to Stop Worrying and
Love the Bomb, which I will refer to as just Dr. Strangelove from this point. Akropolis is
based on Stanislaw Wyspianski’s poem where statues and figures in tapestries come to
life and enact religious scenes. Grotowski adapted Wyspianski’s poem and composed a
new work where Holocaust prisoners act the same religious scenes in a concentration
camp. Dr. Strangelove is a black comedy that satirizes the Cold War. Insane general,
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Jack D. Ripper, single-handedly activates a nuclear holocaust and a room full of childish
military men and politicians, such as President Muffley and General Turgidson, try to
stop the bombs carried by four B-52 planes, one of them commanded by Major King
Kong. There will be more description and details as I discuss each work and idea
throughout the thesis.