Grotowski's actors were so physically and vocally skilled that they could communicate clearly through sounds and movements. His actor's believed that acting as an art form was a search for self-knowledge and awareness. The creative style of their training which incorporated rigorous exercises into performance, taught them to break free of limitations in order to reach their full potential.
Working in Silence
Grotowski stated that "an actor must begin by doing nothing". He inferred that if a group of actors could remain completely still for several minutes without disruptions or disturbances, then they would be able to concentrate more intensely and use the "silence" as a creative passage.
Physical training
Grotowski's actors were extremely physically skilled. They developed methods and techniques of movement which allowed them to control every move they made from the smallest movement with intricate detail. Grotowski emphasised to his actors how, "everything we think and feel is expressed through our bodies and everything we experience is felt through our bodies." In response to this, he gave his actors physical skills for fully expressing their imagination and personalities.
Voice
Grotowski believed that vocal training was an essential part of the actor. Therefore, he trained them to focus their voices as though they were coming from different parts of their bodies. The actor would use the full potential of their vocal registers from very high to very low.
Singing, chanting and poetry was used to improve the vocal performance of the actors which enabled them to use the full range of their vocal chords in order to replicate atmospheric and unusual sounds.
Human Contact
In order to break down the barriers of self consciousness experienced by individuals, Grotowski believed in true contact between human beings. He argued that the real harmony in human relationships, was only able to develop when people learnt to look and listen to each other. Therefore, he wanted his actors to be more aware of the impact that they had on others through "touch" and "contact".
Transformation
In his "Poor Theatre", Grotowski always aimed for the simplest possible uses of "staging", "lighting", "costumes" and "special effects". This forced his actors to use their skill and imagination to transform empty spaces and simple objects into a wide range of imaginative worlds. Grotowski therefore relied heavily on symbolism in order to create these abstract worlds.
In using these pointers in their truest form, Grotowski required his actors to be both true to themselves and others in order to create imaginative, unique ideas and skills for performance. Focus and commitment allowed his actors to realise their fullest potential when on stage and shaped their overall physical and mental concentration. By training his actors rigorously through repetitive exercise and labour, Grotowski was able to shape and condition his actors subconsciously in order to create "true" material.
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