This book provides a fascinating and concise history of devised theatre practice.
As both a founding member of Philadelphias Pig Iron Theater Company and a Professor, Telory Arendell begins this journey with a brief history of Joan Littlewoods Theatre Workshop and Living Newspapers through Brechts Berliner Ensemble and Joe Chaikins Open Theatre to the racially inflected commentary of Luis Valdezs Teatro Campesino and Ariane Mnouchkines collaboration with Théâtre de Soleil. This book explores the impact of devised theatre on social practice and analyzes Goat Islands use of Pina Bauschs gestural movement, Augusto Boals Theatre of the Oppressed in Giving Voice, Anna Deavere Smiths devised envelope for Verbatim Theatre, The Tectonic Theatre Projects moment work, Teya Sepinucks Theatre of Witness, Pig Irons use of Lecoq mime to build complex physical theatre scripts, and The Riot Groups musical arrangement of collaborative devised text. Included are a foreword by Allen J. Kuharski and three devised plays by Theatre of Witness, Pig Iron, and The Riot Group.
Replete with interviews from the initial Pig Iron collaborators on subjects of writing, directing, choreographing, teaching, and developing a pedagogical platform that supports devised theatre.
