Theatrical Timelessness in Teatr ZAR’s Creative Journey
Octavian Saiu
Hong Kong Metropolitan University (Hong Kong)
Abstract
This article is devoted to Teatr ZAR and its creative journey, which includes rehearsals in the heart of Wrocław, field work in the Georgian village of Svaneti, and performances presented around the world. It explains the key dimensions of the company’s vision and focuses on ZAR’s major creations—from The Triptych to their most recent experiment, The Maids – Materials. It also establishes certain elements of continuity between Grotowski’s quest for a poor and pure theatre and Jarosław Fret’s constant search for a theatre of sound and presence. It seeks to affirm ZAR’s body of work as a link between this much revered Grotowskian legacy and the landscape of twenty-first century theatricality. Through this process of aesthetic, cultural and historical contextualization, it explores ZAR’s uniqueness in the field of contemporary anthropological performance.
Keywords:
ZAR, Jerzy Grotowski, Jarosław Fret, poor theatre, antropological theatre, presence, memoryReferences
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Authors
Octavian SaiuHong Kong Metropolitan University Hong Kong
Octavian Saiu - Professor at Hong Kong Metropolitan University and PhD Research Professor in the Doctoral School of Sibiu University, Romania. He holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from the National University of Theatre and Film (NUTF) in Romania, a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Otago in New Zealand, and Habilitation (Higher Doctorate) in Theatre and Performing Arts. He is a scholar as well as a professional cultural and academic consultant. He serves as the President of the International Association of Theatre Leaders (IATL)
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