조안 리틀우드와 씨어터 워크숍의 연극 작업

Abstract

Twentieth century British theatre director Joan Littlewood and her ensemble company Theatre Workshop's theatre aesthetics are considered ones of the chief assets for the evolution of modern theatre. Although they have been somewhat neglected as their works are shadowed often by those other contemporaneous developments of the day, there are, in recent years, some critical demands for a rightful recognition for their contribution. This paper is an attempt to discover the aesthetic identity of their works, its, which had been shaped throughout the existence of the Company. In order to trace and reveal both the essential nature and ingredients of their practice, the author selects to explore for those considered most significant aspects in the regions of actor training and collaborative working method, in particular, the application and/or utilization of the Laban-based movement, Stanislavski-inspired improvisation and theatre games, and the devising dramaturgy. While these three specific areas are explored in depth, this paper is also concerned with motivations behind all these. Thus, as a judicious background information, it provides, following immediately the Introduction, a chapter in which Littlewood's biographical notes and those other personal, social, and artistic impulses are dealt in exploratory detail from the early days to those formative years of the Theatre Workshop. From her own reactionary attitude and negation against the stage banality and cliché of the British establishment theatre convention, Littlewood desired intensely to create an autonomous, spirited, and truly liberating performance style of any selected piece that is to set free from the limitations of the former. In reference to Clive Barker's comment, this paper confirms through the systematic investigation, there is arguably a distinct method in the practice of Littlewood and her ensemble, despite the fact that she did not leave any specific theory behind. Out of inspiration and stimulation from a number of revolutionary theatre artists in the preceding era, she formulated her own consistent working method, which was then to be adapted to the needs of each different style of a play. Their collaborative efforts made fruitfully in their numerous productions are the very evidences, which have continued to influence, in turn, the development of current theatre practices.