What is meant by Theatre of Cruelty?

The Theatre of Cruelty (French: Théâtre de la Cruauté, also French: Théâtre cruel) is a form of theatre generally associated with Antonin Artaud. The Theatre of Cruelty can be seen as a break from traditional Western theatre and a means by which artists assault the senses of the audience.

What are characteristics of Theatre of Cruelty?

Stagecraft

• emphasis on light and sound in performances.
• sound was often loud, piercing, and hypnotising for the audience.
• the audience’s senses were assaulted with movement, light and sound (hence ‘cruelty’)
• music and sound (voice, instrument, recorded) often accompanied stage movement or text.

Which form of theatre has been described as the Theatre of Cruelty?

Theatre of Cruelty, project for an experimental theatre that was proposed by the French poet, actor, and theorist Antonin Artaud and that became a major influence on avant-garde 20th-century theatre.

What is the definition of Theater of Cruelty?

theater of cruelty. noun. a form of surrealist theater originated by Antonin Artaud and emphasizing the cruelty of human existence by portraying sadistic acts and intense suffering.

What did Antonin Artaud call the theatre of Cruelty?

This article was most recently revised and updated by Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer, Research Editor. During the early 1930s, the French dramatist and actor Antonin Artaud put forth a theory for a Surrealist theatre called the Theatre of Cruelty. Based on ritual and fantasy, this form of theatre launched an attack on the spectators’ subconscious in an…

How did World War 1 affect the theatre of Cruelty?

Deeply affected by the events of World War I, the artists of the movement felt increasing skepticism of the existing societal structures that had allowed for global warfare. While Artaud would eventually break away from surrealism, the movement helped to shape his later theories on the Theatre of Cruelty.

What did Shakespeare do in the theatre of Cruelty?

He proposed removing the barrier of the stage between performers and audience and producing mythic spectacles that would include verbal incantations, groans and screams, pulsating lighting effects, and oversized stage puppets and props.