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Physical theatre is a general term used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling through primarily physical means. There are several quite distinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre", which has led to a lot of confusion as to what the definition of physical theatre actually is. Image File history File links Wikitext. ...

The term "physical theatre" has been applied to performances consisting mainly of:

• Mime
• Contemporary dance
• Theatrical Clowning and other physical comedy
• Some forms of puppetry, especially large scale
• Theatrical Acrobatics

While performances based around all of the above could equally claim to be "physical theatre," it is often difficult to draw a distinct boundary between what is and what is not physical theatre, and distinctions are often made quite arbitrarily by critics and performing companies. For mime as an art form, see mime artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Krumping is a relatively new form of dance within the urban and street dance movements, and is characterized by free, expressive and highly energetic moves. ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates a puppet or marionette, either by the use of strings, wires or their hands, for a stage production or film. ... High wire act Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. ...

Physical Theatre may utilize pre-existing text, but the primary focus is on the physical work of the actors, expressed through the use of their bodies. It is a highly visual form of theatre. The action in physical theatre may have a psychological base, or point to an emotional centre, or have a clear storyline, and it can grow out of codified forms, improvisational work, or invented gestural language among other means of creation. However, the means of expression are always primarily physical rather than textual.

Modern physical theatre has grown from a variety of origins. Mime and theatrical clowning schools such as L'Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris have had a big influence on many modern expressions of physical theatre, and practitioners such as Steven Berkoff and John Wright received their initial training at such institutions. Eastern European practitioners have also had a strong influence on modern physical theatre, and both Vsevolod Meyerhold and Jerzy Grotowski are regarded by many as "fathers" of modern physical theatre. Japanese traditional forms such as Kabuki, No and Bunraku led into modern forms of Butoh and the work of Tadashi Suzuki. Contemporary Dance has also had a strong influence on what we regard as physical theatre, partly because most physical theatre requires actors to have a level of physical control and flexibility rarely found in those who do not have some sort of movement background. Modern physical theatre also has strong roots in more ancient traditions such as Commedia dell'arte and some suggest links to the ancient Greek theatre, particularly the theatre of Aristophanes. Steven Berkoff (born August 3, 1937) is an English actor, writer and director. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Vsevolod Emilevich Meyerhold (born Karl Kazimir Theodor Meyerhold) (1874 - 1940) was a Russian theatrical director, actor and theorist. ... Jerzy Grotowski (11 August 1933 – 14 January 1999) was a Polish theatre director and a leading figure in avant garde theatre of the 20th century. ... The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Look up no in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bunraku (Japanese: 文楽), also known as Ningyō jōruri (人形浄瑠璃), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684. ... Butoh ) is the collective name for a diverse range of techniques and motivations for dance inspired by the Ankoku-Butoh movement. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Commedia redirects here. ... This article is about the 5-4th century BC dramatist. ...

Daniel Stein, a teacher out of the lineage of Etienne Decroux, has this to say about physical theatre: Étienne Decroux (July 19, 1898 in Paris, France - March 12, 1991 in Billancourt, Somme, Picardie) was a French actor noted for his pantomime. ...

"I think physical theater is much more visceral and audiences are affected much more viscerally than intellectually. The foundation of theater is a live, human experience, which is different from any other form of art that I know of. Painting, writing, music happen in a mostly interpretive way, which is to say that somebody sits down and writes something and then somebody else interprets it, often in front of a camera. Live theater, where real human beings are standing in front of real human beings, is about the fact that we have all set aside this hour; the sharing goes in both directions. The fact that it is a very physical, visceral form makes it a very different experience from almost anything else that we partake of in our lives. I don’t think we could do it the same way if we were doing literary-based theater."

Companies and practitioners

Modern physical theatre companies and practitioners:

Theatre Companies:

• Cirque du Soleil, Montreal, Canada
• Studio 58, Vancouver, Canada
• Tooba Physical Theatre Centre, Vancouver, Canada
• DV8 Physical Theatre, London, England
• Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre Australia
• Theatre de l'Ange Fou, London, England
• Complicite, London, England
• Chotto Ookii Theatre Company, Leeds, England
• Kneehigh Theatre, Cornwall, England
• International Corporeal Mime School (Moveo Teatro), Barcelona, Spain
• Double Edge Theatre, Tufts University, Boston, United States
• International Dell'Arte Company and School, California, United States
• New York City Physical Theatre, New York City, United States
• PUSH Physical Theatre, Rochester, United States
• First Physical Theatre Company, Rhodes University, United States
• Sacramento Theatre Experiment, California, United States

• The South Wing Theatre Company [1], New York City, United States

Practitioners: Cirque du Soleil (French for Circus of the Sun) is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Region Montréal Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1][2][3]  - Total 365. ... Studio 58 Studio 58 is an intensive theatre school located in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Theatre de lAnge Fou is a theatre company based in London, England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Complicite is more than a theatre company: it is a state of mind. So begins their website (January 2005). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Chotto Ookii Theatre Company are a physical theatre company based in Leeds(UK) comprising of performer/directors Matt Rogers,Kathleen Yore, Rebecca Devitt, Jake England-Johns and Rebekah Caputo. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation) and Leeds City (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Kneehigh Theatre is one of the most high profile Cornish Theatre companies. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The international corporeal mime school in Barcelona: Created in 2004 in Barcelona, and part of the MOVEO theatre project, the school was created with four main objectives: - Create a new generation of physical theatre actors, give them the physical, artistic and theatrical means to express their ideas and projects through... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... Double Edge Theatre is a physical theatre company located in Ashfield, Massachusetts. ... Tufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts, suburbs of Boston. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... In English literary history, the name Rochester refers to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. ... Rhodes University is a university in South Africa. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

• Jacques Lecoq
• Anne Bogart
• Steven Berkoff
• Thomas Leabhart
• Philippe Gaulier
• Petra Massey
• Wendy Gorling
• Kameron Steele

Jacques Lecoq (December 15, 1921 - January 19, 1999) was a French actor, mime and acting instructor. ... Anne Bogart is an American director of theatre. ... Steven Berkoff (born August 3, 1937) is an English actor, writer and director. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Philippe Gaulier (born in Paris, 1943) is founder of LÉcole Philippe Gaulier, a theatre school located in Paris, France. ... Petra Massey (born 1966 in England) is a British actress, and a physical theatre performer in stage, film and television. ...

Venues

• Edinburgh Fringe - particularly at Aurora Nova@St Stephen’s, a fringe venue found in St Stephens church.

A street performer on the Royal Mile, with volunteer (2004). ...

See also

• Balancing Acts- a documentary about a physical theatre preformers who fell in love and married

Balancing Acts is a documentary by Donna Schatz that chronicles the lives of Chinese acrobat Man-Fong Tong and his wife Magda Schweitzer, a Jewish acrobat from Budapest, Hungary. ...

Further reading

• Anne Bogart, The Viewpoints Book
• Robert Cross, Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance
• Jerzy Grotowski, Towards a Poor Theatre
• Ed. Alison Hodge, Twentieth Century Actor Training
• Thomas Leabhart, Modern and Post-Modern Mime
• Vsevolod Meyerhold and Edward Braun, Meyerhold on Theatre
• Tadashi Suzuki, The Way of Acting
• Darren Stevenson, A Case for Physical Theatre
• John Wright, Why Is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy