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Formal Experiments in Selected Plays by Tim Crouch
Kopečná, Alena ; Wallace, Clare (advisor) ; Pilný, Ondřej (referee)
Thesis Abstract The thesis provides an analysis of three plays - My Arm (2002), An Oak Tree (2005) and The Author (2009) - by Tim Crouch, one of the most prominent contemporary British theatre- makers. Particular attention is paid to Crouch's use of innovative dramaturgical methods in order to activate his audience. Despite its increasing popularity, audience participation has been a rather neglected area of theatre studies, therefore the thesis includes a brief overview of the discourse as well as an introduction of related concepts and movements, such as experimental theatre and In-Yer-Face theatre. The focal points of discussion are, among others, spectatorship, particularly the theory of The Emancipated Spectator (2008) as proposed by Jacques Rancière, and Émile Coué's concept of autosuggestion, both very prominent in all three plays. Essentially, the main focus of the work is on the specifics of Crouch's treatment of the audience and the methods, both theoretical and practical he utilises to achieve an activated audience while keeping the said participation meaningful. Crouch argues against using dramaturgical tools purely for their shock value and offers a vision of theatre where imagination and autosuggestion are significantly more impactful than elaborate props and overly realistically-looking...
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