Source Work for Actors (Enactments)

An actor delves into the electrifying world of Jerzy Grotowski’s Polish Laboratory Theatre.

The legacy of Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski and the skills of his legendary actors come to life in this personal account of a workshop and intensive with Laboratory Theatre master actor Zbigniew Cynkutis. Drawing from her extensive notes and recordings, Diane Edgecomb takes us to the heart of the workshop experience as a young actor determined to make this process her own. Cynkutis guides the participants to a deep understanding of his artistic philosophy and craft, giving them invaluable tools and sources to enrich their acting. Stimulated by a developing series of tasks, Laboratory Theatre training exercises, and by Cynkutis’ startling demonstrations, the group is challenged to bring their whole selves to the work and to reimagine what is possible in theatre.

The intensive proceeds from exercises familiar to those who have studied Grotowski to innovative explorations of dramatic text and character which draw from theatre sources based in the primal energies of nature. Those who have been mystified by academic writings on the work of the Laboratory Theatre will find this personal story refreshing and accessible, filled with advice and exercises grounded in the rich conversational style of a charismatic master actor. Links to audio files of Cynkutis speaking as he leads the work lend an invaluable immersive element to the book.

This compelling volume bears witness to the power of a deeply visceral form of theatre and illustrates why the work of Grotowski and his actors has had such a profound impact on generations of theatre artists. It is sure to stimulate students, challenge directors and inspire innovative work.

Diane Edgecomb is an award-winning theatre artist and storyteller of mythic, original, and personal tales. She has trained and performed with Grotowski-oriented ensembles Stage One Theatre Lab and Double Edge Theatre and continued her development of Zbigniew Cynkutis’s teachings with her solo performance Restraints. Her writings include A Fire in My Heart (2008), the first book of Kurdish folktales to appear in English.

Jenna Kumiega studied drama at Manchester University. She taught herself Polish and worked with the Laboratory Theatre in Poland intermittently between 1975 and 1981. She is the author of the influential study The Theatre of Grotowski.