Approaches to the Concept of Devised Theatre

Abstract

A theatre play`s validity is determined by the contemporary approach with which the producer (director or actor) can think about a theme, the way they are susceptible to enhance an issue up to our recent, modern existence. Based on past tendencies, an attempt of distancing from the text-based theatre is perceptible these days, but in practice, the stage story, the situations and the character`s world are given by the text. The information read in it constitutes the principle of the play. In a theatre performance based on an author`s written material and a director`s creation, the word has its power. In devised theatre - although it is not the text-based theatre`s counterpole - the director`s vision is placed in a dominant role, as well as the acting initiation and the elimination of the text dominancy. The text which emerges from improvisation and story- building, can carry significant risk in comparison with a text-based production, as the director`s and the company`s professional preparedness is needed for reaching a higher artistic level. In our theatrical practice (Hungarian), devised theatre (improvisational) is, in fact, an unknown concept. Hungarian and Romanian theatre companies have just developed it in very few theatrical productions. Devised theatre, devised process, methods, product, play may overlap the concept that is being used in our theatrical and cultural belief system. This study presents how foreign theatre companies and Hungarian-speaking local companies (Transylvanian) adopt and apply the entire concept or just some parts of it.