and Other Monsters
A different sort of monsterism...
"As used today, the term 'Grand Guignol' (pronounced Grahn Geen-yol') refers to any dramatic entertainment that deals with macabre subject matter and features “over-the-top” graphic violence. It is derived from Le Theatre du Grand Guignol, the name of the Parisian theatre that horrified audiences for over sixty years."
"...the staple of the Grand Guignol repertoire was the horror play, which inevitably featured eye-gouging, throat-slashing, acid-throwing, or some other equally grisly climax."
There is a fascinating website with more grisly details here.
While blood for blood's sake may not be a part of our artistic philosophy, I appreciate the emphases on gritty public spectacle so embodied (so ensanguined, if you will) by Grand Guignol. ...could be great material for a Winter Holiday Show!
Update: As Mark wrote in the comments section: "Just so no one's confused about Monsterism...It has nothing to do with monsters, or blood, or "grisly climaxes." It's all about size. The "Monsterist" playwrights wanted a chance to write big plays."
I had no intention of linking the two movements; I was merely punning.
It is interesting, however, to do some limited comparitive analysis. Both movements were vibrant explosions of theatrical energy that emerged from stagnant and repressed environments. Grand Guignol was a reaction against institutional conservatism and censorship; Monsterism was a reaction against the waining scale of theatrical endeavor as artists confined themselves in literal little black boxes.
"As used today, the term 'Grand Guignol' (pronounced Grahn Geen-yol') refers to any dramatic entertainment that deals with macabre subject matter and features “over-the-top” graphic violence. It is derived from Le Theatre du Grand Guignol, the name of the Parisian theatre that horrified audiences for over sixty years.""...the staple of the Grand Guignol repertoire was the horror play, which inevitably featured eye-gouging, throat-slashing, acid-throwing, or some other equally grisly climax."
There is a fascinating website with more grisly details here.
While blood for blood's sake may not be a part of our artistic philosophy, I appreciate the emphases on gritty public spectacle so embodied (so ensanguined, if you will) by Grand Guignol. ...could be great material for a Winter Holiday Show!
Update: As Mark wrote in the comments section: "Just so no one's confused about Monsterism...It has nothing to do with monsters, or blood, or "grisly climaxes." It's all about size. The "Monsterist" playwrights wanted a chance to write big plays."
I had no intention of linking the two movements; I was merely punning.
It is interesting, however, to do some limited comparitive analysis. Both movements were vibrant explosions of theatrical energy that emerged from stagnant and repressed environments. Grand Guignol was a reaction against institutional conservatism and censorship; Monsterism was a reaction against the waining scale of theatrical endeavor as artists confined themselves in literal little black boxes.
1 Comments:
Just so no one's confused about Monsterism...It has nothing to do with monsters, or blood, or "grisly climaxes." It's all about size. The "Monsterist" playwrights wanted a chance to write big plays. they wanted a chance to produce something on the order of a Shakespeare or a Brecht or, even, an andrew Lloyd Webber. They didn't want to be confined to writing small shows destined for a black box theatre with a minimal cast and an even more minimal set. Otherwise, they were sure, live theatre would die for lack of interest. It wasn't just spectacle that they wanted. They wanted the opportunity to create something "awesome" (their word) that played out big stories in big worlds--and that takes a mainstage and not a blackbox. Our quest will be to fool our audience into believing they are watching a mainstage show--and all that entails--despite the reality of our 6250 sqft warehouse. It's all about illusion and the commitment to create it. And maybe, just maybe, there will be blood...but we really won't need it to achieve the same end.
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