Source Work for Actors

Diane Edgecomb, Jenna Kumiega

$190.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Seagull Books London Ltd
26 August 2025

Acting techniques; Dance; Other performing arts

Series: Enactments

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

The legacy of Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski comes to life in this personal account of a workshop and intensive with Laboratory Theatre master actor Zbigniew Cynkutis. This volume provides a rare window into the actor training and performance practices of one of the most influential and revolutionary theaters of the twentieth century.

Drawing from extensive notes and recordings made during Cynkutis's last workshop in the United States, Diane Edgecomb's Source Work for Actors takes us to the heart of the workshop experience from the perspective of a young actor determined to make this process her own. Cynkutis's voice and presence are palpable throughout the book as he guides a group of actors to a deep understanding of his artistic philosophy and craft. Stimulated by a developing series of tasks, Laboratory Theatre training exercises, and Cynkutis's startling demonstrations, the group is challenged to bring their whole selves to the work and to reimagine what is possible in theatre.

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

By: Diane Edgecomb
Foreword by: Jenna Kumiega
Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781803095165
ISBN 10: 1803095164
Series: Enactments
Pages: 244
Publication Date: 26 August 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Acknowledgments Foreword by Jenna Kumiega Preface Introduction: Zbigniew Cynkutis Chapter One: ARRIVAL Chapter Two: AWAKENING THE BODY AND VOICE Chapter Three: NATURAL SOURCES Chapter Four: VOICE OF THE TREE Chapter Five: THE STAGE AS AN ENVIRONMENT Chapter Seven: THE TRINITY: BODY, VOICE, AND IMAGE Chapter Eight: TRAINING WITH OBJECTS AND VECTORS Chapter Nine: TRANSFORMATIONS Chapter Ten: REAL CHANGE - A STORY Chapter Eleven: ASSOCIATIONS Chapter Twelve: TIME AS A PARTNER IN THE WORK Chapter Thirteen: MEMORIES Chapter Fourteen: THE ATMOSPHERE OF A PLAY Chapter Fifteen: LIFE FORCE Chapter Sixteen: ASSOCIATIONS AND SCENE WORK Chapter Seventeen: ANIMATION Chapter Nineteen: SYNTHESIS Chapter Twenty: KEEP YOUR SEARCH ALIVE Chapter Twenty-one: RHYTHM Chapter Twenty-two: A FINAL GATHERING A Note in Closing

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.