Found Space Theatre

Submitted By confirmjoseph
Words: 402
Pages: 2

Found Space Theatre simply refers to a theatre production that is placed in an environment that wasn’t specially designed for theatre. Many major theatre practitioners and creators used this theory in the 20th Century.
The 20th Century was a time of much change in the realm of performance. Many of the standard rules and “laws” of performance were being challenged. Many new forms of theatre and artistic movements were being created (ex. Modernism, Expressionism, Impressionism, Experimental). Also, the growth of different forms of media, such as film, diminished “typical” theatre in culture. Theatre artists were now forced to seek new ways to engage audience members.
One director that was very interested in breaking convention and using “found space” was Peter Brook. Brook was interested in going beyond what audiences typically experienced during a performance. He wanted to change how theatre would make an audience feel. “I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage.” to quote Brook. In this space he believed there was a simple connection between the performer and audience member. From this, the audience member would feel more of an inner emotion.
To achieve this effect, Brook often wanted to place his pieces in abstract environments that did not feel like typical theatres. Over the 20th century, Brook placed many found pieces in rock quarries and tribal villages. Eventually he started performances in a old abandoned Paris opera house, Bouffes du Nord. This has now been the company’s home since 1974.
The Bouffes was in terminal condition when Brook discovered it, it was about to be torn down. His use of the space prevented it from being demolished. “He literally stopped the rot at a