The Open Door: Thoughts on Acting and Theatre

Perfext. Just as pictured

Most people know Peter Brook for his first major writing, "The Empty Space." This book, written much later, is just as good, and, in many ways better: a master craftsman after decades of working in the theater and--importantly--talking to people and audiences all over. It's inspiring, smart, and a pleasure to read.

I should really stop preaching to choirs so much. The people who know of Peter Brook and buy his books already know he's brilliant. This is another prize that every devoted theatre artist should add to his collection.

As ever from Peter Brook, an insightful and inspiring book. Essential reading for anyone serious about the theatrical experience or keen on exploring what makes theatre space actually work.

Good book.

Quintessential.

This is really an extension of Brook's ideas in "The Empty Space." It is my favorite work of his, as the writing is much simpler and digestable than I am used to, yet it is no less insightful and inspiring.I feel that anyone who loves theater should read Brook: I always come away from his ideas feeling inspired and invigorated: my mind spinning with countless new possibilities. Thinking both as a director and an actor, I find Brook very useful. Perhaps his best quality is his love of experimentation- of finding what works but being ready to reject it for something better. Brook is an explorer more than a theorist. This collection of essays/speeches is an important aid to understanding where his journeys have taken him in his understanding of what makes good theatre.

I will simply put this forward that I don’t know much about dramaturgy. However, Peter Brook does and is considered by many to be one of the leading theatre director in our contemporary stage or better if I presume and say, our late contemporary stage. Coming to the context of this particular book, I found it mildly amusing (although I know that a text is not all about amusing the reader). “The Open Door” offers a commentary on the behind-the-scenes philosophical underpinnings of Brook’s re-invention of the modern stage. Ranging from The Mahabharata to Shakespeare to native theatres in Iran and India, Brook theorises the affiliation of theatre with life; the extreme theatre. As Brook remains in search of his “virgin space”, we come to read the stage from his expeditions and experiments and the subtle motors of the theatre-machine, the functions of which evades the gaze of the audience.Although I have mixed feelings about this one, Brook’s work is an interesting read. Having said that, the fact that I’ve read this during the 2020 pandemic in our digital-regime, I feel that the “modern” theatre has moved way beyond Brook’s ideas – to the extent where I might be a bit tempted (and very naively so perhaps) to claim that the stage that we were once so familiarised with is now on the edge of rapid obsolescence and Brook’s ideas, however brilliant they may be, does very little to estimate the digital stage. But then again, perhaps it is only me, a layman from the digital era of speed politics, who seeks some kind of ultra-rapidity even though when it means gazing at a blur, which perhaps isn’t supposed to mean anything at all.P.S: Bought an used book. Came in good condition. Unfortunately, wasn't thought-provoking.

Natürlich geht es im Buch um Theater und Schauspiel. Aber auch Menschen die oft in der Öffentlichkeit stehen lernen viel beim Lesen dieses Buches.

The enjoyment of this book was marred by the blurry printing. I don't know what printing technology was used but it was far inferior to the quality of the text. I would recommend reading this after reading Brooks 'The Empty Space'.

Very insightful