Theatre of Movement and Gesture (Review) (original) (raw)

My paper focuses on Lecoq's work as a pedagogy in physical and movement oriented actor training work and its further evolution in the work of Philippe Gaulier. What has Philippe Gaulier added to the pedagogy left behind by Jacques Lecoq and how does that fulfill the training needs of present-day actors in the movement department when it comes to interpreting a written text? Let us first look at the similarities and differences of the two training approaches. Jacques Lecoq's training can be traced back to some of the sports and movement traditions he came from. In his work the elements that contributed to the actor's presence, such as readiness (disponibilité), transparency (openness), and lightness (le jeu) achieved help with the creative process and in building a character through movement and physicality. Interaction with the outside world is important in Lecoq's work and he puts much emphasis on spatial and personal interactions, explaining how attitudes and therefore acting and character could change based on the architecture of a space, the spatial interaction between actors on stage, and small details such the tilt of a hat or a shift in posture. Gaulier coming from a clown tradition, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of the game, personal presence, the desire to play, and the pleasure derived from it. Having had the chance to work with Lecoq student and collaborator Monika Pagneux in the early 90's and with Complicity Theatre's Simon MacBurney and Annabel Arden, I only have a secondhand experience in the Lecoq pedagogy, and none at all in the Gaulier approach except accounts from actor friends who studied with him. Therefore, my methodology will rely on revisiting writings on Lecoq's work (either written by him or others), and those of the pedagogy of Philippe Gaulier (personal interviews and writings from his pedagogic explanations on his website). In order to understand what Philippe Gaulier has added to the pedagogy left behind by Jacques Lecoq, and how this evolution fulfills the training needs of present-day actors in the movement department when it comes to interpreting a written text, it is important to understand first Lecoq's pedagogy, and evaluate the similarities and differences of the two training approaches.