The monumental theatre of Leon Schiller.
Item
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Title
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The monumental theatre of Leon Schiller.
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Identifier
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AAI9720144
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identifier
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9720144
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Creator
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Somerville, Paul.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Daniel Gerould
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Date
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1997
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Theater | Biography | History, European
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Abstract
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Leon Schiller, the greatest stage director in the history of Polish theatre, was born on March 14, 1887 in Cracow. He was not an invisible director but an autonomous artist of the theatre as advocated by Gordon Craig. His theatre had an unique and artistic logic which expressed his individual concept of the world, as does the work of every great artist. After High School, Leon Schiller studied philosophy and literature at the Jagellonian University in Cracow. From 1907 on he travelled extensively in Europe studying music. In 1909 the turning point came in Paris where Schiller met Gordon Craig and under his influence turned his thoughts to the theatre of the future. During the years 1908-9 Schiller began writing articles about Polish theatre for Craig's magazine The Mask.;The term "monumental theatre" is inseparable in Polish theatrical life from the name of Leon Schiller. Many consider it to be the best representation of his life's achievements. Schiller's main reason for creating monumental theatre was to stage Polish romantic dramas of Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Zygmunt Krasinski, and subsequently world drama with similar qualities. It is important to mention that he was the only director of his time who created a theatrical style which stemmed entirely from specific dramatic literature.;In his quest for monumental style, Schiller was the first Polish director who introduced total control of the director over every aspect of theatrical production. He was the first Polish director to compose a spectacle out of the written text, as a unique symphony of audio-visual elements. Following Appia, who said that light is more important than scenery, he was first Polish director to use light for sculpturing characters, places, and situations on a grand scale. Schiller was the first Polish director to use crowds on the stage as a monumental tool of expression in a manner advocated by his idol, Gordon Craig.;After World War II, Schiller hoped that the communist government of Poland would provide him with unlimited resources for his ongoing quest for the perfection of monumental theatre. Unfortunately, he did not realize that his ideas of staging were in sharp opposition to the accepted style of socialist realism. Not being able to yield to the party demands, Schiller did not live to see the triumph of his ideas in Polish theatre. Ironically, his theatrical career ended with the monumental staging of The Tempest in Lodz, a play which was, coincidentally, Shakespeare's own farewell to the theatre. Leon Schiller died in Warsaw on March 25, 1954.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
