There is consensus in academic circles that the directors Peter Brook and Ariane Mnouchkine have similar approaches to theatre practice and occupy the same position in the landscape of theatre production in France. Yet there have not been any in-depth studies that unpack the similarities and differences between the two practitioners. Considering their stature on the national French and international stages, such a gap of scholarship needed to be filled. By examining the specificities of their practices via the analysis of their two most emblematic productions, the Mahabharata and Les Atrides, this thesis hopes to provide an appraisal of their practices at a time when they are moving away from theatre. More specifically, this thesis looks at how the two directors transferred ancient archetypal and mythological narratives to the contemporary French stage. It considers how they used successful, parallel methodologies to adapt and render present an Ancient Sanskrit epic on the one hand (Brook), and Ancient Greek drama on the other (Mnouchkine). I uncover in their work the matrix for adaptation, located in the discourse of storytelling and in the post-Brechtian concept of estrangement, that I label ‘décalage’. Moreover, the thesis hopes to provide an appraisal of the supremacy of directors on the French stage in the nineteen eighties and advocates for the cultural necessity of theatre as an art form, at a time of crisis in France.

A presente pesquisa examina um processo próprio de metodologia de ensaio teatral denominada Teatro Playground. Nesta os atores são colocados em um ambiente de criação (Playground), construído para instaurar o estado de jogo e através deste encontrar as relações e sintonias necessárias à performance. A partir do estudo de exemplos práticos de utilização destes procedimentos na direção de espetáculos e condução de grupos de trabalho, são abordadas questões relativas ao treinamento de atores e diretores de teatro. O objetivo principal desta tese é verificar a reverberação de uma abordagem prática de técnicas relacionadas ao jogo, principalmente sob a ótica de Phillipe Gaulier, Luke Dixon, Anne Bogart e Jacques Lecoq. Examinar os fundamentos de relação que permitirão este jogo, baseados principalmente em Meyerhold, Barba, Grotowski, Stanislávski e Vakhtangov. E perceber até que ponto um grupo de trabalho organizado sob certas premissas lúdicas e psicofísicas pode suavizar rupturas encontradas no decorrer de um processo de ensaio, principalmente quando o espetáculo precisa encontrar uma forma definitiva e a improvisação ceder lugar às marcações de cena. / The present research looks upon an original methodology for rehearsal process called Theatre Playground. In it the actors are put in a creative environment (Playground), built in order to establish a playfulness state and through it find the relationships and right tune needed to the performance. From the study of practical examples, specific procedures on directing shows and conducting theatre groups are taken as possibilities for training theatre actors and directors. The main aim for this thesis is verify the resonance of a practical approach on techniques related to theatre games, mainly according to the vision of Phillippe Gaulier, Luke Dixon, Anne Bogart and Jacques Lecoq. Also getting deep on the foundations that will allow this game to happen, based mainly on Meyerhold, Barba, Grotowski, Stanislávski and Vakhtangov. And perceiving on which level a group of theatre work, organized under specific ludic and psychophysics premises, can soften the ruptures found in a rehearsal process, specially when the show needs to find the fixed forms and the impro has to give place to the final movements on stage

A presente pesquisa examina um processo próprio de metodologia de ensaio teatral denominada Teatro Playground. Nesta os atores são colocados em um ambiente de criação (Playground), construído para instaurar o estado de jogo e através deste encontrar as relações e sintonias necessárias à performance. A partir do estudo de exemplos práticos de utilização destes procedimentos na direção de espetáculos e condução de grupos de trabalho, são abordadas questões relativas ao treinamento de atores e diretores de teatro. O objetivo principal desta tese é verificar a reverberação de uma abordagem prática de técnicas relacionadas ao jogo, principalmente sob a ótica de Phillipe Gaulier, Luke Dixon, Anne Bogart e Jacques Lecoq. Examinar os fundamentos de relação que permitirão este jogo, baseados principalmente em Meyerhold, Barba, Grotowski, Stanislávski e Vakhtangov. E perceber até que ponto um grupo de trabalho organizado sob certas premissas lúdicas e psicofísicas pode suavizar rupturas encontradas no decorrer de um processo de ensaio, principalmente quando o espetáculo precisa encontrar uma forma definitiva e a improvisação ceder lugar às marcações de cena. / The present research looks upon an original methodology for rehearsal process called Theatre Playground. In it the actors are put in a creative environment (Playground), built in order to establish a playfulness state and through it find the relationships and right tune needed to the performance. From the study of practical examples, specific procedures on directing shows and conducting theatre groups are taken as possibilities for training theatre actors and directors. The main aim for this thesis is verify the resonance of a practical approach on techniques related to theatre games, mainly according to the vision of Phillippe Gaulier, Luke Dixon, Anne Bogart and Jacques Lecoq. Also getting deep on the foundations that will allow this game to happen, based mainly on Meyerhold, Barba, Grotowski, Stanislávski and Vakhtangov. And perceiving on which level a group of theatre work, organized under specific ludic and psychophysics premises, can soften the ruptures found in a rehearsal process, specially when the show needs to find the fixed forms and the impro has to give place to the final movements on stage