The concern with man's duality and the desire to resolve it is still part of the ongoing debate among acting theorists. While the "externalists" advocate technical acting from the body, the "internalists" claim that acting must stem from the soul and emotions. This polarization within acting theory can also be seen in the idea of the puppet which expresses itself as the dualism between body and spirit. Such theorists as Heinrich von Kleist, however, suggest the marionette as a means to resolve the dichotomy, for within the figure of the animated puppet, mind and matter are unified. / The purpose of this study is twofold. It examines Kleist's "On the Marionette Theater" in conjunction with Diderot's The Paradox of Acting as a basis for understanding how the metaphor of the marionette can be used in performance theory. The second task is to examine how the metaphor has been realized on stage through the work of Craig, Meyerhold, and Schlemmer. Because of its dual purpose, this study divides into two parts: the first three chapters present the theory of the marionette as an ideal, while the last three chapters (IV-VI) demonstrate how the theory was technically applied with the aim to achieve form, grace, and perfection in art. / One of the most important contributions this study may make to performance theory is to show that there exists an indigenous Western puppet tradition whose influence is no less important than that of the more exotic East. This Western tradition, exemplified in this study by the two essays, the puppet aesthetics, and the stage-work of three artists, is aimed at reconciling the many dichotomies inherent in the theatre experience: the dichotomy between nature and art, body and mind, and self and role. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: A, page: 2308. / Major Professor: Stuart E. Baker. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78052 |
| Contributors | Rovit, Rebecca Laughlin., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 331 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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