Reinhardt’s Modern Concept of Eclecticism in Theatre at Variance to the Production Philosophies of Grotowski and Brook, A Critical Review

Abstract

Eclecticism in twenty-first-century theatre is fast becoming an influential directorial ideology due to the effects of globalization and digitalization. However, some theatre critics will argue in favor of a wide variety of non-traditional styles of performance that emerged during the avant-garde theatre of the 1900s. Hence, this paper takes a comparative approach to assess Max Reinhardt’s directorial concept of ‘eclecticism’ and its numerous benefits to the traditional theatre, while juxtaposing it with the production philosophies of Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook. Furthermore, the paper invites the reader to an exposition of the directorial styles of three great theatre exponents as case studies of the Modern stage. The research addresses the aesthetic features of Reinhardt, Grotowski, and Brook’s theatre that have encouraged and stimulated a greater exploration of a variety of diverse and inclusive approaches to directing performances for the ever-evolving contemporary audience. The summary and findings are deduced from the critical examination of the three case studies.