The Piscator Notebook

by Judith Malina

'Theater legend Malina has written one of the most interesting studies of the avant-garde theatrical movement published in the last several years.' – CHOICE Judith Malina and The Living Theatre have been icons of political theatre for over six decades. What few realise is that she originally studied under one of the giants of twentieth century culture, Erwin Piscator, in his Dramatic Workshop at The New School in New York. Piscator founded the Workshop after emigrating to New York, having collaborated with Brecht to create "epic theatre" in Germany. The Piscator Notebook documents Malina’s intensive and idiosyncratic training at Piscator’s school. Part diary, part theatrical treatise, this unique and inspiring volume The Piscator Notebook is a compelling record of the genealogy of political theatre practice in the early 20th Century, from Europe to the US. But it is also a stunningly personal reflection on the pleasures and challenges of learning about theatre, charged with essential insights for the student and teacher, actor and director. 'Piscator is the greatest theatre man of our time.' – Bertolt Brecht

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Judith Malina was co-founder, with Julian Beck, of The Living Theatre, the most experimental, radical, and uncompromising group in American theatrical history.

Reviews

[Victoria Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Part 2: The Notebook' gives some insight into the different classes undertaken in the Dramatic Workshop. Depending on how well Malina enjoyed the class corresponds with how much detail of the class is provided, for example, she discusses little on voice class as it was her least favourite class. It provides a few insights into the working of Piscator.

'Part 3: The Ongoing Epic' provides more information on Political Theatre and the workings of Piscator, e.g. 'Piscator and the Audience' and 'Objective Acting' however, this is only a few pages. Interspersed here and there are snippets into Piscator's teaching/thinking; these come particularly from quotations taken from 'The Piscator Experiment' by Maria Ley-Piscator.