The politics of identity theory, praxis and rehearsal in the production of Va?clav Havel's The memorandum /

by McFillen, Kevin Douglas.

THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY: THEORY, PRAXIS AND REHEARSAL IN THE PRODUCTION OF VACLAV HAVEL’S THE MEMORANDUM by Kevin Douglas McFillen This thesis explores the connections between theory, praxis and rehearsal in the preparation and execution of the Miami University production of Václav Havel’s The Memorandum. By examining the historical and sociopolitical contexts surrounding the playwright and the play, certain aesthetic and thematic devices were identified that served as a critical framework for the formation of a rehearsal praxis. This praxis allowed for the assessment of potential acting methods upon which the rehearsal process could be built, leading to the adaptation of Jerzy Grotowski’s via negativa acting method as the foundation of the rehearsal process. Based upon the overall success of the rehearsal process in preparing the performers for the production of Havel’s The Memorandum, this thesis also discusses the possibilities and limitations of similarly adapting Grotowski’s via negativa to future productions.