VI. No More Masterpieces Summary and Analysis

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a complete and fundamental renewal of the art of theater is the respect and admiration that we have for the old, classic texts. Artaud maintains that since classics texts—what we generally call masterpieces—were made in the past, they are only good for the past. He says that the reason the public is not interested in "higher" art and in theater in particular, is because people do not react to old language and forms of expression, which are totally disconnected from contemporary reality.

He says that psychology diminishes the value of theater. The separation of life and theater, where the latter is but a mirror image of the former, is inherently false. Written poetry, just like theater scripted in words, must disappear because it...