VIII. The Theater of Cruelty (First Manifesto) Summary and Analysis

The first thing to notice about theater is that it only expresses itself in space. However, current theater relies on using texts which are considered sacred and translating them into the physical space where theater takes place: the stage. In order to reinvent and modernize theater, it is necessary to get rid of the texts and allow theater to create its own language by considering everything on stage as physical objects that interact at every level with each other. For this purpose, Occidental theater should look at Oriental theater for inspiration.

In his first manifesto, Artaud gives a list of the elements that this "theater of cruelty" needs to maintain. Technically, theater must use every mean available to create a dream in the spectator's mind, thus forcing him to...