Observing the body, recovering rituals – Antiquity artifacts in the contemporary scene

Abstract

Reclaiming of the body in contemporary theater is linked to the nostalgia of the lost sacred, to a call to restore rituals. The European vanguard movements reveal a growing interest in the East and the consequent return of theatrical traditions that go back to Antiquity. In this study I will focus on contemporary creations that recover techniques from masks and puppets as a source of work for the scenic corporality, in some of Ariane Mnouchkine creations.