An exhibition, a workshop, and a performance: this is how theatre is once again questioning itself as a living and political practice. This is happening in Parma with ROOTS: The Living Theatre from its Origins to ’68, a project by The Living Theatre Europa as part of the international program 100th Revolution, dedicated to the centenary of Judith Malina and Julian Beck, the founders of the legendary Living Theatre. The project will commence on April 23rd at the Teatro al Parco / Teatro delle Briciole of the Fondazione Solares per le Arti, with the inauguration of the exhibition 100th Revolution: The Living Theatre’s Eternal Struggle for the Revolution of Love. Through archival materials, documents, and images, the exhibition traces The Living Theatre’s trajectory from its New York origins in 1947 through the 1960s, highlighting not only its aesthetic radicalism but also the social and communal dimension of Malina and Beck’s work.
Beyond its historical dimension, the project aims to bring to the present the practices that redefined 20th-century theatre: the centrality of the body, the collective dimension, the direct relationship with the audience, and the rejection of representation as a fiction separate from life. Indeed, alongside the exhibition, the operational core of the project is the workshop Theatre of Redemption, directed by Gary Brackett, a historic figure of The Living Theatre and founder of Living Theatre Europa. The workshop addresses the linguistic transformations introduced by the company in the 1960s, from collective creation to non-fictional acting, from ritual action to the breaking of stage illusion. Through practices of breath, sound, movement, and vocal composition, participants work on materials drawn from Frankenstein, Antigone, Mysteries and Smaller Pieces, and Paradise Now. The process will culminate in a public demonstration scheduled for April 25th, conceived as a moment of sharing.
The third axis of the project is represented by Mysteries ’26, staged on May 2nd and 3rd. This is a historically accurate reconstruction of Mysteries and Smaller Pieces, one of The Living Theatre’s most radical shows, which in 1964 marked a watershed in the history of contemporary theatre. By eliminating plot, characters, and scenography, Mysteries redefined the stage as a space of real presence, where the actor exposes their complexity and the spectator is invited to participate.
Revisiting the history of The Living Theatre today, a foundational chapter in the history of contemporary theatre, means confronting a precise, ritualistic creative method and betting on its capacity to provoke critical reflection on the present.
