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AESTHETIC
PHILOSOPHY
In his work as a professor of crticism, theatare theory,
aesthetics, theatre practice and an active theatre director
in the professional European and American theatre for
more than two decades working on various artistic problems
of theatre, both on a practical and theoretical level,
Panovski has examined the idea of theatre as a complete
imaginative art in which many other arts, artistic disciplines,
skills and crafts are included. The art of theatre, to
him, is a powerful expression of the playwright's, director's,
actor's, designer's, and other artists' individuality,
imagination, talent, and fantasy. That is, theatre is
a specific creative process that unites and harmonizes
different ideas, thoughts, sensations, feelings, and artistic
skills as well as crafts and talents in order to create
the magic world of the theatre. And, it is immanent to
its creative nature to bridge opposites, to bring worlds
together, to incorporate diversities and through an active,
praxis, process to create out of that an almost ideal
world. In so doing the theatre brings together and unifies
all the visible and invisible, hidden and unhidden, known
and unknown, secret and public powers, energies, and forces
in order to create a world bigger than life. Under this
paradigm, the art of theatre is considered to be a specific
place that in a specific time unites and harmonizes in
a particular creative way the artists and the audiences.
In that way, through an immediate communication the theatre
as a powerful art unites other arts in its own realm and
creates specific artistic world which enlightens, entertains,
educates, communicates, heals, and questions the mysteries
of human condition.
The art of theatre is not only about the words - about
what is said on the stage- but it is rather more about
the deeds - about what is done on the stage. During its
praxis process it creates a web of action and a net of
deeds, signs, and meanings on the stage. Out of that process
grows an artistic world which strongly affects the world
in which we all live and act. Thus, the theatre is not
only at the core of its given community and an art which
gives form to the imaginative world presented on the stage,
but is also an art which expresses our individual world-view
by giving form to the world that we inhabit. In that sense,
I believe that theatre must be recognized as an authorial
art which stands as a heartbeat of the community trying
to find relevant answers to the fundamental question of
our existence, that is, “what a piece of work is
a wo/man?”
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Our responsibility as theatre artists, scholars, mentors,
guides, and instructors of theatre, especially instructors
of theatre directing and acting, is to be committed and
devoted to our students and to know them well in order
to be both productive and successful in our quest for
excellence in their theatre education. Who are the students?
What are their expectations? The students of theatre directing
and acting in many theatre departments are usually promising
young talents who are expected to excel and to enter the
world of professional or educational theatre at their
best. Some of them are more talented and some are less,
some are more serious and dedicated to their studies some
are not, still others are there because they love theatre.
Is love only enough? However most of them are there because
they hope the study of theatre directing or acting will
be an exciting experience, one which will enable them
to pursue careers in the professional world. It is assumed,
therefore, that the study of theatre directing and acting
as a creative art and imaginative practice is the most
important element in their curriculum. It is there, then,
in the professional theatre departments, that the future
practitioners of theatre are educated and born.
Since the study of theatre directing and acting requires
special approaches and special methodology of teaching,
I deeply believe in already tested fruitful method of
"doing, experiencing, and learning" as a basic
approach to directing acting training. Under this paradigm
and through this demanding process the students should
be helped, on one hand, to enrich and develop their theoretical
knowledge of directing and acting, while on the other,
should be helped to develop their artistic talents and
skills practically experiencing every phase of directing
and acting in the process of creating a theatre production.
In so doing, they will be helped and enabled to build
a strong artistic foundation which should be a lifelong
wellspring in the exploration of their own art and the
world to which it speaks. Also, creating a working and
learning atmosphere in which students feel stimulated
they should be helped to develop their intellectual, physical,
sensual, emotional, and imaginative tools so they could
put their hands on the creative problems of directing
and acting and could examine in practice and in their
own terms their talent, theoretical and practical knowledge
of creating theatre. In that way, they will have the opportunity
to experience first hand the complexity and the beauty
of the art of directing and acting, and will be able to
enter the theatre world as well prepared and complete
theatre artists - directors, actors, etc..
*For more information on my aesthetic belief and teaching
philosophy see please Origins, Development, and Idea of
Directing in Directing Poiesis
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