NARRATOR：

Listen to a conversation between a student and a theater professor.

MALE STUDENT：

Hi, Professor Jones.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Hey, didn't I see you at the performance of Crimes of the Heart last night?

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah... actually my roommate had a small part in it.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Really? I was impressed with the performance- there sure are some talented people here!

What did you think?

MALE STUDENT：

[was not impressed with the play or the acting performances] You know, Beth Henley's an OK playwright; she's written some decent stuff, but... it was a little too traditional, a little too ordinary... especially considering the research I'm doing.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Oh, what's that?

MALE STUDENT：

On the Polish theater director Jerzy Grotowski.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Grotowski, yeah, that's a little out of the mainstream,pretty experimental.

MALE STUDENT：

That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I had a question about our essay and presentation.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

OK...

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah, some of these ideas, uh, Grotowski's ideas, are really hard to understand,they're very abstract,philosophical-and,well, I thought the class would get more out of it if I acted out some of it to demonstrate.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Interesting idea,and what happens to the essay?

MALE STUDENT：

Well, I'll do the best I can with that, but supplement it with the performance-you know, bring it to life.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

All right... but what exactly are we talking about here?

Grotowski, as I'm sure you know, had several phases in his career.

MALE STUDENT：

Right. Well, I'm mainly interested in his idea from the late 1960s... Poor theater, you know, a reaction against a lot of props, lights, fancy costumes, and all that...so, it'd be good for the classroom.

I wouldn't need anything special.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Yes. I'm sure a lot of your classmates are unfamiliar with Grotowski- this would be good for them.

MALE STUDENT：

Right, and this leads... I think there's overlap between his Poor theater phase and another phase of his,when he was concerned with the relationship between performers and the audience.

I also want to read more and write about that.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

You know, I saw a performance several years ago...it really threw me for a loop.

You know, you're used to just watching a play, sitting back...but this performance, borrowing Grotowski's principles, was really confrontational-a little uncomfortable.

The actors looked right in our eyes, even moved us around, involved us in the action.

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah, I hope I can do the same when I perform for the class.

I'm a bit worried, since the acting is so physical, that there's so much physical preparation involved.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

Well, some actors spend their whole lives working on this...so don't expect to get very far in a few weeks...but I'm sure you can bring a couple of points across.

And, if you need some extra class time, let me know.

MALE STUDENT：

No, I think I can fit it into the regular time for the presentation.

FEMALE PROFESSOR：

OK. I think this'll provide for some good discussion about these ideas, and other aspects of the audience and their relationship to theatrical productions.