Pillory Theater
Source Material
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Editor(Owen Daly)>  Polish theater director Jerzy Grotowski died in January of 1999.  His work passes into history.  Many that have been influenced by his work survive and prosper. They serve as sources of information and knowledge for those now looking for information about Grotowski and his work.  A group of us worked with Grotowski's techniques and guidance for three years, from 1967 through 1970.  Our director was Dr. Jacques Burdick.  We were known as "Pillory Theater". 

The first Pillory Theater production, The Termites, was produced in 1967 and performed in 1967 and 1968.  In 1968 - 1969 three productions,  Runesglee,   The Elephant, and a children's theater piece, Bags, Boats, Tubs, and Kids were developed and performed.  Runesglee was presented at the Yale Drama Festival that year.  In the Fall of 1969 Jacques Burdick and his troupe mounted a production of Calderon de la Barca's Life is a Dream which they presented at the "Festiwal Festiwali" in Wroclaw, Poland the week of October 18 - 26 1969.

Pillory Theater Productions (1967 - 1970):

 

Three Hats 1967- 1968
A ensemble mime exploration of militarism

'Termites' Photos


Runesglee
1968-1969
A Celebration of Tropes on Western Texts

     Introit and Proper:  "Words Before Wordlessness"
         I. Memory: Fathers and Sons
        II. Memory: The Burning Bush
       III. Memory: Re-Creation
       IV. Memory: The Judgment of Solomon
        V. Memory: The Expectation
       VI. Memory: Other Words

   Exodos

Runesglee Pictures


The Elephant

An adaptation of three tales by Slawomir Mrozek
         I. The Horse
        II. The Lion
       III. The Elephant 

Bags, Boats, Tubs, and Kids
(a medieval Miracle Play for children)

Life is a Dream, 1969 - 1970
adapted from the play by Calderon De La Barca

 

Segismn4.jpg (8467 bytes)

Reflections on the Pillory Theatre
by Jacques Burdick, 1971

Personnel:
Director: Dr. Jacques Burdick

Cast:1967-1968: Sari Kitzus, M. Delvale Fidanque, Kimberly Welsh, Michele Lazerow, Jeffrey Spolan, Owen Daly
Company Manager: Werner Dietrich
Company Secretary: Bonnie Gable

Cast 1968-1969: Bonnie Gable, Doris Adler, Kimberly Welsh, Michele Lazerow, Jeffrey Spolan, Owen Daly
Company Manager: Nicholas Petron

Cast 1969-1970: Jay Frankel, Claire Petrie, Donald Perret, Peter Coombs, Doris Adler, Kimberly Welsh,  Jeffrey Spolan, Owen Daly
Assistant to the Director and Costume Designer:  Nicholas Raftopoulos

Jacques Burdick
at rehearsal of Runesglee
with Kimberly Welsh
rehearsal.jpg (19282 bytes)

Contemporary Reviews of Pillory Theater Performances:

Bodke on Burdick
Memorable, Exciting, New: An Evening With The Pillory Theater
by Dr. Richard Bodke, Professor of English, Adelphi University
December  1968

Pillory: A Total Experience
The Sounds of Silence
by Madeline Grumet
December  1968

Revert and Enjoy
Back to never never land...
by Linda Truzzolino
December  1968

Q&A with Jeffrey Spolan and links to addition Grotowski Source Material

Pillory Publicity Flyer

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