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utopologist's review against another edition
4.0
Brook had a very annoying tendency to default to a male pronoun when referring to people, but like abnormally often. Also he used concerning terms like "Orientals." Other than that, the book had a lot of fascinating ideas for staging theatre.
dillarhonda's review against another edition
In reading Peter Brook's The Open Door, I was struck, as I always am, by Brook's mysticism regarding theatre. Though I don't typically respond well to new-age-y one liners, there is plenty of inspiration to absorb. Unlike his other seminal book, The Empty Space, this collection of musings is less strictly structured and ranges freely. Over a multitude of topics. As usual, Brook's primary focus is on not getting entangled in the rehearsal room either by traditional forms, overreliance on the text, or by outsider influence. Ultimately, he believes that the responsibility for the success of a performance is determined by the director, but is also intrinsically linked to the specifics of time, location, culture, and audience. As with any creative pursuit, Brook insists that flexibility is key: "Staying too long in the depths can become boring. Staying too long in the superficial soon becomes banal. Staying too long on the heights may be intolerable. We must move all the time."
mellamoger's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
scherzo's review
5.0
page 102: "It (an audience) will only be irresistibly interested if the very first words, sounds or actions of the performance release deep within each spectator a first murmur related to the hidden themes that gradually appear. This cannot be an intellectual, least of all a rational, process. The theatre is in no way a discussion between cultivated people. The theatre, through the energy of sound, word, colour and movement, touches an emotional button that in turn sends tremors through the intellect."
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