On this day in 1936, Artaud's boat, en route to Mexico, docked temporarily in North America. He took the opportunity to write and post a letter to his friend and publisher Jean Paulhan. #OTDArtaud 🧵
He uses notepaper headed 'la Cie Gel Transatlantique, French Line'. In this letter he informs Paulhan of the title he has decided for the compilation of letters and essays that he had deposited for publication before leaving France. It is to be called 'The Theatre and its Double'
'because if the theatre doubles life, then life doubles the true theatre, and that has nothing to do with Oscar Wilde’s ideas about art. This title speaks to all the doubles of the theatre that I have believed to have found throughout these years: metaphysics, plague, cruelty,
The reservoir of energies that constitute Myths that are no longer incarnated by people, are incarnated by the theatre. By this double I mean that great, magical power of which the theatre in the forms it adopts is only the representation,
as it waits to become the transfiguration of that power.
The union of thought, gesture and action will be re-established on the stage. And the Double of the Theatre is that reality that is neglected by the people of our times.'
The union of thought, gesture and action will be re-established on the stage. And the Double of the Theatre is that reality that is neglected by the people of our times.'
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