The Return of Dionysus

'Psychic energy’, ‘concentration – relaxation’, ‘the power of the word – the power of gestures’, ‘mental images’ – all these terms are familiar in contemporary theatre, you hear them a lot in interviews with directors and actors. But what does it all mean exactly, and more importantly, how do you get there when you’re up on stage. Not many people know – or rather not many people can explain how to achieve it using technical exercises, using a ‘method’. Theodoros Terzopoulos is one of the few directors in contemporary world theatre who teaches master-classes on this topic, and in his own plays, he graphically uses this ‘psychological energy’ to influence the audience.