How Robert Wilson Bends Time

Theatre director and artist Robert Wilson bends time in his work, using it to forward his vision throughout his prolific career.


FULL INTERVIEWS

THE ARTIST
Find out about Robert Wilson, and where to see his work live.

Mackenzie Davenport is a theatre director and writer creating video essays on theatre, the arts, and society.

[MackenzieDavenport]

Ahead of screening this video essay at The Legacy of Robert Wilson Conference in August 2024, I made this new version now that I have a real microphone and the slightest idea of how to edit audio. Still leaving this old version up though.

[jeffreylukebaker]

Killer video dude! We need more YouTube video essays on theatre

[eddiedeanparkerii]

I just want to say thank you for this video. This is teaching the future theater kids culture in art. And to that I am so happy to see this video. People of my generation (and the next) will never understand his work because they are so focused on the mainstream, and this video is helping others understand a more open perspective of theatrical art. I just want to say thank you. I literally cried watching this because it’s educating the kids about this type of theater that I adore so much and am passionate about.

Robert Wilson is the definition of avant-garde theater. His productions, in my opinion, are far more superior than mainstream, popular Broadway musicals/plays that are so artificial and commercialized. Though his work is meant to be exaggerated and tense, it is still raw with emotions, acting wise and music wise. As long as he’s alive and as long as his legacy in theater is remembered and his visions and acting theory on stillness is still used, I don’t think he will ever vanish into theater culture and pop culture in general. 💖

[nataliastolingwa]

That was awesome. Robert Wilson is such an inspiration.

[rachaeldowns]

Thank you for sharing this, very helpful introduction into post dramatic theatre too. Regards, newly learning theatre student :)

[HuangShang]

Thanks for the video! Very well-made and helpful!

[ingridllinas]

Interesting! Congratulations for the wining award from Japan.

[bigfakenetwork]

So nicely done! I was half-dreading this; I've heard wild screeds from people who seem to delight in completely missing the point (or rather the myriad points) of the man's work, and was afraid this would just be more of the same. Some of these ideas are so easily misinterpreted. But instead I was delighted. Your ideas and explanations are clear and open and very much on point; marvelously concise considering the time constraints. An introduction that does justice to complex, unusual ideas. Cheers, and best of luck to you.

[ChickenGeorgeClooney]

Fantastic video! Would love to see more videos from you!

[Jamslerr]

Cast of the Magic Bullets is so rich with pop culture & history. It's beautiful

[hippomancy]

I loved this; enjoy the abstract in theatre (absurdism of Beckett, Ionesco) but often it's a little too verbal, too harried in the hands of lesser... seeking to appeal to the traditional theatre goers... instead he is giving a space for reflection... this is awesome

[ladavid]

Well yeah, if you like that kinda thing

[flaviasantillan]

thank you so much for this video🖤 at first glance, I didn't understood Wilson's pieces or why he wanted to put so much focus on the details (like Deafman Glance, for example) but this video has cleared a lot of my doubts and has even made me realize things that I wasn't conscious about his work. Thank you🤍 (I'm sorry if I made a mistake in my writing, this is not my native language 😅)