Word: communion
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Then, as if the polar axis had shifted, came the liberation of Vatican II. The Mass was invaded by drums, guitars, mariachi ensembles; experimental liturgies were celebrated in the vernacular. There was Communion under "both kinds"-bread and wine-a privilege that the Latin-rite laity had not enjoyed in centuries. (Protestants customarily receive both bread and wine, but Catholics believe that the bread alone -the living body of Christ-includes the "blood" as well.) Now the Vatican and the many national conferences of bishops are in the process of adopting an official new Mass that combines both longstanding tradition...
...manner of Communion reflects the new theology as well. The Host-traditionally, in the U.S., a small white paper-thin wafer-is now supposed to be more breadlike, so that it can be broken and shared by priests and people in a more vivid re-enactment of the Last Supper. The wine may be drunk directly from the chalice, sipped from a spoon, taken by "induction" (dipping the bread in wine), or even sipped through silver straws...
Amazingly enough, Moss accomplishes not only the easy part of the job-removing all the stage's physical accessories-but much of the hard part-actor-audience communion-as well. And in doing that, he makes a powerful case for the validity of an ideal Grotowski theatre...
...essay, "Towards a Poor Theatre," Grotowski calls for a theatre devoid of theatrical apparatus and full of human contact. That means the replacement of sets, costumes, lighting, and make-up with a total emphasis on "the actor-spectator relationship of perpetual, direct, live' communion." Grotowski wants, of all things, to give the theatrical experience back to the people who are actually in the theatre when the performance takes place-that is, the actors and the audience, period. In such a "Pour Theatre." not only will the designers and stagehands be eliminated, but so will the playwright. Grotowski sees all theatrical...
...connoisseur might claim that "true" poetry relies on a lot more than visceral communion with your audience. "Poetry," one might say, has to be less mortal, more enduring than Brautigan's verbal hand grenades...