top of page
red bar.jpg
red bar.jpg

Thomas Richards' Artistic Timeline

2022
2021

2022

2021

  • July: Workshops, Valencia, Alicante (Spain)

  • June: Artist Residencies, Pontedera (Italy)

  • May: Threads of Creation: A Yearly Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mar/Apr: Han!, Workshops, Work Sessions on Songs of Tradition, Residencies, Akron, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois (USA)

  • Feb: Theatre No Theatre is founded, Pontedera (Italy); Workshop, Saint Denis (Réunion, France)

  • Jan: Thomas Richards closes the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards

       See more info on photos

2020

2020
  • Dec: Richards awarded Orden del Guerrero Teatral, Rosario (Argentina)

  • Aug-Dec: South American Tour: Sin Fronteras, The Underground, Gravedad, Han!, Songs of Tradition, Conferences, Workshops; Cali, Bogota (Colombia), Santiago, Valparaiso, Conception (Chile), Buenos Aires, Rosario (Argentina); Online Events: Songs of Tradition, Lecture, Retroperspektywy Festiwal, Łódź (Poland); Meeting, EXPERIMENTA 18 TEATRO, Rosario (Argentina); Singing Session and Conference, Spaces and Currents, Krušče (Slovenia)

  • June: Workshop in ARTA, Paris (France)

  • Apr/May: Sin Fronteras, Pontedera (Italy); 2 week Online Master Course

  • Jan-June: Open Fridays, a weekly opportunity to witness online a session on songs of tradition           

      Download the dossier of the South America Tour

      See more info on photos

2019

2019

2018

  • Dec: Sin Fronteras, Gravedad, Conference, Valencia (Spain); The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, Songs of Tradition, Workshop, Barcelona (Spain)

  • Oct: The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky at the Theatre Olympics (Audience Choice Award), Saint Petersburg (Russia); The Living Room filmed, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Sept: Actor's Intensive Pedagogical Program, Great Wall of China, Beijing (China)

  • July: Workshop in ARTA, Paris (France); Project in Théâtre de la Ville, Performances, Workshops, Conferences, Film projections, Paris (France)

  • May/June: Gravedad, Workshops, Conferences, Santiago, Antofagasta, Iquique (Chile); The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, L'heure fugitive, The Living Room, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Apr: Songs of Tradition, Conference, Warsaw (Poland) 

  • Jan/Feb: 4 week Master Course, Pontedera (Italy)

       See more info on photos

2018
  • Dec: Film documentation Work Session on Songs of Tradition is shown, Online International Festival CICLO - GIRO TRADIÇÃO, Londrina (Brazil)

  • Nov: Online Master Class, Faculty de Filosofia y Letras - UNAM, (Mexico); Work Session on Songs of Tradition is filmed, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mar-Nov: Covid lockdown. Online rehearsals and Singing Sessions, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Feb: 4 week Master Course, Pontedera (Italy)

       See more info on photos

2017
  • Nov/Dec: Gravedad, Barcelona (Spain); The Living Room, The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, Master Class, Symposium (Hong Kong); The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, Workshop, Taipei (Taiwan)

  • Oct: The Living Room, Wuzhen (China); Workcenter South Korean Initiative (Workshop), Seoul (South Korea)

  • Sept: The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, Torino (Italy)

  • June/July: Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mar-May: The Living Room, Sin Fronteras, Gravedad, Workshop, Conference, Zacatecas; Sin Fronteras, Dialogue, Workshop, Guanajuato; Sin Fronteras, Gravedad, Workshop, Conference, Mexico City; Sin Fronteras, Gravedad, Workshop, Reynosa (Mexico)

  • Jan/Feb: 4 week Master Course, Pontedera (Italy)

      See more info on photos

2017

  • Nov/Dec: Sin Fronteras, Gravedad, L'heure fugitive, Workshops, Conference, Barcelona (Spain); L'heure fugitive, Workshop, Marseille (France); The Living Room, L'heure fugitive, Workshops, Film Projection, Conferences, Round Table, Lecco, Milan; The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, L'heure fugitive, Florence (Italy)

  • Oct: Workshop, Florence; The Living Room, Conference, Rome (Italy)

  • Sept: L'heure fugitive, Izmir, Istanbul (Turkey)

  • Aug: The Living Room, Workshops, Singapore (Singapore)

  • July: Workshop, Taipei (Taiwan)

  • June: Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • May: Course for Students, Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes (France)

  • Apr: The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, Budapest (Hungary)

  • Jan/Feb: 4 week Master Course, Pontedera (Italy)

      See more info on photos

Anchor-SF
Han!

2017 To Present

Anchor-Gravedad
Anchor-TU
The Underground:
A Response to Dostoevsky

2016-2021

Gravedad

2016-2021

Sin Fronteras

2016-2021

2016
2015
  • Dec: L'heure Fugitive, presentation of French edition of Richards’ book, Au coeur d'une pratique, Workshop, Paris (France)

  • Sept/Oct: The Living Room, Workshop, Conference, Seoul (Korea); The Living Room, Workshop, Conference, Pasto and Bogota, Colombia

  • June/Aug: The Living Room, Workshop, Taipei (Taiwan); L'heure fugitive, Pontedera (Italy); The Living Room, Florence (Italy)

  • May: Workshop, Conference, Photo exposition, Vienna (Austria)

  • Mar: Workshop, Berlin (Germany)

       See more info on photos

  • Dec: The Living Room, Conference, Workshop, Szczecin (Poland); Workshop, Conference, Santiago (Chile)

  • Oct: Workshop, Florence (Italy) 

  • Aug: The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky, The Living Room, L'heure fugitive, Workshop, Fringe Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh (Scotland); The Workcenter’s 30th Anniversary.

  • June: The Living Room, Conference, Wrocław (Poland); The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky (Open Rehearsal), Scandicci (Italy)

  • Mar: Presentations of Grotowski’s Collected texts, Florence (Italy) 

  • Jan/Feb: L'heure fugitive, Bologna; 4 weeks Master Course, Pontedera (Italy); Workcenter Studio in Residence is created

      See more info on photos

2014
LF
  • Dec: The Living Room, L'heure fugitive, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Nov: 4 week Master Course, Pontedera (Italy)

  • July: The Living Room, Pontigny (France); The Living Room, Milano (Italy); The Living Room, Pontedera (Italy)

  • June: 3 week Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mar: Course with student of Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes (France)

  • Feb: The Living Room, Workshop, Conferences, Albino, Bergamo, Gandino (Italy) 

  • Teatro della Pergola merges with Fondazione Pontedera Teatro, as well as other Tuscan theatres to form a National Theatre. The Workcenter becomes active within the structure of Fondazione Teatro della Toscana - Teatro Nazionale

      See more info on photos

L'heure
Fugitive

2014 - 2019

2013
2012
  • Nov: The Living Room, Bucharest (Romania)

  • Oct: The Living Room, Workshop with students of Shanghai Theatre Academy, International Symposium, Shanghai (China)

  • July: Workshop, Conference, Film screening, Santiago (Chile); Workcenter performative events, Conferences, Ouro Preto, São José do Rio Preto (Brazil)

  • June: Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • May: All Workcenter performative events, Workshops, Encounters, Film screenings, Le Mans (France)

  • Mar: The Living Room, Seminar on Song, Albino; Workshop, Torino (Italy)

       See more info on photos

  • Dec: The Living Room, Pontedera (Italy); Workshop at ARTA, Paris (France) 

  • Nov: The Wedding Chamber (Work in progress), Conference, Film Screening, Bucharest (Romania)

  • Sept: Course with student of Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes (France)

  • June: Richards invited as key speaker in P.S.I. Conference, San Francisco (USA); Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Apr-May: The Living Room, Conference, Rzeszów (Poland); All Performance Events, Conferences, Workshops, book launch of the Portuguese version of Richards’ book, At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions, Sao Paulo, Conference and Workshop, Santa Maria (Brazil); Conference, Film Screening, Paris (France)

  • Mar: The Living Room, Workshop, Caracas (Venezuela)

       See more info on photos

2011
  • Nov-Dec: Workshop, Conference, Shanghai (China); The Living Room, Workshop, Conference, Bucharest, Romania

  • Sept-Nov: The Living Room, Workshops, Conferences, Film Screenings, Tallahassee, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; New York, NY (USA)

  • June/July: Celebration of the Workcenter’s 25th Anniversary. All Workcenter performative events, Work Exchanges, Workshops, Meetings, Film Screenings, Le Mans (France)

  • Apr/June: Workshop, Conference, Belo Horizonte (Brazil); The Living Room, Genova (Italy); Summer Intensive Program, Pontedera (Italy); Workshop in ARTA, Paris (France)

  • Jan: Workshop, Torino (Italy)

       See more info on photos

  • Nov-Dec: The Living Room, Workshops, Conferences, Film Screenings, Brussels, Liège, Charleroi (Belgium); The Living Room, Workshops, Symposiums, New Haven, Connecticut; New York, NY (USA)

  • Oct: The Living Room, Modena (Italy); The Living Room, Conference, Krakow (Poland)

  • June: The Living Room, Krušče-Lubjana (Slovenia)

  • Apr/May: Workshop, Pontedera; The Living Room, Florence; The Living Room, Perugia (Italy); The Living Room, Barcelona (Spain)

  • Mar: Workshop, Film Screening, Lisbon (Portugal)

  • Feb: The Living Room, Florence (Italy)

       See more info on photos

2010
TLR
The Living Room

2009 - 2019

2008
  • Heart of Practice, Within the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards is published in English (Routledge)

  • The Letter, Genova (Italy)

  • At the Workcenter, the Focused Research Team in Art as Vehicle is created, directed by Thomas Richards

  • Residencies are held as part of Project Horizons, Wrocław (Poland)

      See more info on photos

  • An Action in creation: Work Session, Castiglioncello (Italy)

  • Richards is Awarded Honorary Citizenship of Pontedera (Italy)

  • Open Program is created at the Workcenter under the direction of Mario Biagini

  • The Workcenter’s three-year Project Horizons begins, supported and hosted by the City of Wrocław (Poland)

  • Residencies as part of Project Horizons, Wrocław (Poland)

  • In 2012, At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in Serbian, Clio

2003-2006
Anchor-The Letter
  • In 2006, the film documentations: ACTION in Vallicelle, An Action in creation, and Dies Iræ: The Preposterous Theatrum Interioris Show are made

  • In 2004, At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in Spanish, Alba Editorial, and in Polish, Wydawnictwo Homini SC

  • In 2003, the Workcenter receives support from the “Culture 2000” Programme of the EU for its three-year project, Tracing Roads Across      

  • From 2003 to 2006, a traveling cultural dialogue is fostered between theatre groups, organisations and cultural operators from eleven nations, and the project also creates the opportunity for professionals, non-professionals and theatre-lovers to come in contact with the artistic research of the Workcenter. A film documentation (ACTION in Aya Irini) of Action is shot in Istanbul, Turkey. Action, The Twin: an Action in creation is presented at “t:me” Festival of Gent (Belgium). At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in Polish, Wydawnictwo Homini SC

  • Tracing Roads Across http://tra.scharf.net/infos/

      Download Tracing Roads Across Booklet and Calendar​

       See more info on photos

Dies Irae
  • UNESCO makes 2009 Year of Grotowski

  • Conference, Film Screenings, Lincoln Center, New York, NY (USA) 

  • Film Screenings, Centre Pompidou, Paris (France)

  • Knock Knock: Richards and two colleagues travel through Poland by car, contacting artists throughout the country in an effort to understand necessities that drive creative actions of the encountered groups. Many of them are invited to the Zero Budget Festival

  • Zero Budget Festival: a Workcenter multidisciplinary arts event hosting well-known and lesser-known theatre groups, individual artists and scholars interested in an active approach to society, culture and the individual. The zero budget and zero income undertaking, a resounding success, is open to a broad public for free

      Download the programs of Zero Budget Festival

      

The Letter

2002 - 2008

Dies Iræ:
The Preposterous Theatrum Interioris Show
  • Dec: Action, The Twin: an Action in creation, One breath left at Anatoli Vassiliev’s Moscow Theatre “School of Dramatic Art,” Moscow (Russia)

  • Nov: One breath left, Lumezzane (Italy); Workshop with professional French actors, Pontedera (Italy)

  • July: Workshop with students of Fordham University of New York, Orvieto (Italy) 

  • Apr: One breath left, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mar: One breath left, Encounter, Istanbul, Ankara (Turkey)

  • Feb: One breath left, Bologna, Ferrara, Italy, Modena (Italy) 

  • Jan: Action, One breath left, Analyses, Discussion, Pontedera (Italy)

       

2001
  • Nov: One breath left, Rome (Italy) 

  • Oct: Action, One breath left, Meeting with international researchers; Exchange of work with “U Theatre” of Taiwan, Pontedera (Italy)

  • July: Action viewed by students of Fordham University N.Y. (USA), and group of directors from the USA, organised by La MaMa Umbria International; Workshop with Students of Fordham University, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Summer: The first film documentation of Action (A film documentation of ACTION) is made, Pontedera (Italy)

  • May: Action, Seminar, Conference, Caen (France) 

  • Mar/Apr: Conferences, Bologna (Italy)

  • Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle

  • Oct-Nov: Action is witnessed by international scholars and theatre practitioners, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Creative work on One breath left, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Project: The Bridge - Developing Theatre Arts (1999-2006) takes shape: a bridge begins to be sculpted between the world of theatre and the investigation, Art as vehicle; The pieces in The Bridge are created with both an arrow of intention that stretches toward those present, watching, and another essential vector which relates to those doing. All versions of One Breath Left and Dies Iræ are developed inside Project The Bridge: Developing Theatre Arts

  • Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle

  • Jerzy Grotowski passes away on January 14, 1999

       See more info on photos

  • Nov: One breath left is awarded the Ubu Special Prize “for the development of the research”

  • Oct: International Symposium, Pontedera (Italy)

  • July/Aug: Meeting about “Art as vehicle,” Castel del Piano (Italy); One breath left, Vienna (Austria)

  • June: One breath left, Pontedera (Italy); One breath left, Film projection, Singapore (Singapore)

  • Mar-May: Action, One breath left, Film screening, Meetings, Open Dialogue, 3rd International Theatre Olympics. Moscow (Russia); One breath left, Action, Film projection, Meetings, Matera (Italy); One breath left, Pontedera (Italy); Action, One breath left, Film projections, Seminar, Meetings, Monte Amiata (Italy)

  • Action is done regularly at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle 

  • Ph.D., University of Paris VIII, with highest honours in the discipline of Art, Theatre and Dance Studies

       See more info on photos

  • July: Conference, “Tradizione/Ricerca,” at XXVIII Santarcangelo dei Teatri, Santarcangelo di Romagna (Italy)

  • Feb/Mar: One More Breath Left, in a Project at The Substation, Singapore (Singapore)

  • Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle

  • Theatre Ox of Singapore becomes theatre group in residence at the Workcenter

  • At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in Greek, Ekdoseis “Dodone”

OBL
One Breath Left

1998 - 2002

1997
  • Sept/Oct: Action, work exchanges, International Symposium with Grotowski, Richards, guests, scholars; Grotowski changes name of Workcenter to: Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards, São Paulo (Brazil)

  • July: Work exchange, Les Kurbas Theatre Lviv; Action in Festival Volterra Teatro 96, Pontedera (Italy)

  • May: Meeting with Grotowski, film projection of Art as Vehicle, participation of Richards, ISTA, Copenhagen (Denmark)

  • Apr: Michelle Kokosowski and L’Académie Expérimentale des théâtres visit the Workcenter, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Jan: Action, training demonstration, Richards presents Art as Vehicle, work exchanges, Vassiliev’s Moscow Theatre “School of Dramatic Art,” Moscow (Russia)

  • At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in German, Alexander Verlag

    

1999
  • Nov: Action, encounter with Grotowski, projection of Akropolis, encounter between Richards and University of Bologna students, projection of Art as Vehicle followed by encounter with Richards, Grotowski receives Honorary Degree in Music and Performing Arts, Bologna (Italy)

  • July: Action in Festival Volterra Teatro 97, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Apr, May, Dec: Projection of Art as Vehicle, meeting with Richards; three work exchanges, Brussels (Belgium)

  • Apr: Action, Conference of Grotowski, projection of Art as Vehicle followed by an encounter with Grotowski and Richards, Marseille (France)

  • Feb/Mar: Action, projection of Art as Vehicle, encounter with Grotowski and Richards, Wrocław (Poland)

  • Action is done regularly at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle

      See more info on photos

1995
Action
  • Throughout the year, Grotowski periodically invites small groups of witnesses to see Action, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Action is created at the Workcenter under the direction of Thomas Richards, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Dec: Thomas Richards presents the film Art as Vehicle, followed by an encounter with Richards, Cesena, Italy

  • July: Film Projection of the Art as Vehicle, Encounter with Thomas Richards, Volterra Teatro 95, Volterra; Exchange of work with L'Atelier en Oeuvre of Paris, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Richards’ second book, The Edge-Point of Performance is published, Documentation Series of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski, Pontedera (Italy); At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published in English, Routledge, and in French, Actes Sud

  • Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle

       See more info on photos

Action

1994 - 2006

1993
  • Oct: Film projection of Art as Vehicle, followed by a dialog between Peter Brook and Thomas Richards, organised by l'Académie Expérimentale des Théâtres of Michelle Kokosowski, Paris (France)

  • July: Richards presents the Italian edition of At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions at Festival Volterra Teatro, Volterra (Italy)

  • During 1993, a new version of Downstairs Action is demonstrated at Anatoli Vassiliev’s Moscow Theatre “School of Dramatic Art” to Russian actors, directors, theatre scholars and critics. Richards’ group also has exchanges of work with young Moscow theatre groups

  • The Italian edition of At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions is published, Ubulibri

  • Downstairs Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

       See more info on photos

1990/1991
  • Downstairs Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

  • A new version of Downstairs Action is made, Pontedera (Italy)

  • M.A., the University of Bologna with highest honours in the discipline of Art, Music and Performance, Bologna (Italy)

1989
  • In 1991, Mr. Richards conducts selections in Moscow and St. Petersburg of young theatre groups that will participate in the exchange project “Slavic Pilgrimage,” planned for the program of the Volterra Theatre Festival, Italy. “Slavic Pilgrimage” is a project of the Workcenter realized in collaboration with Anatoli Vassiliev’s Moscow Theatre “School of Dramatic Art”

  • In 1990, numerous exchanges of work are held with theatre groups and research ensembles from Italy, Spain, France, Sweden and Russia (Moscow and Leningrad)

  • Journey of the Downstairs team through France and Spain, where Downstairs Action is demonstrated to young theatre groups in impromptu exchanges of work

  • Downstairs Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

       See more info on photos

  • A documentary film was made of Downstairs Action, called Art as Vehicle, filmed by Mercedes Gregory at Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski, in Pontedera, Italy. Produced by Atlas Theatre Co.

  • Downstairs Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

  • Mr. Richards participates in leading a course for the professional formation of young artists of the European Community, which lasts three months

  • Downstairs Action is done daily at the Workcenter as an opus in the domain of Art as vehicle, Pontedera (Italy)

Downstairs Action

1987 - 2002

Downstairs
  • Richards assists Grotowski during a month long meeting in Château de l’Ermitage in France, with young European theatre groups, with demonstrations of their performances, analysis and workshops

  • At the Workcenter, the Downstairs team is formed, led by Richards, who begins the work process that will lead to Downstairs Action (1987-1992), created by Richards under Grotowski's supervision. Downstairs Action was a first step in Richards’ apprenticeship with Grotowski, as well as the first main opus of the Workcenter in the field of as “Art as vehicle”

1985
  • The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski is founded in 1986 in Pontedera, Italy at the invitation Roberto Bacci and Carla Pollastrelli of the Centro per la Sperimentazione e la Ricerca Teatrale in Pontedera, Italy. Richards transfers to Italy

  • At the Objective Drama Programme, Richards is the principal doer in Main Action and becomes Grotowski’s assistant

  • Mr. Richards becomes a team member at Grotowski’s Objective Drama Programme at the University of California, Irvine (USA)

  • Mr. Richards participates in Jerzy Grotowski’s workshop at Botinaccio, Florence (Italy)

       See more info on photos

  • Thomas Richards works as an actor in New York, New York (USA)

  • Participates in the Workshop for Yale Students at Jerzy Grotowski’s Objective Drama Programme at the University of California, Irvine (USA)

  • B.A., Yale University, magna cum laude with honours in theatre studies, New Haven, Connecticut (USA)

bottom of page