Quote by Peter (Stephen Paul) Brook

The actor searches vainly for the sound of a vanished tradition, and critic and audience follow suit. We have lost all sense of ritual and ceremony -- whether it be connected with Christmas, birthdays or funerals -- but the words remain with us and old impulses stir in the marrow. We feel we should have rituals, we should do something about getting them and we blame the artists for not finding them for us. So the artist sometimes attempts to find new rituals with only his imagination as his source: he imitates the outer form of ceremonies, pagan or baroque, unfortunately adding his own trapping -- the result is rarely convincing. And after the years and years of weaker and waterier imitations we now find ourselves rejecting the very notion of a holy stage. It is not the fault of the holy that it has become a middle-class weapon to keep the children good.

Summary

This quote reflects on the loss of traditional rituals and ceremonies in modern society. The author suggests that both actors and audiences long for these traditions but struggle to find them. While the words and instincts related to rituals still resonate with us, we blame artists for not providing new rituals. However, when artists attempt to create new rituals, often relying solely on their imagination, the results are often unconvincing. As a result, we find ourselves rejecting the idea of a sacred stage, as it has been co-opted by the middle class to maintain control over children, rather than serving its original purpose.