About David Prete
David Prete is an actor, director, and educator who has dedicated much of his creative life to the exploration and transmission of Plastiques, a physical training method rooted in the work of Jerzy Grotowski.
His Story
​David studied for three years under Andre Gregory—renowned director, actor, and longtime collaborator of Grotowski (best known for My Dinner with Andre and Vanya on 42nd Street). Gregory passed the Plastiques to a small group of actors in New York, inviting them into a rigorous and intimate practice. That group went on to work for two additional years with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar, who had trained with Grotowski in Poland.
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David has since developed his own pedagogy for the Plastiques, teaching in a wide range of settings—from private workshops and one-on-one sessions to classrooms at Northwestern, DePaul, and Point Park University, as well as international workshops in Beijing and Venice. His teaching spans elementary and high schools, correctional facilities, and artistic communities across the country. At the core of his approach is a belief that the body is a site of truth, and that training must begin with presence, precision, and deep listening.
Contact David
Want to explore Plastiques one-on-one or bring the work to your studio, classroom, or company?
Reach out.
