chapter 2
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2
PETER BROOK
“Only 3 elements are necessary to create theatre.” 1. Any empty space 2. A person in action 3. Someone observing the person in action.from the book The Empty Space
All the World’s a Stage!
Theatre is everywhere. All social interactions are essentially
theatrical productions. People are always acting and reacting to
other people and outside stimuli...thus creating theatre.
Theatre as an Event
Theatre is a living, breathing, evolving organism, therefore, a particular theatrical performance can only ever happen once. The sequence of
events and dialogue may stay the same, but it is always changing.
No two experiences are ever the same for anyone. No two audiences are the same. Different emotions and events impact actors.
What’s the purpose again?
Aristotle: A safe place to experience Catharsis (the expulsion or purge of emotion).
Bertolt Brecht: Appeal to the intellect to incite social action.
Zeami: End result of contemplation.
The Audience
Theatre provides a sensory experience for the audience. It stimulates and entices on multiple levels.
Emotional stimulation Psychological stimulation Sensory perception (sometimes all 5)
Empathy and Aesthetic Distance
Empathy: Emotional identification or a sense of participation with a character. When you feel with them not just for them (sympathy)
Aesthetic distance: Psychological separation, or a sense of detachment. “The distance of art”
When have you experienced Empathy?
Aesthetic Distance
Romeo and Juliet As a viewer I understand What
is happening I likely EMPATHISE with the characters, but I do not stop the action because I am aware of the distance between reality and the stage.
Our Town
Manipulates aesthetic distance by using a Stage Manager character to comment on the action and directly address the audience?
Epic Theatre
The idea of Epic Theatre was popularized by the playwright, theorist, and director Bertolt Brecht.
Environmental Theatre
The term "environmental theatre" refers to the principle of actors and audience sharing the same space.
Federal Theatre Project 1937-1939
Goal: Put artists back to work with “free, adult, and uncensored” theatre to entertain poor families.
Artists took this as a green light to do anything.
Federal Theatre Project 1937-1939
Living Newspapers were very progressive and left wing plays that were popular with everyone but congress who eventually pulled funding.
Actors and audiences demonstrated against the ending of the Federal Theatre Project during a production of Pinocchio.
The Performing Garage in the Soho District of New York City
is the site of performances by the Wooster Group experimental company.
was used by Richard Schechner and the Performance Group for environmental theatre.
is an example of a found space converted to a theatrical one.
Noh Theatre
Playwright and theorist Zeami described the ideal image of performance for Japanese Noh Theatre as: a flower - a perfect, transitory beauty.
Who They Are. . .What They Do.
PlaywrightProducerDirectorCasting directorTechnical directorStage manager
Scenic designerLighting designerSound designerMakeup designerCostume designer
Composer and lyricistMusic directorChoreographer
House managerBox office manager
Who They Are. . .What They Do.
Playwright: Author of the script Producer: Business aspects of the production Director: Artistic aspects of production Casting Director: Helps with the selection of
Actors
Who They Are. . .What They Do.
Stage Manager: executes artistic decisions by the creative team and ensures that things run smoothly on and backstage.
Technical Director: Responsible for the technical operations of the theatre.
Who They Are. . .What They Do. (Designers)
Scenic: Set and scenery (The visual home of the play)
Lighting: lighting position, color, mood, and intensity
Sound: acoustic and recorded sound Costume: Clothing (wearable scenery) Makeup: makeup and special effects makeup
Who They Are. . .What They Do. (musicals)
Composer and lyricist: create music and lyrics
Music director: works with singers and orchestra
Choreographer: stages dancing
Who They Are. . .What They Do.
House manager: responsible for the safety and comfort of the audience.
Box office manager: responsible for ticket sales.
Types of Traditional Stages/Theaters
Proscenium: Traditional space with audience on one side.
Arena: Audience on all sides Thrust: Audience on three sides Booth Stage: Portable stage for a traveling troupe. Black Box: Transformed room with flexible seating.
Non Tradition Stages
Found Space: Space that was never intended at a theater.
Site Specific: Designed for a particular location
Environmental: Audience and actors share the space
The Proscenium Arch:
Creates the effect of watching a picture in motion and in three dimensions.
Focuses the action. Allows the use of changeable scenery with
the ability to mask the offstage activity from the audience.
Drottningholm Court Theatre in Sweden. Historic proscenium theatre.
Arena Stage
The traditional theatre space in which the audience completely surrounds the performance area is the arena.
Arena stages
Arena encourages artistic and financial economy in staging.An audience member always has other audience members in view.Arena does not lends itself to the use of many large scenic units.Actors must move more frequently than they would in other traditional spaces.
Stage areas