Week 1 - Year 2
Programmes
This week we began by going through programmes and looking at their appeal and how they draw the audience in. A good starting point was to look at the Printing Company, it gives an indication of the wealth and status of the theatre company furthermore the quality of the programme will be higher. When going through them I noticed that the promotions for food and goods where dependent on which theatre and location of the theatre in which the performance was being performed, in addition to this they are adapted to cater to the expected class of people whom would be coming to watch the piece, for example for a wealthier audience the programme will show promotions for expensive restaurants, drinks and cigars. Within the programmes there is a lot of information which is often comprised of visuals from the rehearsals of the show thus not to give away possible final cut of the piece; there will also be information in regards to who is performing, whether it is a famous actor or performer, and the run time, among other things. Theatre is seen as a very social activity and so the location of the theatre is highly important this is primarily due to accessibility and accommodation surrounding the theatre if the resources aren't good then people won't come. Seating prices and location of seats cause very different perspectives of the piece. depending on where you are sat it can totally change the view of the piece. As discussed in class it causes an effect that no piece is ever seen the same between people as you will all get different perspectives and angles of the piece. Finally, yet most importantly, the front of the script needs to have the intention in drawing the audience in and possibly give a glance at what is about to be shown, whilst maintaining the ambiguity of the piece.
Types of Theatre
we explored only a few of the huge variety of performance there is and came up with a list of examples:
- Tragedy
- Physical theatre
- Comedy
- Episodic
- Historical
- The Canon
- New Writing
- Monologue
- Verbatim
- Devised
- Live Art
- Musical
- Caberet
- Drag
- Immersive Theatre
- Community Theatre
- Physical Theatre
- Dance
- Participatory Theatre
- Stand-up comedy
- Performance Documentary
- Sport
- Performance Activism
- Street Protest
This list includes forms in which we encounter theatre such as through going to watch a sports game or coming across a street performance.
What are the essential aspects to consider when seeing a piece of theatre?
In my personal opinion when you go to see a piece of theatre it begins way before you even book tickets as soon as you see the promotion for the show your mind begins to wander and the want and curiosity for the show begins. it is very important to take into account the location of the theatre itself and take in surroundings i.e. what people are walking along the street in front, how did you get there and the aesthetic of the building. Going beyond this it is essential to consider the people who are watching the piece alongside you furthermore you must take into account whereabouts your sitting in proximity to the stage and how might that change the way you view the piece (picking up on small details others may miss). The list goes on in what you must look out for when seeing a piece of theatre however I believe those are the essentials when viewing a piece of theatre.
What are the main features and the logic of a particular performance?
I believe that these lie along with the motives of the director and playwright of the piece. I think the main features can be different between two different performances of the same piece, it depends on the script write providing features and director selecting which ones he wants to highlight. As a viewer this is once again subjective, certain things may appeal differently to each person, furthermore as forementioned depending on where you are sat can dictate how you view a piece thus the main feature of the piece will be different then to the person sat at the opposite side of the auditorium or the gathering.
Essential Questions
During class we discussed the essential questions needed to be asked about a piece:
Where does the play take place?
Is it based on a text or not? Is the text a play or not?
Who is the playwright? Who is the director? who is performing it?
What are the poetics/aesthetics?
What is the relation between the show and the space where you encounter a particular piece of theatre?
What are the conditions of the production and of the reception?
What is the historical context in which the show takes place, or to what historical and political context it speaks to?
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