I’ve put a great deal more thought into my final research project for class. In my first attempts I tried to refine my initial question of ‘Why Theatre?’ I thought that I would need to clearly outline and define what information I wanted. I thought I should narrow down the question to a literal or philosophical viewpoint. At the very least I thought I should make a possible list of sources.
After a week of thinking, I’m not quite sure that’s how I want to approach the problem. Unlike most every other class I’ve taken, the goal of this research project is to present my findings, rather than manipulate the information to prove my thesis. I’m comfortable not knowing where this project will end up, and I’m also comfortable with the idea that I may not ‘like’ what I find.
Theatre. Theatre. Theatre. Red Curtains, spotlights, blank verse, laughter, darkness, the box office, foyer, tip-up seats, footlights, scene changes and music; these are all confusedly superimposed in a messy image covered by one all purpose word: Theatre. Sprawling, decentralized and in perpetual flux, the American Theatre is almost designed to dare artists to represent or define it. What is Theatre? People or Ideas? Large commercial shows or obscure ‘happenings’? Classics or New text? Truth or Questions?
The very notion of theatre presents these questions, on how we know a thing, and what elements are used to define it. The truly remarkable(though very difficult) idea that everyone has a differing view on ‘theatre’ helps to answer not only these questions, but the over-reaching question of ‘ Why theatre?’ The difficult part of this idea comes from the easiest plausible answer: People do theatre for many different reasons. They also think many different things. Duh. That seems far too simple and dry to even keep writing about. However, it does leave the door open to my digital story telling options…
In keeping with the questions, I’ll leave it to Peter Brook for the final thoughts:
…[we are] facing the simple unattractive fact that most of what is called theatre anywhere in the world is a travesty of a word once full of sense. War or peace, the colossal bandwagon of culture trundles on, carrying each artist’s traces to the evermounting garbage heap. Theatres, actors, critics and public are interlocked in a machine that creaks but never stops. … Why do we applaud, and what? Has the stage a real place in our lives? What function can it have? What could it serve? What could it explore? What are its special properties? —The Empty Space, 1968.