What is theatre?

WHAT IS THEATRE?

Or Theater if you will

The first theatre was around the campfire.

Greek theatre

A plank and a passion

Todays theatres

The Greeks have a word for it

• Theatre comes from the Greek word theatronor “seeing place”

• The term drama comes from the Greek “dran”,to do.

• Drama is something done, an action.

• Theatre:something is seen; something is done;an action is witnessed.

The Work of Theatre

• Producing

• Directing

• Acting

• Designing

• Building

• Crewing

• Stage managing

• Playwriting

Impersonation

The Greeks wore masks

Denis Diderot

• The Paradox of the actor

• We believe in the character

• We applaud the actor

• Willing suspension of disbelief

Performance

• Presentational

Representational performance

• The audience watches behavior that seems to be staged as if no audience were present.

Live Performance

• Performers and audience interact.

• Each is fully aware of the others presence.

• Rapport between actors and audience

• Actors performance is effected by audience reaction.

• The audience reacts to each other.

• Immediacy-happening now. Not on film.

Curtain Call