Chapter 4: Experiencing and Analyzing Plays

Chapter FourChapter Four

Experiencing and Analyzing Experiencing and Analyzing PlaysPlays

The People Who WatchThe People Who Watch

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Three Factors by which Theatre Three Factors by which Theatre Artists Manipulate their Artists Manipulate their

Audiences Audiences 1.1. Group Dynamics – Group Dynamics –

how people function how people function when members of a when members of a groupgroup

Emotion overcomes Emotion overcomes the intellectthe intellect

Laughter becomes Laughter becomes infectiousinfectious

2.2. Willing Suspension of Willing Suspension of Disbelief – we accept Disbelief – we accept the world of the play the world of the play over that of our over that of our everyday realityeveryday reality

Kevin Berne/Courtesy American Conservatory Theater

Three Factors by which Theatre Three Factors by which Theatre Artists Manipulate their Artists Manipulate their

AudiencesAudiences

3. Aesthetic Distance 3. Aesthetic Distance – the audience’s – the audience’s ability to remove ability to remove themselves so that themselves so that they can they can contemplate and contemplate and evaluate the evaluate the performance and performance and the playthe play

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Levels of ParticipationLevels of Participation

Presentational Theatre

is self-consciously theatrical and will often acknowledge the audience and may even invite them to participate

Example – The Rocky Horror Picture

Show

Representational Theatre

is based on the idea of the “fourth wall,” in which the actors never acknowledge the presence of the audience

Example – A Doll’s House

Etiquette in the TheatreEtiquette in the Theatre

Do not come late and Do not come late and don’t leave until don’t leave until intermission or intermission or the end.the end.

Do not talk.Do not talk.

Turn off cell phones Turn off cell phones and don’t text or and don’t text or tweet.tweet.

Do not take photos Do not take photos or use recording or use recording devices.devices.

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Going to the TheatreGoing to the Theatre

Check your local paper, TV, or websites for Check your local paper, TV, or websites for play listings.play listings.

Reserve your nonrefundable tickets.Reserve your nonrefundable tickets.To save money, attend preview To save money, attend preview

performances or check for student rates.performances or check for student rates.Observe the dress code for that theatre.Observe the dress code for that theatre.Read the program to be better informed.Read the program to be better informed.Analyze and discuss the performance Analyze and discuss the performance

after the show.after the show.

Everyone is a CriticEveryone is a CriticReviews are often short evaluations of a production presented in the print or electronic media that offer the opinion of whether the play’s worth attending.

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Everyone is a CriticEveryone is a Critic

Dramatic Criticism

offers the reader a discriminating, often scholarly interpretation and analysis of a play, an artist’s body of work, or a period of theatre history.

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GoetheGoetheThree Essential Questions Three Essential Questions Dramatic Criticism Should Dramatic Criticism Should

AddressAddress

1. What is the artist trying to do?1. What is the artist trying to do?

2. How well has the artist done it?2. How well has the artist done it?

3. Is it worth doing?3. Is it worth doing?

Aristotle’s PoeticsAristotle’s PoeticsThe Six Elements of DramaThe Six Elements of Drama

1. Plot – what is the story about?1. Plot – what is the story about?2. Character – Who is doing the action?2. Character – Who is doing the action?3. Thought – What do the actions in the play 3. Thought – What do the actions in the play

mean?mean?4. Diction – How is the dialogue used to reveal 4. Diction – How is the dialogue used to reveal

character and set the environment?character and set the environment?5. Spectacle – How do each of the visual and 5. Spectacle – How do each of the visual and

auditory elements of the play contribute to auditory elements of the play contribute to the performance?the performance?

6. Song – How do the musical elements of the 6. Song – How do the musical elements of the play move the plot to its conclusion?play move the plot to its conclusion?

Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of Speech and the ArtsArts

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Exceptions to Freedom of Exceptions to Freedom of SpeechSpeech

• Defamation – can not state publicly or Defamation – can not state publicly or publish alleged facts that are false and can publish alleged facts that are false and can harm the reputation of another.harm the reputation of another.

• Sedition and Incitement to Crime – if one’s Sedition and Incitement to Crime – if one’s words incite another to commit a crime, you words incite another to commit a crime, you may be in violation of the First Amendment.may be in violation of the First Amendment.

• Separation of Church and State.Separation of Church and State.

• Obscenity is not protected.Obscenity is not protected.

Exceptions to Freedom of Exceptions to Freedom of SpeechSpeech

• Breach of the Peace Breach of the Peace

Some people Some people hearing Orson hearing Orson Wells’ Wells’ War of the War of the Worlds Worlds radio drama radio drama thought the alien thought the alien invasion of earth invasion of earth was real, and was real, and panicked.panicked.

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You Can’t Say That!You Can’t Say That! Censorship – the altering, restricting, or Censorship – the altering, restricting, or

suppressing of information, images, or words.suppressing of information, images, or words. Licensing Act of 1737 – placed the review and Licensing Act of 1737 – placed the review and

censoring of plays in England under the purview censoring of plays in England under the purview of the Lord Chamberlain.of the Lord Chamberlain.

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You Can’t Say That!You Can’t Say That!

To Bowdlerize – to remove possible vulgar, obscene, or To Bowdlerize – to remove possible vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material before publication.otherwise objectionable material before publication.

Comstock Act of 1873 – used to censor mail in the United Comstock Act of 1873 – used to censor mail in the United States.States.

Hays Code – used to censor movies from the 1930s to the Hays Code – used to censor movies from the 1930s to the 1960s.1960s.

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Curtain CallCurtain Call

“[I]f theatre is free conversation, free dialogue, among free people about the mysteries of the world, then it is precisely what will show humankind the way toward tolerance, mutual respect, and respect for the miracle of Being.”

Vaclav Havel, playwright and former Vaclav Havel, playwright and former President of CzechoslovakiaPresident of Czechoslovakia