Slides from class on Monday

1. Chapter 2

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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)

7. 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”

8. When have you experienced
Empathy?

9. 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.

10. Our Town
 Manipulates aesthetic
distance by using a
Stage Manager
character to comment
on the action and
directly address the
audience?

11. Epic Theatre
 The idea of Epic Theatre
was popularized by the
playwright, theorist, and
director Bertolt Brecht.

12. Our Town