An audience enters a tiny, dark space.
They are encouraged to continue packing into the theatre.
They are told that they may leave the theatre at any time by telling everyone their name, saying “My name is _____!”.
The walls slowly expand as the audience fills the theatre and presses against them.
For a time the ceiling grows with the walls.
Around the time the last of the audience enters the theatre its walls close completely around the audience and the ceiling begins to lift away but the darkness remains.
A couple begins to kiss. They continue for some time. They grope.
The space continues to grow and changes in shape.
A cell phone rings. Its owner attends to it.
A spotlight comes on. Someone is standing under it.
Someone else begins to speak a speech.
The speaker stops.
Someone else begins to move. Perhaps this person spins, slowly at first, then faster.
Someone moves to interact with the moving person. Their movements slow down, leading them toward the light and they begin a conversation.
The conversation is becomes more and more interesting. The speakers move out of the light and over to one side of the space.
The conversation grows more interesting; it also grows quiet.
An image is projected on a wall opposite the conversation. The image may move.
The image tells a story.
People walk in front of the image.
People near the image sit down so others can see.
The image disappears.
It appears again somewhere else, continuing the same story.
Music plays. It makes people want to dance. The space is large enough to allow the audience to dance easily.
Some people dance.
The space changes shape. It may grow smaller.
The music gets louder.
The space suddenly expands and lights come up. The play becomes a rock concert.
The music ends.
The bandleader says “Thank you very much!”
The performance is over?
Partially using this blog as practice for terminal degree apps., mostly spitting out observations and questions. Topics may focus on theatre and the relationship between audience and performer or may go far afield. They might even get personal.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
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Works Cited
- Commitment - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/magazine/21hoffman-t.html?ref=theater