Chapter 4 explains the unique and dynamic relationship that theatre creates between the audience and the performers. Unlike film or television, theatre is a live experience in which the audience plays an integral part in the theatrical event that takes place. Not only does the live performer affect the audience, but the audience affects the performer as well. "Performers know whether or not spectators are caught up in the action," Wilson and Goldfarb write. "Reacting to this, actors and actresses will change their performances in subtle but very real ways." Indeed, the theatre artist’s sense of success is largely based on how they perceive they have affected the spectator.
In this clip from Playwright's Workshop, a two playwrights discuss how they write with an audience in mind, hoping to strike a universal theme in their plays. They want the audience to feel connected to the characters and situations, so much so that the audience can leave the performance transformed. They gauge their success according to the how the audience behaves during the performance.
CREDIT: Video clip # 11317 from "Playwright's Workshop: Work in Progress" Video footage used with the permission of Films for the Humanities & Sciences ®, Princeton, NJ. All Rights Reserved.
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