The Public Theatre Analysis

The set used for Vernon God Little was highly symbolic and simplistic; when we walked into the theatre we could visually see that there were flowers, cards and memorable items attached on the audiences seats above our heads, which already created a sombre atmosphere around the theatre.

Some of my favorite points that stuck with me throughout reading the first six chapters of The Actor and the Target are that fear makes us unable to act (p.31), that bad news is great news for the actor (p. 44) and that the target is waiting to be found (p.46).

I’ve adored theatre for as long as I can remember. From writing plays throughout elementary school, to being involved in Drama Club in middle school, to performing in community theatre in high school, and to visiting the theatre as often as I could from the very beginning, theatre has always been a part of my life. Every aspect of it engages me: the directors working to bring their vision of the show’s scenes, choreography, or music to life, the actors transforming into different characters through their expression of dialogue, song, or dance, the costumers and set-builders transporting the audience into the setting and time period with their artistry, the backstage tech and crew working quickly and precisely to keep the show flowing to curtain call, and the orchestra bringing the show to life through music. There is nothing like the experience of live theatre, both as a member of the audience and as a member of the cast and crew.

“Audiences today want a real experience in their live performance, because they can get great script based entertainment at home, through various new media sources. Traditional theatre, which appeals on a mental, and hopefully also emotional level, has not been enough to compete with other media, and audiences have been declining. Physical theatre, by contrast appeals to the audience on a physical and emotional level, providing a much more immediate experience than traditional theatre” ~ (Artmedia Publishing in Zen Zen Zo’s “The Tempest” Teacher’s Notes)

For our critiquing assignment in our Introduction to Stagecraft 1, I ventured to downtown Toronto, to a small indie theatre called, The Unit 102 Theatre. There I saw the production of MISS; written by Dora Award-nominated playwright Michael Ross Albert who wrote such works as Tough Jews, The Spadina Avenue Gang with the Storefront Theatre. The set takes place in the aftermath of a shocking accident in a boarding school classroom, the story explores the tenuous connection between a high school teacher, her fiance, and a troubled student whose lives have been irrevocably changed by tragedy caused by a miscarriage, an affair, and the fear of the consequences that are not yet revealed, and finally, murder. This is a one act showdown between three

The 20th Century was home to many important events in history, one of the most memorable being The Great Depression. Unemployment was at an all time high, businesses were forced to shut down, and suicide rates were through the roof. New York City was no exception. 213 of it’s 253 theaters were forced to close, putting hundreds of thousands of theater people out of work. In these devastating times, a hopeless yet admirable organization known as the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was created by request of President Roosevelt. Originally created to preserve music and art, this project consumed government funds, was plagued by censorship, and was blatantly biased in social issues, with the end result being far from it’s original goal.

During the midst of the Great Depression, Americans were struggling in a fight to live. Factories all around the country were shutting down, causing people to be jobless, even homeless, unable to provide for their families. But the Factories were not the only ones affected. The theatre industry struggled to live on just as much, causing any enjoyment in life to be rare; which brought brilliant idea to the table, the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). This would not only bring jobs to those who are jobless, but bring back a scarce source of life, enjoyment. An Ideal Government funded theatre program the provided “free, adult, uncensored theatre,” as stated by the secretary of commerce, Harry Hopkins. And for 4 years, the FTP was actively trying to provide what it promised, but had a tragic downfall.

The case titled The Theatre Budget was a short journal about a frustrated Vice-President of a performing

In 1933, the Great Depression was at its peak. As people were struggling to find work and survive in a crumbling economy, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a program called The New Deal to help alleviate some of the United States’ problems; such as helping the poor and unemployed, repairing the economy, and fixing the country’s financial issues. With it, another project was formed which would radically change the world of theatre. The Federal Theatre Project, sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, funded theatre projects, employed actors, and created meaningful art (Simkin).While The Federal Theatre Project was an important tool to keep theatre alive and people employed during The Great Depression, it also had much greater after-effects; altering the role and effect of theatre in the years to come.

As a volunteer at the People’s Bank Theatre, not only have I been welcomed into a new part of the community here in Marietta but a new family as well. Under the direction of the volunteer coordinator Sarah Eels, the volunteers operate in a very harmonious manner where each volunteer is able to thrive individually to wholly contribute to the group. Within this essay, I will discuss both how the theatre’s adaptability and relationship to the community correspond to Morgan’s idea of organizations working as organisms.

Unlike the ones that came before and after these are the places that had the entertainment and grew in business very well. People belonging to the working class were the stars of the show they put on entertainment for immigrants and their children, farmers, and laborers. The rise of a pervasive culture of consumerism which dramatically altered the way Americans worked, played, and thought about their relationships to other citizens. During the Great Depression thousands of people were put out of work and had very little money. There was a New Deal program known as the Federal Theatre Project. It’s main focus was to entertain everyone and help their confidence at this time. But, one other focus this project had was that it inspired Americans

Our choice to tell stories should exist in the same moment that we identify an audience who needs to hear that story – now, in this context, in this time, and in this medium. The best relationship with an audience begins dramaturgically, at the beginning of a rehearsal process. We must ask: How can we keep our minds open to the audience we have and also to the audience we want and the audience with whom we hope to collaborate? How do we enter a community and work with new people, learn from them and hope they learn from us? Partner with our similar goals and share resources. Work with them and never for them. Theatre isn’t a service—it’s a

In the words of Gay McAuley, “for an activity to be regarded as a performance, it must involve the live presence of the performers and those witnessing it…” (McAuley, 2009, cited in Schechner, 2013, pp.38). This statement recognises the importance of both the actor and the audience for something to truly function as a performance. In addition, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones highlights the significance of the theatrical space and how it can influence an audience stating that “on entering a theatre of any kind, a spectator walks into a specific space, one that is designed to produce a certain reaction or series of responses” (Llewellyn-Jones, 2002, pp.3). The relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space is no less important today than it was at the time of theatre during the Spanish Golden Age and the creation of Commedia dell’arte in Italy. Despite being very close geographically with theatre thriving for both in the same era, sources that explore the social, cultural and historical context of these countries and the theatre styles will bring to light the similarities and differences. This essay will analyse the staging, the behaviour of the audience as well as the challenges the actors faced, and how this directly influenced the relationship between actor, audience and theatrical space.

Starting off my group tried to use the list of movement vocabulary. That didn’t work out so instead we decided to focus on what our theme or story would be. Eventually we settled on two topics, unrequited love and love at first sight.

Academic and artistic interest in something is usually a sure sign that matters are unclear, conceptual boundaries are blurred and that old certainties are anything but that. There is also little doubt that the major challenges we face: the media revolution, globalization and migration, climate change, the erosion of public finances and services (to name just a few) – have all in some way a bearing on the public sphere, the realm where issues are debated and where citizens are free to enter and engage in discourse. As the public sphere is primarily a discursive arena located outside and between state bureaucracies on the one hand and economics and business on the other, it occupies a crucial role in the functioning of so-called free societies. The question to be explored here is what role theatre and performance in practice play in this realm and how performance and theatre theory can contribute to the debates.” (Balme