dram final

Feeling (in theatre)

Physical + mental responses to a performance experienced through the body and senses

Embodied experience

Experiencing theatre through the body and senses, not just thinking

Stimuli

Anything in the environment that our senses detect

Affect

Automatic physical body responses to stimuli (e.g., heart rate, sweating)

Physiological response

Bodily reactions triggered by stimuli (e.g., adrenaline, tension)

Arousal

The body’s state of physical activation in response to stimuli

Emotion

The brain’s interpretation of bodily (affective) responses

William James theory of emotion

Emotions are the mind’s interpretation of physical changes in the body

Mood

A general background feeling that influences perception

Atmosphere

The overall feeling or tone of a space (similar to mood)

Affect vs Emotion

Affect = body reaction; Emotion = mind interpretation

Mood vs Emotion

Mood = general background feeling; Emotion = specific feeling

Mood influence on perception

Mood affects what we notice and how we interpret stimuli

Key process (stimulus → response)

Stimulus → affect (body) → emotion (mind), influenced by mood

Referential (image use)

When an image represents or points to another idea

Affective (image use)

When an image creates an emotional or physical reaction

Referential vs Affective

Referential = intellectual meaning; Affective = emotional/physical feeling

Anatomy of understanding

Understanding through both mind (thinking) and body (feeling)

Referential meaning in theatre

Information an image gives about plot, characters, or setting

Affective meaning in theatre

The feeling or mood an image creates

Image (in theatre)

Anything seen or heard that communicates meaning or creates a response

Anachronistic costume

Clothing from a different time period suggesting something unnatural

Supernatural suggestion

Visual clues that suggest ghosts or non-human elements

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting elements together to create meaning or feeling

Blocking (in image)

Positioning of bodies in space to create emotional effects

Affect theory

Theory explaining feeling through affect, emotion, and mood

Images and affect theory

Images can trigger body reactions, emotions, and mood

Auditory image

A sound that creates meaning or feeling like a visual image

Screeching music (example)

Creates tension (affect), sets mood, leads to fear (emotion)

Semiotics

Study of how meaning is created through signs and symbols

Semiotics in theatre

How images communicate meaning to the audience