Theatre Audience and Criticism Notes
Background and Expectations of the Audience
The African American Experience
Theatre audiences bring individual backgrounds that enrich the experience.
Example: African American audience members connect with "A Raisin in the Sun" due to its depiction of an African American family facing discrimination in a white neighborhood.
The play premiered on Broadway in 1959 and was revived in 2014 at the Barrymore Theatre in New York, directed by Kenny Leon.
Preparing for a Theatre Performance
Preparation enhances the theatre experience and makes one a more engaged audience member.
This book serves as preparation by explaining elements like acting, directing, script, and design.
Initial preparation involves understanding factors that shape the experience:
Family and personal history, knowledge, and memories.
Awareness of the social, political, and philosophical context of the play's creation.
Knowledge about the play and playwright.
Personal expectations about the performance.
Misconceptions can lead to disappointment, highlighting the need for informed expectations.
Background of Individual Spectators
Individual memories and experiences influence the impact of a performance.
Shared knowledge and experiences form a crucial ingredient in the theatre experience.
"A Raisin in the Sun" illustrates this, portraying an African American family's struggle against racism in 1950s Chicago.
Those who have experienced racism can readily identify with the play's themes and characters.
Background Information on the Play or Playwright
Additional information aids understanding of difficult passages or obscure references.
Example: Shakespeare's "King Lear" requires understanding references to "crack your cheeks," "cataracts and hurricanoes," and "cocks."
"Crack your cheeks" refers to old maps where the wind is depicted blowing so hard that the faces cheeks will crack.
"Cataracts and hurricanoes" refers to water from the heavens and the sea.
"Cocks" refers to weather cocks on steeple tops and Lear wants so much rain that it will submerge them.
Understanding these enhances the scene's impact when combined with the actor's rage and gestures.
Bertolt Brecht used interruptions in his plays (songs, narration) to provoke thought and relate the drama to life.
Without awareness of Brecht's techniques, one might misinterpret his intentions.
August Wilson's ten-play cycle chronicles Black life in the United States, addressing systemic racism and Black resilience.
Understanding Wilson's intentions and dramatic techniques enriches the audience's appreciation.
Background of the Period
Understanding the history, culture, and philosophy of the period enhances comprehension of past dramas.
Art is closely connected to the society in which it is produced.
Audience Member’s Personal Background
Personal background affects experience.
Young people working together understand plays like Eve Ensler's "Emotional Creature" better, which involves mutual social problems expressed through monologues, songs, and dance.
Theatre and Society
Art, including theatre, is related to the society in which it is produced.
Art often challenges society or forecasts the future by recognizing what is already present.
Abstract art's disjointed lines reflect modern life.
Theatre Reflects Social Issues
Theatre addresses social and political injustices, as seen in Lynn Nottage's "Sweat", which focuses on economic changes affecting blue-collar steelworkers.
Art mirrors its age but can also question or reaffirm society's views.
Art emerges in a specific time and place, requiring understanding of its birth conditions.
The term "universal" art can exclude or negatively represent marginalized populations.
US theatre historically marginalized people of color, women, and LGBTQ communities.
Athens in the 5th century BCE and Elizabethan England produced significant dramatic works due to advances in politics, science, philosophy, and the arts.
Understanding biases related to gender, race, and religion is crucial when studying these works.
Historical Perspectives: Women in Greek and Elizabethan Theatres
The role of women in theatre history is linked to their treatment in society.
In ancient Greece, only male citizens participated in politics and theatre.
Women were excluded from appearing onstage during the City Dionysia.
Whether women attended dramatic festivals is debated among scholars, with no definite answer.
Some argue women attended due to their roles in religious ceremonies and other cultural activities.
Regulated public activities led to women entertainers being associated with indecent behavior.
In the 16th century, actresses appeared onstage in continental Europe.
Women appeared in medieval English theatre, but were later forbidden during Elizabeth I's reign.
Actresses were often associated with prostitutes, especially by Puritans.
Boys played female roles, known for imitating feminine beauty and grace.
Exceptions included Italian singers and French actresses performing for nobility and commoners.
A hidden tradition of women's performance existed in private, with aristocratic women in masques, parish dramas, and traveling entertainers.
The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 allowed actresses in licensed theatres.
Modern Theatre and Culture
Modern society is heterogeneous, with diverse races, religions, sexual orientations, and national backgrounds.
Global communication is swift due to television, computers, and the Internet.
Cultures are brought together, highlighting commonalities and differences.
Institutions like religion, family, and marriage have been challenged.
Discoveries by , , , and questioned long-established views.
These changes have made humans less certain of their place in the cosmos.
Events like the World Wars, the Holocaust, Vietnam War, terrorism, 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, systemic racism, and white supremacy are reflected in today's theatre.
Theatre is fragmented, eclectic, and embraces diverse styles and traditions.
Productions come from around the world and marginalized peoples.
The U.S. and European theatres reflect white privilege and exclusion of artists of color.
A typical theatre company presents a range of plays: Shakespearean tragedy, Molière farce (), Lorca's 20th-century drama (), Ruhl’s Eurydice (), and Harris’s Slave Play ().
Greek, Elizabethan, and modern periods exemplify the society-art relationship.
Awareness of the period and circumstances of a play's creation is helpful.
Expectations: The Variety of Experiences in Modern Theatre
Theatre experiences vary, from light entertainment to intellectual stimulation.
Some seek amusement with music, dancing, and scenery, while others want challenging drama.
Performances occur in various settings, affecting the experience.
In the mid-20th century, "the theatre" was synonymous with Broadway.
Diversity in theatre reflects diversity in contemporary life.
Broadway and Touring Theatre
Broadway refers to plays in large theaters near Times Square in New York City.
From 1920 to the early 1950s, most new plays originated there.
Touring productions are replicas of the originals, with duplicated scenery and performers.
Broadway Theatre
Productions on Broadway have elaborate scenery, acting, and scripts with wide appeal.
Examples include Hamilton, which depicts the founding fathers in a postmodernist fashion, employing nontraditional casting and rap music.
Hip-hop retelling of US founding shows race and American history front and center.
Diversity in society is reflected in diverse Broadway seasons.
Resident Professional Theatre
Resident professional theatre (regional theatre) began in the 1950s.
Companies and facilities were built for high-quality professional productions.
Performers, directors, and designers are high-caliber professionals.
Cities have theaters with plays for 4-12 weeks.
Examples: Arena Stage, Long Wharf, American Repertory Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alley Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Guthrie Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Mark Taper Forum.
African American theatres provide opportunities to Black artists.
Examples: Towne Street Theatre, North Carolina Black Repertory, Congo Square Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Karamu House, and Black Repertory Company of St. Louis.
Seasons include new plays and classics, with season subscriptions encouraged.
Permanent summer theatre festivals occur in the US and Canada, like Shakespeare festivals in Stratford, San Diego, Cedar City and Ashland.
Alternative Theatre: Off-Broadway and Elsewhere
Off-Broadway began in the 1950s as a less costly alternative to Broadway.
Theatres were smaller (under 200 seats) and outside Times Square.
It offered opportunities for serious classics and experimental works.
Off-Broadway became institutionalized in the 1960s and 1970s.
Off-off-Broadway developed with small independent groups using inexpensive spaces-churches, lofts, warehouses, large basements—and are characterized by low-priced productions and a wide variety of offerings.
Theatre Away from the Mainstream
Alternatives to mainstream theatre: off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, avant-garde artists.
Playwright-director Richard Maxwell is a significant experimental playwright.
Small theatre groups perform as alternatives in major US cities.
Smaller theatres perform most experimental and new works.
Cabaret and dinner theatres combine the atmosphere of a nightclub or restaurant with theatre.
Young People’s and Children’s Theatre
Children’s theatre is an important branch.
It ranges from professional to amateur, aiming to provide theatrical experiences for young people.
It offers first-class productions dealing with relevant subjects.
It dramatizes lives of significant figures (Lincoln, King, Roosevelt) or literary classics (Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn).
Organizations have a long history and feature first-class theatre spaces.
Examples: Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Orange County Children’s Theater, Nashville Children’s Theatre, and TheatreworksUSA in New York City.
College and University Theatre
College and university theatre departments teach and present plays.
College productions are often the only form of theatre offered.
College and University Theatre
College and university theatre departments are a vital segment as they achieve a high degree of professionalism.
They provide training and first-rate productions.
Theatre facilities in colleges are excellent.
Large colleges have two or three theatre spaces, scene shops, costume rooms, dressing rooms, and rehearsal halls.
Productions are scheduled throughout the school year.
Quality and complexity of productions vary.
Colleges use undergraduate, graduate performers, or outside professionals.
They offer classics and experimental plays rarely done by professionals.
Community and Amateur Theatre
Community and amateur theatre thrives in many locations.
Involved individuals have professional experience but have chosen not to pursue a full-time career.
Community theatres include amateurs who love theatre.
Productions approach selections, rehearsals, scenery, and advertising in the same ways as professional counterparts.
The level of work is surprisingly good.
Community and amateur theatres afford the only live theatre available to audiences in many parts of the country.
Diverse and Global Theatres
Awareness of diverse, multiracial, and multicultural aspects of contemporary society.
The US moved away from “melting pot” assimilation to recognize and celebrate differences, and to address systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia.
Organizations represent marginalized groups: Black, Latinx, Asian American, Native American, feminist, and LGBTQ theatre companies.
Global theatre includes traditions from around the world, not just Western.
Theatre in India began over 2,000 years ago, China a few centuries after, and Japan by 800 CE.
Africa, pre-Columbian Latin America, and Native American cultures have rich traditions of rituals and ceremonies with theatrical elements.
Cross-cultural influences are easier due to modern transportation and communication.
Thomas Friedman's “The World Is Flat” analyzes how globalization affected business and industry.
Multinational corporations assemble products in various countries.
Theatre artists cross national boundaries to stage works with artists of other countries.
Popular works tour the world.
International theatre festivals bring artists to interact.
Traditional theatrical techniques may be fused to create contemporary work.
The Audience, Critic, Reviewer, and Blogger
Most theatre attendees are amateur critics who make judgments about performances.
Critics/reviewers are better informed and have critical standards.
The Critic, Reviewer, and Blogger
A critic observes, analyzes, and comments on theatre, acting as a knowledgeable audience member.
Audiences learn from critics through information, judgments, and spectator perspectives.
Critics write serious articles for newspapers, magazines, and books.
Reviewers report on theatre events, describing plots and offering opinions.
Reviewers are restricted by time and space.
The power of theatre critics and reviewers has diminished.
Full-time theatre critics have declined in traditional media.
The majority of critics and reviewers lack multicultural representation and have biases.
Online Theatre Critics and Reviewers: New Approaches
Audiences are seeking information and opinions online.
Popular websites and blogs have theatre reviewers.
Individuals set up websites and blogs to express views.
Artburst Miami and Atlanta have local government funds for local arts reviews and news.
Rescripted (Chicago) brings underrepresented voices into criticism.
Show-Score aggregates opinions about shows (theatre version of Rotten Tomatoes).
Individual opinions are on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Yelp).
Social media allows all of us to function as reviewers.
Theatres request audience members to “like” their Facebook pages.
Some theatres set aside “tweet seats” for real-time reactions on Twitter.
Backstage personnel tweet during the show.
Dial testing allows audiences to respond electronically during development.
Focus groups provide feedback.
Theaters email questionnaires.
Caution: Self-appointed reviewers may lack theatre background or credentials.
We should be cautious about online reviews, similar to product reviews.
Preparation for Criticism
Critics and reviewers should have a thorough background in theatre.
Commentators should have knowledge of theatre history, acting, directing, and design.
Critics should be familiar with various styles and writers.
They should relate theatre to other arts and society.
Commentators on theatre should understand production elements.
Fact and Opinion in Criticism
Distinguish between fact and opinion in commentary.
Facts provide helpful information (e.g., men played women's parts in Shakespeare's time).
Opinions should be weighed against our own knowledge and experience.
Critics can provide information we might not have known (e.g., explaining a confusing point).
They can offer background material about the playwright, subject matter, or style.
The more we know about the playwright's intentions, the better we can judge the event’s value.
Critics Provide Background
Certain plays can be difficult to understand fully, such as avant-garde or experimental plays.
Maria Irene Fornés's "Fefu and Her Friends" divides the audience into groups to see different scenes.
Explanation of Fornés’s intentions and techniques is helpful prior to seeing the play.
Explanation helps the audience understand the unusual experience.
Critical Criteria
Critics, reviewers, and social media commentators ask three questions to guide judgments:
What is being attempted?
What is the play and production attempting to do?
Is it a tragedy, comedy, or political drama?
Have the intentions been achieved?
How well have the playwright's or creators' intentions been carried out?
How well has the play been acted, directed, and designed?
Do you believe the attempt was worthwhile; A Subjective Point of View?
Is the play or production worth doing?
What is the personal taste and evaluation?
Does pleasure and entertainment worth of serious undertaking?
Readers should be aware of the biases of those who judge artistic works.
Privileged critics may not be receptive to diverse points on race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Audience members must acknowledge their backgrounds and biases in discussing productions.
The Dramaturg or Literary Manager
A dramaturg (literary manager) is a dramatic advisor.
In Europe, the practice dates back over a century; in the United States, it is relatively new.
Dramaturgs discover and read new plays.
They work with playwrights on new scripts.
They identify overlooked plays from the past.
They conduct research on previous productions.
They prepare reports on the history of plays.
They research criticism and interpretations.
They write articles for programs.
They prepare educational material for students and teachers.
They lead discussions with audiences and the artistic team.
The Audience’s Relation to Criticism
Combine awareness of criticism with the theatre event itself to enhance the experience.
The Audience’s Judgment
Critics and reviewers can be helpful, but audience members should make up their own minds.
Example: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark opened to negative reviews but had commercial success.
The Audience’s Independent Judgment
Critics/reviewers state opinions confidently, but we should reserve our judgment.
Wide range of opinion on each production, indicating no absolute authority.
If a critic dislikes sentiment and you like it, trust your preference.
Attending the theatre is a unique, individual experience; trust your judgment.
Remember all judgments have inherent biases.
Summary
Each person brings a personal background of experience to a theatre event.
Theatre is closely linked to the society in which it is produced.
Spectators bring awareness of their society’s values and beliefs to contemporary plays.
A play from the past can be better understood with awareness of the culture from which it came.
Familiarity with the work itself can add immeasurably when it presents difficulties in language, style, or meaning.
It is helpful to learn about the playwright and his or her approach to theatre when seeing an unfamiliar work.
Expectations about the theatre experience affect our reaction to it.
Various experiences in theatre today include Broadway and touring theatre, resident professional theatre, alternative theatre, young people’s and children’s theatre, college and university theatre, community and amateur theatre, and multiethnic, multicultural, global, and gender theatre.
Most people are amateur critics.
The professional critic's tasks are to understand, analyze, and evaluate.
People commenting on theatre can be reviewers or critics.
The dramaturg analyzes scripts, advises directors, and works with playwrights.
Audience members must realize that critics, too, have their limitations and biases.