Theatre, Art, and Entertainment Chapter 1 Theatre, Art, and Entertainment

What is Art? Yasmina Reza

What is Art? A skill An act of beauty Meaning From the Greek word - technē An act of beauty From a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics (the nature and expression of beauty) Meaning This is how I, the artist, see the world Provides a means to understand ourselves and the world around us

What are the basic qualities of art that all works of art share? William Missouri Downs What are the basic qualities of art that all works of art share?

Art is a Form of Human Expression The word art springs from the same root as the word artificial. Art is not the real thing but rather a human creative endeavor that involves the perceptions and imagination of an artist who is trying to say something in his or her own particular way.

The Treachery of Images 1928–29, Rene Magritte

Is this art? http://www.koko.org/world/art_portraits.html#TYLER

“In one sense the aim of the scientist and the aim of the artist are the same since both are in pursuit of what they call truth; but the difference between them may be said to consist in this, that while for science there is only one truth, for the artist there are many.” Joseph Wood Krutch, author and philosopher William Missouri Downs

Art Involves Subject and Medium Spatial Arts Architecture Sculpture Pictorial Arts Painting Line and color in two dimensions Literary Arts Poetry Novels and short stories Performing Arts Performed by a person

Art Makes You Feel Something Michael Falco/The New York Times/Redux Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank via AP Images

Different feelings or emotional responses = Genre

Art Provides a Perception of Order “It is the function of all art to give us some perception of an order in life, by imposing order upon it.” T. S. Eliot, poet “Life is very nice, but it lacks form. It’s the aim of art to give it some.” Jean Anouilh, playwright

What is the Purpose of Art? “I am suspicious of any theory of art which says that art is just one thing and that it can be defined in a single aim, function, or purpose.” Harold Taylor, art philosopher Michal Daniel/Proofsheet

Plato vs. Aristotle Plato Aristotle Theatre awakens the soul Catharsis Theatre promotes vice and wickedness Makes people irrational Thoughts can be swept away by the power of the crowd “The poet is a sophist, maker of counterfeit that look like truth” Aristotle Theatre awakens the soul Catharsis Give pleasure, greatest pleasure is learning the truth

What is Theatre? Define and describe theatre in a way that does not require a cultural understanding of life on Earth today.

What is Theatre? The word theatre comes from the Greek word theatron meaning “seeing place.” “A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for act of theatre to be engaged.” Peter Brook, The Empty Space

What is Drama? The word drama comes from the Greek word dran meaning “to take action, to do, or to make” Drama tells a story about people in conflict

Both Theatre and Drama Share Three Qualities They are live – no two performances are the same They are about human beings They are collaborative art forms

Common Categories of Theatre

1. Commercial Theatre Commercial plays offer safe themes, plenty of laughs, and spectacle designed to appeal to a majority of people, thereby filling lots of seats and ideally making lots of money. William Missouri Downs

2. Historical Theatre Presents dramas that uses styles, themes, and staging of plays from a particular historical period. © 2000 Don Turner

3. Political Theatre Allows playwrights, directors, and actors to express their personal opinions about current issues, trends, and politics © P. Switzer

4. Experimental Theatre It might break down barriers by eliminating the distance between actor and audience, trying out new staging techniques, or even questioning the nature of theatre itself Courtesy, Living Theatre

5. Cultural Theatre Is designed to support the heritage, customs, and POV of a particular people, religion, class, country, or community. This theatre provides a window into a world that is different from their own or by preserving the unique traditions of a particular society.

Art and Entertainment “When you come into the theater, you have to be willing to say, ‘We're all here to undergo a communion, to find out what the hell is going on in this world.’ If you're not willing to say that, what you get is entertainment instead of art, and poor entertainment at that. David Mamet, Three Uses of the Knife Photo courtesy of Karen Berman

Art and Entertainment Lets us see another’s POV Requires active viewing Is about self-examination Has great potential as an agent of social change Challenges the audience Is about edification, transcendence, contemplation Does not compromise for public taste Reaffirms our own POV Is directed toward the largest possible number Makes no intellectual demands on the viewer May examine life but does not lead to criticism Has little potential as an agent of social change Is about gratification, indulgence, escape

Curtain Call We need art and theatre because they help us see life differently. Entertainment allows us to see life as we see it, with our values and perceptions intact. Art, on the other hand, allows us to expand our experience, intensify our perceptions, challenge conventional wisdom, and introduce another frame of reference—that of the artist.