2 Background and Expectations of the Audience © T Charles Erickson Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-2 The Audience Audience members not only bring their presence to the theatre; they also bring with them personal knowledge and expectations. All of these factors shape the experience of each Individual audience member as well as the group as a whole. © Michal Daniel

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-3 The Background of Individual Spectators Individual memories and experience –Childhood memories –Emotional scars –Private fantasies Plays set in the present –Audience brings a deep awareness of that world –Audience has a background of common information and beliefs Plays set in other times and places –Audience can relate to characters and emotions

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-4 Background of the Period When seeing a play from or about a different period, we must be familiar with the history, culture, psychology, and philosophy of that period. © Carol Rosegg

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-5 Background of the Period Theatre and society are closely connected; art is a mirror of its age. –You can’t understand one without the other. –Art may question or reaffirm, but is linked to society inextricably. Is art universal? –Each time period has its own conventions: Greek theatre and culture Elizabethan theatre and culture Modern theatre and culture

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-6 Greek Theatre and Culture There was a limited number of scenes in a play. –Usually five scenes interspersed with choral sections The drama took place in one locale and within a short span of time. –Usually in front of a palace Murders, suicides, and other acts of violence occurred offstage. © Adam Crowley/Getty Images

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-7 Elizabethan Theatre and Culture A play could move to a number of locations and cover a period of many years. Plays were expansive in terms of the number characters and action. There was no hesitancy whatsoever about showing murder and bloodshed. Role of Women

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-8 Modern Theatre and Culture Today’s theatre reflects: –Developments in communications, global –Cultures, societies brought together, proximity –Human-made and natural disasters An inclusive theatre of fragmentation A theatre of eclecticism A global theatre Sara Krulwich/The New York Times/Redux

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2-9 Background Information on the Play or Playwright Knowing the period in which the play was written is not enough to have a complete theatre experience. –One must understand the play itself; some plays (like Shakespeare’s) contain obscure references. –One must understand the playwright and his or her techniques. © Manuel Harlan/Royal Shakespeare Company

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Audience Expectations Not all theatre experiences are alike. Different types of theatres and theatrical events carry with them different sets of expectations. Broadway musical? A stimulating, challenging, meaningful experience?

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Audience Expectations Diversity in the U.S. is reflected in theatre: –Broadway and touring theatre –Resident professional theatre/ Regional –Alternative theatre: off- Broadway and elsewhere –Young people’s and children’s theatre –College and university theatre –Community and amateur theatre © Sara Krulwich/NYTimes/Redux

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved What Is a Critic? Someone who observes theatre and then analyzes and comments on it A knowledgeable and highly sensitive audience member Presumably better informed about theatre than the average spectator However, most audience members act as amateur critics

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved What is Criticism? Criticism is the understanding and appraising of a theatrical event. –Although, sometimes theatre critics cannot help but enjoy “finding fault” “With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer...whom I can despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare...” George Bernard Shaw

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Preparation for Criticism Ideally, a critic should have a thorough knowledge of and background in theatre. An ideal theatre critic should possess: –Knowledge of theatre history –Knowledge of acting, directing, and design –Familiarity with different plays and different styles as well as playwrights –The ability to relate theatrical events to society

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Critical Criteria Every critic should develop criteria (often in the form of a set of questions) by which to judge a play and production. Examples of critical criteria: –What is being attempted? –Have the intentions been achieved? –Was the attempt worthwhile?

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Descriptive and Prescriptive Criticism Descriptive criticism –Attempts to clearly and accurately describe what is happening in a play or performance Prescriptive criticism –Attempts to not only describe the play or performance, but also offer advice and comments about how it should be done.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Fact or Opinion in Criticism It is important to always distinguish the facts in a criticism from the opinions of the critic! Critics can make us aware of information we might not otherwise have known. Critics offer background material about the playwright, subject matter of the play, or the style of the production. © Gerry Goodstein/Yale Repertory Theatre

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Reviewer and the Critic What’s the difference??? –Reviewer Usually works for television, radio, or newspaper Reports on the theatrical event Summarizes plot and identifies actors Offers an opinion on whether or not the event is worth seeing –Critic Goes into greater detail in describing and analyzing the theatre event Usually works for a magazine or scholarly journal Contextualizes the theatrical event

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Dramaturg or Literary Manager The dramaturg or literary manager is a person who often serves a theatre company as a resident or in-house critic. Dramaturg comes from the German word for “dramatic adviser.” 2-19

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Dramaturg or Literary Manager Duties: –Discovering and reading promising new plays –Working with playwrights on the development of new scripts –Identifying significant plays from the past that may have been overlooked –Conducting research on previous productions of classic plays –Preparing reports on the history of plays –Researching criticism and interpretations of plays from the past –Writing articles for the programs that are distributed when plays are produced 2-20

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Audience’s Relationship to Criticism The audience’s independent judgment: –Theatergoers should not be intimidated by critical authority. –There is no absolute authority; critics often disagree with one another about a play. –Audience members can and should make up their own minds.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Audience’s Relationship to Criticism Analysis and overanalysis: –Some critics can become so concerned with criticizing the play that they miss the joy of the experience. –The critic must be aware of the job without letting it overshadow the immediacy of the theatrical event.