1. Explore Theatre: A Backstage Pass
Michael M. O’Hara
&
Judith A. Sebesta
PowerPoints prepared by the authors
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2. Geography, Architecture, and Technology.
Chapter 4
Geography, Architecture, and Technology.

3. Geography, Text, and "reading" Culture
Where Theatre takes place is important.
The plays are influenced by the context in which it is performed.
The contexts that surround theatre are the clues that we “read” to ascertain what our behavior should be, what our expectations are, and how we might mediate (assess) the experience.

4. Geography
Where theatre is tells us clues about the nature of theatre--past and present.
Where theatre is tells us clues about our behavior and expectations.
For the follow examples, note the location and its relationship to architecture, audience,

5. Local Theatres Talk about your local theatres Civic Theatre
The University’s mainstage theatre
The University’s studio theatre
The University’s experimental theatre
Found Spaces

6. Clicker Question How many of you have been to:
A. One of our local theatres
B. Some of our local theatres
C. All of our local theatres
D. None of our local theatres

7. Regional Theatres List your local or closest Regional Theatres
Link to and/or copy and past pictures from their web sites here.
Assess student interest in attending a show during the semester.

8. Clicker Question How many of you have been to:
A. Our regional theatre once
B. Our regional theatre more than once
C. Our regional theatre many times
D. Never been to our regional theatre

9. Broadway Theatres Pick a few Broadway Theatres
That currently have a show you’d like to talk about
one big and one small house, explore with the class why the different shows appear in the different theatres (big musicals in big houses, plays in smaller houses, typically)

10. Architecture Theatre isn’t always in a building. Bread and Puppet
How a theatre is built is a reflection of the expectations that culture has for that theatre.
Use a local example (ornate or plain, warehouse or downtown)

11. Technology
Different theatres possess different technological capabilities.
The technological capabilities should influence our expectations.

12. Theatrical Language These words can inform us and our preparation:
theatron (theatre) - "seeing place"
ornynai (orchestra) - "to rise ... as from the dead"
rehercier (rehearse) - "to harrow ... descend into Hades to return with spirits that reside there"

13. The Gods
Dionysus (theatre of Dionysus) - Greek God of wine, fertility, rebirth; and the patron of theatre folk.
Thespian (Thespis) - 1st Actor "possessed by the Gods"

14. What happens?
Theatre is a place to see actors descend into an “other world” to become possessed by the (characters) in the spirit of celebration to illuminate their audiences.

15. Summary
Theatre is influenced by where it is, how it is built, and what monies the builders had to outfit their theatre. Inside such places, something nearly mystical happens.
"The great dramatist has something better to do than to amuse either himself or his audience. He has to interpret life.” G.B. Shaw
Need to split for next year.