Lindsey Caldwell

THTR 210

Cort Brinkoff

February 12, 2010

It Lies Beneath The Spotlight

Although very true, it is a sad reality that the value of live theatre has declined over the past couple of years. This passionate art form is in need of defense. Though it is not lacking, it seems to me that our society’s views have changed. Society has passed up their appreciation for the raw truth of the live theatre. They have now exchanged it for the animated, make believe, the over polished world of television and film. This leaves the audience with little to no imagination and time for feedback. As actors and actresses it is our duty to convey our story to fight for the truth upon the stage. As we begin to look at the Theatre, we must cast away our preconceived notions of the theatre being ancient, and old timey. In fact, the Theatre is cutting edge, the most creative and relevant art form. The reason the theatre is so captivating and relatable is because of the journey. The story the players present in a live theatre are to the audience, the journey involves them beginning to end. The actors rely on the audience to further their creative world, unite the story, and help them sort through their truth that they are destined to tell beneath the hot spotlights. Their stories evolved from words on a page to spoken words dealing with their stories through eachother. There would be no way to truly see this without these stories performed. They would be dead. It would just remain small Times New Roman Font gracing a stark white page. It is the theatre that takes theses words and transforms it into a journey. While rehearsals are a large part of the production in preparation for the overall product, it is the audience influence that unites the magic of the story. Furthermore, a play is meant to be played out it is meant to be acted, lived through, it is meant to be performed. The enthusiasm for the live theatre has been going on for centuries, dating all the way back to Shakespeare. Citizens swarmed to catch a glimpse of the truth that was told in the Globe Theatre. The citizens in our society today lack a hunger for the arts. They have become lazy. They just want to sit back relax and watch figures grace upon a screen, and walk out. They have grown uninterested in the idea of helping create the magic of the theatre. There is no doubt the creative process of a play stems from the audience. Each production I try to catch a glimpse of the audience before the show. Are there a lot of members? Do they look fun, interesting, ready to be intrigued? The talk of the show backstage is always how is the audience’s energy, are they enjoying the production. The players thrive off the audience’s feedback towards them. In hopes of illustrating the creative opportunities and its exclusive capabilities in comparison to other art forms, as well as in the need of a passionate audience in developing grand theatre, Antigone by Sophocles will be investigated. While Antigone receives much punishment, scorn, and scrutiny, it is undeniable she is a character of passion. Her antagonist is Creon whom is equally driven to the pride and success in nation and leadership. In this scene, Creon interrogates Antigone, digging for remorse and regret regarding her decision to attempt the burial of Polynices. He receives neither. Instead, Antigone stands firm, and even threatens to perform the illegal deed again. A scene with such compelling questioning and resistant self defense offers very diverse and dramatic staging options because while there is a great sense tension, fear and intensity in the text of the play, place the scene on stage and