Reading Theater and Film as Visual

MODULE 3 Artworks

UNIT 1 Analyzing and Evaluating Theater as a Visual

Art

Theater Defined

Joseph the Dreamer, 2019

SLU Center for Culture and the Arts
Source: kmaltomonte.blogspot.com

Theatre is derived from the Greek theaomai, “to see” or

☺☹ theasthai, “behold” the performance itself may appeal either to
the ear or to the eye, as is suggested by the interchangeability
of the terms spectator (which derives from words meaning “to
view”) and audience (which derives from words meaning “to
hear”).

In dramatic arts, theater is an art concerned almost exclusively

☺☹ with live performances in which the action is precisely planned
to create a coherent and significant sense of drama.
 Theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live
☺☹ performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the
experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience
in a specific place, often a stage.

Theater refers to the actual production of the written play on

☺☹ stage. Its basic element is the script as it is the raw material from
which the performance is created. In general, a truly
memorable theatrical experience is a performance in which the
script has revealed its meanings and intentions through skillful
acting in an environment designed with the appropriate
measure of beauty or visual impact.

Four Reasons to Study Theater

1. Theatre as a humanity/liberal art

Like how the other humanities/liberal arts help us understand the

world and our place in it, theatre reflects and possibly affects its
society's view of the world: its history, philosophy, religious attitudes,
social structure, theoretical assumptions, its way of thinking about
humanity and the world and nature. Therefore, theatre can be a
medium for us to know more about our own society, other societies,
and the world.

2. Theater as a social force

Theatre is perhaps the world's second oldest profession and has

been praised and damned throughout history.
● Plato, in The Republic, stated poetry (including drama and art
was fiction/lying/morally suspect, and thus advocating the
banning of poets.
● Aristotle stated in his Poetics, that tragedy (a kind of play) came
from a natural tendency of humans to imitate.
● Justinian, the holy Roman emperor, married Theodora only after
she denounced her profession (actress).
 ● Molière, a famous French playwright, was denied the sacrament
after collapsing on stage during one of his plays (1673) -- King
Louis XIV had to intervene to grant Molière a Christian burial.

Theater as education, a social force. Throughout history theatre

has often been a primary means of teaching:
● medieval theatre taught about the Bible and Christianity
● the Blue Blouse troupes in Russia taught about how to be a good
communist
● Shakespeare's histories can be seen as defending the
Elizabethan monarchy

Theatre as influencer and reflector of social values. Theater

sometimes does not intend to have a social purpose or effect but has
caused riots:
● Victor Hugo's Hernani (1830) caused riots because it was not a
true "neoclassical" play.
● When an aristocratic Englishman Shakespeare's Macbeth in New
York in1849, anti-English and anti-elite rioters clashed with militia,
known as the Astor Place Riot.

From these few examples in history, we can see that theatre is a

cultural phenomenon that demands that society examines itself in the
mirror. We can study societal problems and attempt to find solutions.

3. Theater as a personal force

Being able to participate or perform in a stage play can have

give an individual several advantages:
● personal commitment to preparing a show
● concern feeling of community in endeavoring to do a job well
● personal satisfaction
● build and develop character interpersonal skills, teamwork
● creativity / critical thinking
● self-direction and a part of life-long learning

4. Theater as an art form, an entertainment

Just like watching a film is a form of entertainment, theater is also

another form of entertainment to many people. Experiencing theater
 can stir up sheer excitement or amusement from the spectacular
events that unfold in person. The unique characteristic of theater that
contrast to film is its live performance. Audience feel a different
satisfaction from the relationship the performers build with them – the
feeling of being part of the performance.

Moreover, theater is a combination of many art forms.

Elements of Theater

1. Performers are the people on stage presenting the characters in the

dramatic production. These are the actors and actresses who take
note of their dramatic actions which involves movement and
motivation. They portay these through their diction, vocal expression,
projection, gestures or movement, and facial expressions.

2. Audience consists of people who watch the play and who are an
essential element of theater. The essence of theater is the interaction
between the performer and audience. There is a "call and response"
atmosphere that can not be witnessed in a movie theater. As theater is
experienced live, the performers respond to the energy or reaction of
the audience.

3. Theater space is the space in which performers or audiences come

together. It is essential to have a stage, or some equivalent area,
where actors and actresses can perform. Set designers consider the
entrances and exits and the shape of the space. It is also essential to
have a place for audience members to sit or stand.
4. Design aspects consist of visual and non-visual component in a stage
production. These contribute to the story. They enhance the entire
production: setting the scenes on a time and place, helping the
performers play their roles more adequately, and making the plot more
relatable.

visual design aspect

● costumes (including make up)

● lighting
● set and props
non-visual design aspect

● sound
● music

Costume - can denote character,

historical era and the style of the
production (naturalistic or abstract). If
a play is naturalistic then costume
needs to be authentic and
appropriate for the character, their
status and the play’s setting. Costume
is often used to help communicate a
character’s personality. A flamboyant
character might wear brightly
coloured clothing while a more
sombre or serious character would
dress in dark coloured clothes.
Bright stage lighting can wash out facial features and make performers
appear pale, so make-up is used to enhance features and make sure
that the audience can see the actors’ facial expressions. Make-up can
also be used to age an actor who is playing an older character or to
create fantasy characters

Lighting - can be useful for defining different locations on the stage,

creating mood and atmosphere, highlighting key moments of action
and directing the audience’s focus. Lighting can denote time of year
or day and can also be used in an abstract or symbolic way, such as
using a red light to symbolise danger or passion. There are different
types:

Spot has a hard-edged effect, Fresnel is used for a softer edged

used to light characters or effect, with a diffusing lens in front
elements on the stage. of the lamp.
 Flood produces a clear Strobe is a flashing light, used for
wide-angled light, but there’s special effects. It’s often used to
little control over the spread of give the effect of old movies.
the light.

Set - means the scenery and furniture onstage. Craeting the set
involves creating multiple locations, sightlines for the audience and
entrances and exits for the actors. Props - are the items held or used by
actors onstage to make the action more realistic. The set and props
should be designed to support the performers and the plot rather than
for design’s sake.

Music and sound – can be live or recorded. Music and sound effects
can create mood and atmosphere, build tension, strengthen an
emotion, help set the scene, indicate a change orf time or location,
and focus attention on to a particular character. When music is played
beneath a scene and used to help create mood, this is called
underscoring. Not all plays have incorporate music.

5. Text consists of the plot and dialogue that are performed. It can also
be called the script. It is the (written) play or the work of the playwright.

When reading a play, a reader should seek to experience the

depiction of a total coherent action unraveling through a series of
subordinate actions. Since the playwright always has an eye on some
ideal performance in a theater, the reader should allow his or her
imagination to supply some of the details of the performance just as
the playwright has done. As the reader, you should be asking the
ultimate question: “What is it about?”
 What, specifically, does a reader do?

a. Read the play thoroughly for story and plot. Your first reading should
concentrate on continuity, mood, and impact.

b. After reading the play, review the plot and story in your mind. Really
get to know the total action of the play. Consider the following to
understand the plot:
• create a summary to identify major events and their sequence
• make brief notes about key features or problems of the story

c. Reread the play (perhaps at a slower pace) and concentrate on the

scenes/events noted earlier. This is to ensure thorough comprehension
which is crucial in the analysis.

d. Make your intial analysis:

● Why is a certain character there?
● What does his or her presence contribute?
● How does he or she deliver language and tone?