Photo from timcrouchtheatre.co.uk

 

I am going to talk about the Author the play. The Author is written by Tim Crouch and he took part in the play as director and actor in 2009 at Royal Court. Actually, when I read this play, I felt some limit. Because, I couldn’t understand perfectly the meanings and implications of the language. However, the most obvious one is that the author is certainly different with existing plays in terms of various aspects.

 

Firstly, the play tears the boundary down between stage and auditorium. Of course, there were many similar forms until now but, it is more special meaning that audiences are face to face with each other. The play has stage, but has not stage. According to stage direction of the play, the stage is a kind of narrow passage, and audiences take a seat oppositely. As a result, they could most likely to feel uncomfortable, because audiences can watch with each other during the play. In other word, audiences could be an actor and actress during the play in terms of view point.

 

                                                            Photo from timcrouchtheatre.co.uk

 Secondly, the play has distinctive relation between actors and audiences. There are totally four actors and they sporadically take a seat with audiences before the play. One man is the author who has written some play about violence of the world. And, other man and woman are actor and actress who appeared in the author’s play. Last one man is an audience who watched the author’s play. Actors constantly ask something to audience, and attempt to initiate a conversation with audiences during the play. In addition, there are quite many blanks in the scripts, it means that actors can fill in blanks through their improvisation in given situations.

 

                                          Photo from timcrouchtheatre.co.uk

 

Thirdly, the play deviates from existing conventional dramatic structure. The play doesn’t take remarkable incident and doesn’t have specific dramatic equipment for tension and relaxation. Author’s play embraces violent subject such as terrorism, sexual assault, abuse, murder. The author and two actors just talk calmly about when they practice the author’s play what they watched relevant images and video, and sometimes, they imitate that image. And, one man who is audience talk about his impression of the play. Audiences could be squarely faced with essence of violence and cruelty through actors. The play doesn’t provide certain ending as much as uncertain incident. When the play finish, actors naturally leave from audiences, in addition there is not curtain call also.

 

                                        Photo from timcrouchtheatre.co.uk

 

In comparison with existing plays, the author the play has definite differences in terms of stage form and dramatic structure. Author Tim Crouch has mentioned that the audiences who watch this play have to take care of themselves. Because, this play doesn’t provide any guide and certain ending. And he has added that this play is exhaustively for adult who has mature consciousness.

The Relation between Audience and Performance

The five most crucial elements of theatre are an actor, audience, script, stage and light. And the two most important elements among such five elements could be an actor and audience. It means that the relation between an actor and audience could decide quality and value of theatre or performance.

The most obvious one is that performer performs for audience, and certainly exist an interaction between performer and audience. If there is not any interaction, that performance is most likely to fail in terms of radical aim of performing arts. The interaction could begin to the immersion of both performer and audience. Actor has to concentrate in their created character and circumstance, and could assimilate into the show as immersion of actor. Audience also could assimilate into the performance through immersion of actor. In other words, the immersion in the performance is made from the interaction between actor and audience.

Performance is significantly affected on response of audience however it is not easy to be performance which can correspond the consciousness and immersion of between performer and audience.

When I was in the directing company in Korea, I have experienced how to complete a performance with audience. There is something which director and actor cannot realize before meet audience in rehearsal room. Because, they are most likely to lose objectivity of the show during rehearsal period because of their subjectivity. For this reason, when the show meets audience, the show could be truly completed.

The outstanding feature of performing arts is liveness. It means, an interaction with each other. Thus, virtuous circle between performer and audience through interaction certainly can make performance which has artistic value and completeness.

The age of God centered

In order to understand the Postmodernism, it could have to understand as well, the flow of philosophical ideologies from the middle age. In the medieval period, people could tend to find all of causes from the God or any other supernatural beings in their whole of life. For example, if it is thundering, it could be anger of the God, and someone suffers from some diseases, it could be caused by not enough faith to the God. In other words, almost all phenomenon of life could be judged by emotional elements like a religion rather than rational judgment.

 

Modernism

However, the age of God centered had been changed to the rationalism and positivism since a rapid development of science and technology. People would explain and control some parts of natural situations as such science and technology. Thus, they didn’t depend on the God or supernatural beings any more. Moreover, they believe that rationality possibly makes the Utopia. For this reason, the age of the Enlightenment has been turned out by rational ideology, and it could affect on the advent of Modernism in early 20^th century. However, after the Second World War, people could suspect that the only rationality is indeed always right, and it really can make the Utopia, because many people may be suffering and even dead by science and technology.

Postmodernism

The Postmodernism would against with theses negative elements of the Modernism, namely it involve radical doubt form the rationalism. The postmodernism have impacted on society at large especially, a social movement like 1968 revolution. It has torn down an existing order of society and has resisted fixed answers.

 

Postmodernism as Art

In the Modernism, the art could be more and more abstract, and people could feel difficulty to understand the meanings. Hence, the Postmodernism passively has largely three features in contrast with the Modernism. Firstly, the Postmodernism could more seek expressional autonomy of artists then the Modernism and could more focus on highly individual of art works. As occasion demands artists take an existing art works in order to express as new method of creation. Secondly, the Postmodernism could crucial consider popularity more than the Modernism. Generally, artists take various subjects that from mere personal to social and political as their unique expression method. For instance, underestimated cartoon, graffiti as the art could be took a kind of expression methods in the Postmodernism. Thus, people could enjoy each different expression method as much as an implied meaning. Lastly, in the case of art, display form could become a variety as not only paintings and sculptures, but also the installation. In addition, it has turned out the performance or exhibition which audiences can take part in directly. It means, autonomy of an artistic form in the Postmodernism.

 

The effects of Informational society in Postmodernism

Above all, development of TV, video, internet and any other new media could have encouraged in extending the postmodernism internationally. It means, radical changing of perspective which watch everything. Therefore, the postmodernism could involve the alternation of from logical printing culture to emotional video culture, and it could extend rapidly rather than other art works of in the past through positive function of informational society in the Postmodernism.

What is Dramaturgy?

Sometimes dramaturgy is wrongly realized that ‘the way of theatre participation of people who majored in humanities’ or ‘assistant of director’. However, it is certainly misunderstanding, and the category of dramaturgy is very widespread. To be accurate, dramaturgy encompasses all of work of playwright, composer, director, actor, designer of each part and so on. Because, in order to show for current audiences, dramaturgy leads and evaluate character, background, place, ideology, philosophy and so forth of a play.

The role of dramaturgy is divided into largely three sections, ‘Selecting of the play script’, ‘advising for director and actors’ and ‘educating for audiences’. After choice the play script, dramaturg makes a rehearsal script through translation and editing, and to research history of the play, in addition to interpret the selected play script and to find meaning of the show, for example, why Hamlet is shown in the current Korea. Generally, such works is with director, and if playwright is exist, dramaturg could discuss about editing, erasure, modification in terms of development of the play script with playwright. However, it is obviously respected that the scrip belongs to author. In the case of classical plays, dramaturg have to clearly understand all of backgrounds of written period like society, politics, tradition, custom, language and so on. Moreover, dramaturg actively participates from casting to rehearsal, and to advise background knowledge to all of member of the plays. Besides, dramaturg could advise on a show schedule for the year and content or concept of making the program book. For this reason, dramaturg is selected the person who study humanities for a long time or who has sufficient humanistic knowledge.

In the case of Korea, of course dramaturgy is very crucial in order to show, however dramaturg as a role of production is uncertain actually. So, generally directing team could take charge of dramaturg. For instance, when I was assistant director in Spring Awakening the musical, I have been in charge of dramaturgy as well. However, I didn’t carry out such all of work as dramatrug but just researched backgrounds in terms of social, political, educational, traditional and conventional in the 19th century Germany. I took a presentation with references like images of landscape, house, clothes and other props. The aim of the presentation was correct understand of the musical, and sharing the same imagination about the backgrounds. So, actors could avoid an abstract acting, and could express specifically, besides it could affect on the concentration of audiences, ultimately it could decide show’s quality.

In current development of theatre and performance, however, dramaturgy has demanded new style and form. Because, contemporary theatre and performance could not need text as much as before and text could be no longer the core element in the play. However, the most obvious one is that dramaturgy still necessary in terms of keeping the artistic value. Therefore, new dramaturgical forms and skills are needed.

 

References: 

Cardullo, B. (1995). What is dramaturgy?. 1st ed. New York: P. Lang.

Lehmann, H. and Primavesi, P. (2009). Dramaturgy on Shifting Grounds. Performance Research, 14(3), pp.3–6.

 

The Seagull,  2007, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Yeajang-Hall

directed by Daniel sunyeol Jeon

When I was just discharged from military service, I watched some play accidentally and it was for the first time watching a play. The play was the Seagull which is written by Chekhov about 110 years ago in Russia. The Seagull could great impact on me and it has become my unforgettable play.There are largely tree reasons.

Firstly, until that time, I thought that plays and movies are separated with common life of human. Because, usually lead roles could have much money, outstanding ability, beautiful girlfriend and so on, in addition they are usually on the massive and fantastic incidents like saving the earth or fighting with Dragon. So, I thought, of course they are different with me. However, when I watched Seagull, I could sincerely sympathize with all of characters and their faced situations. Because, they were just ordinary people who have similar instinct and desire with me. On the surface, this story could be a little bit boring, however the compact expression of each character’s emotion could make me more concentration to the play.

The Seagull, 2007, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Yeajang-Hall

directed by Daniel sunyeol Jeon

Secondly, almost all characters have certain purposes and stories respectively, moreover each character has a person who they love. For example, Konstantin wants to be a famous writer and want to love with Nina, and Nina wants to be a famous actress and wants to love with Trigorinwho is already famous writer. So, of course Konstantin is jealous of Trigorin. For this reason, their relationship could be more persuasive and their conflict also could be more logical. So, I felt they were really alive on the stage.

The Seagull, 2007, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Yeajang-Hall

directed by Daniel sunyeol Jeon

Thirdly, the gap between scene and scene is interest as much as general scene. There are certain stories in each gap, and these stories could stimulate my imagination. Especially, there are many gap between act 3 and act 4, and some characters have changed in terms of emotional and physical during that time. Nina who was pure and vibrant until the act 3 has become melancholy and dark in the act 4. However, I could enough sympathize hers changes, and I could imagine during that last 10 years through changed lines, basic attitudes and costume.

The Seagull, 2007, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Yeajang-Hall

directed by Daniel sunyeol Jeon

In short, the Seagull has made me to close with plays and has given some enlightenment that a play is mirror of current, and I could reflect in myself through that mirror although different generations and places. Above all, I decided to change my university and subject as theatre (Actually, I was business student.) because of the Seagull. Beside, 2 years later, I have participated in the Seagull as a director in Undergraduate show. So, the Seagull is obviously a play in my mind.