T.H.E.A.T.R.E. our definition

Today, I discussed with another student, what is theatre? It's a topic we theatre grad students still grapple with daily.

At first, he argued that a play (the physical book) is not theatre.

"Arguable," I softly said. He heard me.

Several famous theatre theorists argued that the text of a play, the written word, is enough to qualify as theatre. I don't entirely agree.

To him, he argued, theatre is the performance of written word.

Well, I argued, improvisation is still theatre. Even a dance performance is theatre IF it tells a story. A dance performance without a plot is theatrical, but is not theatre. Theatre originated as a form of passing along a story. That is theatre; theatre is the performance of storytelling.

With that, he agreed.

* * *

I write this because I realized tonight, as I watched Randy work with Joy, that the telling of a story is a very delicate process. Some of the stories Joy tells, true or created, are of a very sensitive subject matter. Sometimes, they are difficult to hear in rehearsal, no matter how many times she retells them. In order to effectively retell these memories, which Joy has a natural-born talent of doing, it requires immense strength and patience. We are still in the rehearsal process, but already, it is wonderful to watch Joy get lost in her stories.

We get lost in her stories every night at rehearsal.

I hope she doesn't feel small on stage all alone, because her words speak volumes and paint beautiful pictures.