Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – We’re All In This Together: The Centrality of the Audience in Performance

• By drediman
• October 21, 2014
• No Comments

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been deeply moved by a number of performances that, when considering only the text, have very little to do with one another. Indeed, what do William Shakespeare, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Peter Brook have in common? Very little, despite their being masters of their respective craft (Shakespeare, in playwriting; Bach, in music; and Brook, in theater direction). Upon further reflection, I have come to realize that what made all three such cathartic experiences was the similar method in which they were staged. Much like the shattering version of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” staged by David Cromer a few seasons back, these three performances brought to the forefront the understanding that theater and performance is an incredibly powerful communal and ritualistic experience. By doing so, each production makes the audience a leading player in the proceedings. As the Ancient Greeks well knew, such a setup invites catharsis (it’s why we go to the theater to begin with, isn’t it?). Despite its effectiveness, this approach to theater-making is currently at odds with the prevalent practice of essentially ignoring the audience, holding them captive beyond the fourth wall, in the dark.

The Globe’s production of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” 

Shakespeare’s Globe in London is a miraculous place to see plays, particularly the Bard’s timeless works. Luckily, the Globe has done a fantastic job at exporting their productions to the far reaches of the globe (no pun intended). With the transcendent repertory productions of “Twelfth Night” and “Richard III” that graced Broadway last season, New York audiences finally saw first hand what the fuss was all about. You see, the Globe’s “traditional practices” productions recreate the experience of seeing Shakespeare in close proximity to how it was originally performed. This means pronounced use of music, particularly as preludes to the performance and during ritualistic curtain calls; direct acknowledgement of the audience, especially the “groundlings”; and minimal scenery. All of these devices invite the audience to enter the play’s world as participants rather than spectators. The Globe’s recent touring production of “King Lear” at the Skirball Center, which was performed with the auditorium lights on, was no different. Despite seeing much higher profile, better acted, and more sophisticated Lears (I’ve seen five this year alone!), I’m hard pressed to name a more cathartic Lear than this tiny touring production, which capitalized on the act of play-making as a communal activity. This made itself evident in the final scene, where I’ve never been more devastated – maybe because I was clearly not the only one.

Peter Sellars’ production of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion”

The centerpiece of the wonderful Berlin Philharmonic’s recent visit to New York was the remount of its moving rendition of “St. Matthew Passion”, with staging by Peter Sellars, at the spectacular Park Avenue Armory. Within the Armory’s cavernous drill hall, Sellars has recreated the seating configuration of the famed orchestra’s hall in Berlin, with seating that surrounds the orchestra. This immediately sets the audience in a more immersive, communal position than, say, the impersonal shoebox that is the Avery Fisher Hall, the unfortunate home of the New York Philharmonic. Furthermore, Sellars has directed this demanding and lengthy (the entire performance lasted a good four hours) Bach masterwork such that the principals and chorus were dispersed amongst the audience. The result is that we, the audience, become personal witnesses to the Passion. No amount of stage illusion can trump the simple trick of pushing the audience into the action and putting Bach’s music front and center (literally). Walking out of the Armory, I could tell that I was not the only one deeply impressed, humbled, and shaken by the experience.

Peter Brook and Marie-Helene Estienne’s “The Valley of Astonishment”

Peter Brook and Marie-Helene Estienne’s latest creation for the theater to visit New York at Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn was the slight yet potent “The Valley of Astonishment”, which masterfully theatricalize the fascinating condition of synesthesia. Like their previous “The Suit” (which played at BAM a few seasons ago), “Valley” is an elegant encapsulation of the essence of theater. Because really, what else do you really need to suspend disbelief than a handful of actors, maybe some musicians, lights, an empty space, and of course, the audience? Brook and Estienne understand this to the core, and these are the only elements on display in “Valley”. The top-notch actors and musicians, notably the remarkable actress Kathryn Hunter, perform with expert, quiet restraint. Yet in doing so, they unlock an expansiveness that engulfs the audience. What this show understands is that if you can get an audience to really listen and engage in the story being told and the ideas being expressed on the level of the performers, which the show does, magic takes place and we are all transported to a place of astonishment.