Author Question: Discuss the use and limitations of space in live theater. What will be an ideal ... (Read 54 times)

Collmarie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 569
Discuss the use and limitations of space in live theater.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Why is it that the human being is central to the aesthetic of the theatre, whereas it is not in cinema? Explain this contradiction in detail.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



TDubDCFL

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 357
Answer to Question 1

The action in live theater takes place in a unified area that has specific limits,
usually defined by the proscenium arch. Drama, then, almost always deals with closed
forms: We don't imagine that the action is being continued in the wings or the dressing
rooms of the theater. In the theater, it's more difficult to withhold information in this
manner. In the live theater, the viewer remains in a stationary position. The distance
between the audience and the stage is constant. Of course, an actor can move closer to an
audience, but compared to the fluid space in the cinema, distance variation in the live
theater is negligible. In the live theater, space is three dimensional, is occupied by
tangible people and objects, and is therefore more lifelike. That is, our perception of
space is essentially the same as in reality. The living presence of actors, with their subtle
interactionsboth with other actors and the audienceis impossible to duplicate in film.
The stage player interacts with viewers, establishing a delicate rapport with each different
audience.
In the live theater, the audience generally must be more active. All the visual elements
are provided within a given space, so the viewer must sort out what's essential from
what's incidental. Disregarding for the moment the importance of language in the theater,
drama is a medium of low visual saturation. That is, the audience must fill in certain
meanings in the absence of visual detail.

Answer to Question 2

The human being is central to the aesthetic of the theater: Words must be
recited by people; conflicts must be embodied by actors. The cinema is not so dependent
on humans. The aesthetic of film is based on photography, and anything that can be
photographed can be the subject matter of a movie. For this reason, adapting a play to the
screen, although difficult, is hardly impossible, for much of what can be done on the
stage can be duplicated on the screen.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

More than nineteen million Americans carry the factor V gene that causes blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and heart disease.

Did you know?

The National Institutes of Health have supported research into acupuncture. This has shown that acupuncture significantly reduced pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, when used as a complement to conventional therapies.

Did you know?

In 1885, the Lloyd Manufacturing Company of Albany, New York, promoted and sold "Cocaine Toothache Drops" at 15 cents per bottle! In 1914, the Harrison Narcotic Act brought the sale and distribution of this drug under federal control.

Did you know?

The human body's pharmacokinetics are quite varied. Our hair holds onto drugs longer than our urine, blood, or saliva. For example, alcohol can be detected in the hair for up to 90 days after it was consumed. The same is true for marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamine, and nicotine.

Did you know?

There used to be a metric calendar, as well as metric clocks. The metric calendar, or "French Republican Calendar" divided the year into 12 months, but each month was divided into three 10-day weeks. Each day had 10 decimal hours. Each hour had 100 decimal minutes. Due to lack of popularity, the metric clocks and calendars were ended in 1795, three years after they had been first marketed.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library