THTR 1020 Lecture : Theater Notes
Document Summary
Catharsis- purging of emotions, an audience goes to a theater to release themselves from the emotions the character is feeling. Theatre is a way to show society the way society really thinks. Art is a tool to make society change. Theater generates meaning through action: understanding the generation of meaning: Convention- an unspoken agreement between actor and audience concerning a fictional reality. As long as this covenant is unbroken other fictions can be built upon. The audience believes or learns a convention for the duration of the play. Example: darkness in black comedy or asides ( talking to himself/ the audience) in hamlet. Vary by medium you have to know what you"re working with. When convention is broken meaning is created. Breaking convention is a shortcut to meaning often used in the theatre: codes: A system of non-verbal signs that carry meaning. They help to simplify phenomena in order to.
