THTR 1020 Chapter : Deciphering The Code
Document Summary
A purging or a release- a cleansing of emotions. The point of tragedy is to cause catharsis. The purpose of theatre is to hold the mirror up to nature . Theatre demonstrates what humanity truly is, shows us who we are. We can"t see ourselves but through the mirror. Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it. Think of the theatrical space as a machine that constantly generates meaning. A bare stage can become any location by using language or gesture our minds fill in the blanks. At the outset, nothing on the stage has any inherit meaning. Conventions: an unspoken agreement between actor and audience concerning a fictional reality. As long as this covenant is unbroken, other fictions can be built upon it. The audience believes or learns a convention for the duration of the play. Ex: darkness in black comedy, or asides in hamlet.
