Elements of Theater
"There are certain elements common to all theater. "These
elements are present whenever a theater event takes place; without them, an event ceases
to be theater and becomes a different art form and different experience". (According
to the book "Theater, The Lively Art".)
To sum up, the following are the major elements of theater:
1) Performers
2) Audience
3) Director
4) Theater Space
5) Design Aspects (scenery, costume, lighting, and sound)
6) Text (which includes focus, purpose, point of view, dramatic
structure, and dramatic characters)
1) Performers
People onstage presenting characters in dramatic action.
The audience is coming to see a performer pretend to be someone else.
When the actor/actress is on stage, they must be believable as the character they are
portraying. If they are not believable, then the audience will be less interested in the
production.
2) Audience
The essence of theater is the interaction between the performer and
audience. Theater needs to be experienced live. There is a "call and response"
atmosphere that can not be witnessed in a movie theater.
In a live theater experience, when the audience laughs out loud, or cries, then the actors respond to that energy.
In a movie, there is no connection between the actors and
audience, only reactions from the audience.
3) Director
The director makes certain that the performers understand the text and
deliver the script excitingly and appropriately. The director also makes sure the
blocking, costume designs, set designs and other aspects of the show blend together to
make a production that works together.
All the aspects of theater should compliment each other, and the director oversees all these things.
4) Theater Space
Another necessary element of theater is the space in which performers or
audiences come together. It is essential to have a stage, or some equivalent area, where
actors and actresses can perform. It is also essential to have a place for audience
members to sit or stand.
5) Design Aspects
Visual Aspects - costumes,
lighting, and some form of scenic background
Nonvisual Aspect - sound.
Questions:
1) How has lighting changed over time?
2) What did performers do before the light bulb?
3) What would costumes be like in the time of Greek Dramas?
Elizabethan Theater? Modern Times?
4) Does the Theater Space "dictate" what the scenery
will look like?
5) Does a budget (how much money the company has) dictate what the scenery, costumes, and
other aspects of design will be like?
6) How has sound changed with technology? What did
performers do before the microphone and recording devices?
6) Text
A final element essential to
theater is the text that is performed, and it must be present for theater to
occur. Another name for the text is script. One key element for writing is
CONFLICT. The characters should have a goal to reach, but to reach that goal they must go
through a series of conflicts. Without conflict the story would be bland and boring. When
writing your script, how can you make your story more interesting?
To sum up, the following are the major elements of
theater:
1) Performers
2) Audience
3) Director
4) Theater Space
5) Design Aspects (scenery, costume, lighting, and sound)
6) Text (which includes focus, purpose, point of view, dramatic
structure, and dramatic characters)