Records of dramatic conception and theatrical performance have co-existed since the time of ancient Greeks and continued during medieval Europe, Tudor England and the France of Louis XIV (Cole & Chinoy, 1953, p. 4). According to Robert Cohen (2011, 2013), the word âtheatreâ is derived from the Greek word teatron, or seeing place, but no one knows as a certainty the origins of theatre. We can assume that, like most of civilisation, it arose from Africa via rituals and storytelling traditions. However, although debate surrounding the origins of theatre may vary, it is also important to note that the discussion depends on whether the chosen standpoint is an Eastern or Western cultural perspective (Cohen, 2013). For the purposes of this study, predominantly a Western theoristsâ perspective on theatre was favoured.
With that being the case, there are numerous texts that offer an overview of what theatreâs purpose was imagined to be (Cole & Chinoy, 1953). In the distant past, theatre was used more as a way to help express the ritualistic ways of daily life by creating stories and myths that people could reflect upon and live by. Antonin Artaud, a French theatre director and playwright in the early twentieth century, held a belief that theatre should represent reality and affect the audience as much as possible. As theatre was representative of daily ritualistic life, he championed this âinvolvementâ for both performer and audience as desiring to remove aesthetic distance by bringing the audience into direct contact with the dangers of life (Miall & Kuiken, 1994). In this way, he thought audiences would become involved with the action of the theatre and, as a result, would experience theatre (and in turn life) in all its pleasure and cruelty:
The theatre must make itself the equal of life â not an individual life, that individual aspect of life in which CHARACTERS [sic] triumph, but the sort of liberated which sweeps away human individuality and in which man is only a reflection. The true purpose of the theatre is to create Myths, to express life in its immense, universal aspects, and from that life to extract images in which we find pleasure in discovering ourselves.
(Artaud, 1958, p. 116)
It is evident that, no matter its use, for centuries, theatre has offered an outlet to people by âproviding an occasion for a social gathering, with performances that demonstrate unpalatable truths in flesh that can awaken common responses among a large number of peopleâ (Brown, 1997, p. 6).
Theatrical storytelling, formulated by the Greeks, evolved through history into what we recognise as Western theatre in its present form. John Russell Brown (1997) explored theatre in-depth and presented the idea that theatre has been many things: âTheatre can be a social art form, a lively powerful means of sharing ideas with thousands of people, and as a result has been subjected to severe political censorship in certain places and at certain timesâ (pp. 5â6). Paul Kuritz (1988), for instance, took the powerful nature of theatre and extended it to its origins of myth and ritual. According to Kuritz, âThe peculiar distinguishing features of the special kind of theatre that interests us reveal themselves when myth and ritual are viewed as the progenitors of theatreâ (p. 3). Dave Kelman and Jane Rafe (2011) extended Kuritzâs explorations of myth and ritual and examined how mythology has been used in a theatrical way in primary education. They said that the accessibility of this device through dramatic expression enables young people to develop a critical awareness as a channel for generating the contemporary meaning of issues within their own lives. Kelman and Rafe (2011) believe that the pivotal point here is that the process of translation of the ideas from one symbolic language to another inherently becomes integrated into the work and, therefore, myth becomes a vehicle for individuals generating deep understanding of their own human experience(s). They went on to elaborate that âmeaning like all meaning â is specific to its context, but it emerges from a process in which young people are developing moral reasoning and creating their own sense of order in the worldâ (p. 11). Through Kelman and Rafeâs (2011) examples, we begin to notice that it is not so much theatre as a form (the result) that seems to hold all the influence. Instead, it is the essence in which theatre is created (the process) that allows for the change, the self-awareness and the expression of ideas.
American theatre director Anne Bogart (2001) memorably said, âI regard the theatre as an art form because I believe in its transformative powerâ (p. 1). In uncomplicated terms, theatre is âthe activity or profession of acting in, producing, directing, or writing plays, in a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are givenâ (Pearsall & Hanks, 2010). I do not disagree with this definition, although theatre means much more to me personally than simply an activity resulting in a performance. I agree with Bogartâs notion of the uniquely transformative power of theatre, whose intimate and synergetic processes enable its personnel (performers, playwrights and designers) to come together and visually represent a story to a live audience in an imaginatively charged place, which is scarcely available via any other medium.
Throughout history, evidence suggests that theatre and its origins in rituals have been constant in most, if not all, societies. Debra Bruch (1990) believes that the reason for theatreâs permanency transcends myth and ritual and may have something to do with its innate ability for storytelling. Bruch stated,
Unlike any other art, the total, intense focus of theatre is on the human being, his or her existence, and his or her relationship with life. It is a part of human nature to need to examine who we are in relationship with where we are.
(p. 1)
From the very beginning, societies have used storytelling as conventions to help explain human life. For the most part, these stories have assisted human beings in understanding their relationships with their environments and helped individuals and groups to understand their own natures (Bruch, 1990). William Shakespeare wrote stories that were reflective of the society in which he lived. Even today, Shakespeareâs plays are the most performed throughout the English-speaking world. According to On Shakespeare and His Times (Cannon et al., 2009), the longevity of Shakespeareâs work can be attributed to his âkeen eye for detail and his sharp understanding of human nature, which enabled him to create some of the most enduring works of drama and poetry ever producedâ (p. 5).
Artaud considered that the practice of theatre âwakes us up: nerves and heartâ, through which we experience âviolent actionâ. In turn, that action inspires us with the âfiery magnetism of its images and acts upon us like a spiritual therapeutics whose touch can never be forgottenâ (as cited in Gorelick, 2011, p. 263). Is this need for theatre that Artaud proclaimed due to the substance and processes of the art form itself, or is it due to a core human desire to portray and express our stories?
In 2012, several theatre makers posted blogs on what theatre meant to them and why theatre was an essential part of society today. Rena Cherry Brown (2012) considered that theatre emerged because
in hard times people need to gather in one place, to be lifted, challenged or simply entertained. To experience a communal energy of emotion, wonder, fascination, brilliance, commentary. This is not a luxury, it is essential to being a human being.
(para. 1)
Although Brownâs opinion regarding the permanence of theatre is articulate and corresponds with my outlook, the elucidation that resonated most with me came from the artistic director of the Hub Theatre in Washington, Helen Pafumi (2012). She observed that theatre has a transitory spiritual aspect that other creative mediums rarely convey. Pafumi (2012) understood theatre as an âelectric junctureâ that allows the audience to âbreathe in the same airâ as the story transports from âliving being to living beingâ. Once that âfleeting instant is overâ, theatre then becomes ââourâ [the audienceâs] shared chronicleâ (para. 8). What both authors communicate are the rare transformational and communal aspects of the theatre that allow participatory immersion into the story.
With this in mind, I began to look at my specific motivations for pursuing a profession in the theatre. I wondered how theatreâs performative power might have assisted my considerations surrounding the deep struggles I had with my identity and, in essence, my âorder in the worldâ (Kelman & Rafe, 2011, p. 11). What makes theatre distinctive and how has it remained such a prominent creative medium through the ages? Moreover, why do performing artists continue to feel a need to create within the discipline of theatre? Could theatre be a place where identities are played out and shaped and new ones formed? More importantly, how is it that the theatre as a performing arts convention and the decision to become a director encompass so much of my identity as an individual? The answer may lie within the individualâs attraction to the theatre as a sociological phenomenon. To understand theatre from a sociological perspective, as well as its location in the wider community, I turned to Bourdieu (1977, 1984) to unpack the conundrum between individual agency and the pressures of social formation.