This article discusses the role of the audience in the theatre before explaining the nature of English audience -from the Elizabethan period to the contemporary time. It points out the features of each audience and their behaviour in the theatre; as well, it examines the English playhouse in terms of its evolution and development.
The Role of the Audience
The audience is a crucial aspect of the theatre because as Styan (1968: 251) argues, “the interplay between the actor and his audience brings the play to life”. The understanding is that drama is not possible without the audience. Jerzy Grotowski insists that at least one spectator is needed to make a performance.
The actors are aware that the audience is the first judge of the drama. Eze (2011: 25) states that “the dramatic event mandates the audience to get involved in the business of appreciation, interpretation and reaction. In full knowledge of this, the performers work assiduously to impress the audience by satisfying its needs, interests, and expectations. Vargas (1960: 12) underscores the role of the theatre audience thus:
Actors will tell you how important the audience is to them. But they are not only interested in whether the house is packed to capacity. Their interest is in the type of the audience before whom they are going to perform. Do they look lively and intelligent enough to catch the subtle shades in the play? Do they appear to have a sense of humour? Nothing is more chastening to an actor’s soul than to perform an excellent comedy before an audience who sit glumly in rows, with defiant expressions on their faces which seem to say; “Go on try, try and make me laugh”.
The audience can electrify a performance as much as it can lower its standard and quality. To further drive home the value of the audience in a dramatic presentation, Vargas notes further:
A lively and intelligent audience eager for the play to begin and tense and alert throughout the play, will elicit from the players the finest performance of which they are capable. A dull, unresponsive crowd in the front will give the players extra work to do, and tend to lower the standard of performance.
The implication is that the response of the audience can make or mar any drama. And this is the reason the actor does not take the audience for granted. Martin Esslin (1981: 25 – 26) elaborates on this when he posits that:
Positive reaction of the audience has a powerful effect on the actors, and so has negative reaction. If the audience fails to laugh at jokes, the actors will instinctively play them more broadly, underline them, and signal more clearly that what they are saying is funny. If the audience responds, the actors will be inspired by the response and this in turn will elicit more and more powerful responses from the audience. This is the famous feedback effect between the stage and the audience.
The electricity that is usually at the heart of any good theatre experience is not generated by the actor alone as Edwin Wilson suggests in his The Theater Experience. It results from the interplay between the actor and the audience body chemistry. Walter Kerr is cited by Wilson to have explained the actor – audience relationship in a dramatic encounter as follow:
It doesn’t just mean that we are in the personal presence of performers. It means that they are in our presence conscious of us, speaking to us, working for and with us until a circuit that is not mechanical becomes established between us, a circuit that is fluid, unpredictable, ever – changing in impulses, crackling, and intimate. Our presence, the way we respond, flows back to the performer and alters what he does, to some degree and sometimes astonishingly so, every single night. We are contenders, making the play and the evening and the emotions together. We are playmates, building a structure.
The pull and fascination of personal contact between the actor and the audience when at its best, creates a bond that elevates the dramatic experience into a kind of ritual. According to Esslin (1981: 26):
At its best, when a fine play in a fine performance coincides with a receptive audience in the theatre, this can produce a concentration of thought and emotional intensity that amounts to a higher level of spiritual insight and can make such experience akin to a religious one, a memorable high – point in an individual’s life.
I am truly thankful to the holder of this site who has shared this great paragraph at at this
place.
Hello, after reading this awesome paragraph i am too delighted to share my familiarity here with friends.
Cultural diversity can enrich relationships, demanding openness and understanding.
The ability to communicate openly about desires and fantasies enhances intimacy.
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for Understanding
male pattern baldness
I just like the helpful info you provide to your articles.
I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again right here regularly.
I’m rather certain I’ll be informed a lot of new stuff proper
here! Good luck for the next!
Normally I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very
compelled me to take a look at and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me.
Thank you, very nice article.
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you can be a great
author. I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back very soon.
I want to encourage one to continue your great job, have
a nice day!
What’s up to every body, it’s my first go to see of this weblog; this website carries awesome
and in fact fine material designed for visitors.
I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is tasteful, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get
got an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following.
unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly very
often inside case you shield this increase.
Why people still use to read news papers when in this
technological world the whole thing is presented on net?
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest
but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll
go ahead and bookmark your website to come back
later on. Many thanks
Excellent blog right here! Also your site loads
up very fast! What host are you the use of?
Can I get your associate hyperlink on your host?
I desire my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Its such as you read my mind! You appear to know a lot
about this, such as you wrote the ebook in it or something.
I feel that you just can do with some percent to force
the message house a little bit, however instead of that, this is
excellent blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.
Awesome site you have here but I was curious about if you knew
of any community forums that cover the same topics talked about here?
I’d really love to be a part of online community where I
can get suggestions from other knowledgeable people that share the same
interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Cheers!
It is the best time to make some plans for the long run and it is time to be happy.
I have read this post and if I may just I desire to counsel
you some attention-grabbing things or suggestions.
Maybe you can write next articles relating to this article.
I desire to learn even more things approximately it!
After looking over a few of the blog posts on your blog, I seriously appreciate your technique of blogging.
I bookmarked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future.
Please visit my website too and let me know your opinion.
Hello! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how
to make your site mobile friendly? My blog looks weird when viewing
from my iphone4. I’m trying to find a template or
plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any suggestions, please
share. Many thanks!
Hi it’s me, I am also visiting this web page daily, this web
page is actually pleasant and the people are actually sharing pleasant thoughts.
Excellent blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers?
I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for
a paid option? There are so many choices out there
that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any suggestions?
Thanks!