Audience as Performer: The changing role of theatre audiences in the twenty-first century

Cover
......Page 1
Half Title
......Page 2
Title Page
......Page 4
Copyright Page
......Page 5
Dedication
......Page 6
Table of Contents
......Page 8
Acknowledgements
......Page 10
Introduction
......Page 12
Do Audiences Perform?......Page 13
Performer, Performance, Audience......Page 15
Writings About Audiences......Page 17
Listening to the Audience......Page 18
Mainstream Theatre......Page 21
Book Structure......Page 22
Notes......Page 25
References......Page 26
Part I: Audience Performance
......Page 28
1. Audience as Performer
......Page 30
From Empathy to Performance......Page 31
The Audience’s Audience......Page 33
The Audience’s Role......Page 35
The Audience’s Costume......Page 36
The Performance......Page 38
Laughter......Page 40
Crying......Page 41
Applauding......Page 42
Listening......Page 43
The Shuffle and the Fidget......Page 44
The Walk-out......Page 45
Restraints......Page 47
Notes......Page 50
References......Page 51
2. Stage Etiquette (1800–1880)
......Page 54
Historical Considerations......Page 55
Stage Etiquette......Page 57
The Audience’s Audience......Page 59
Followers......Page 60
Audience Performing Styles......Page 61
Audience Costume......Page 62
The Audience Set and Lighting......Page 63
Laughter and Crying......Page 64
Applause......Page 65
Stamps, Cheers, Thumps, Roars, Catcalls and Waves......Page 66
Dialogue and Singing......Page 67
Eating, Chewing, Spitting and Smoking......Page 69
Pre and Post-performance Discussions
......Page 70
Audience Text......Page 71
Notes......Page 72
References......Page 73
3. Theatre Etiquette (1880–2000)
......Page 75
From the Limelight into the Shadows......Page 76
Theatre Etiquette......Page 77
The Galleryites......Page 81
The Fashionables......Page 82
The Matinee Girl, the Stage-Door Johnny and the Tired Business Man......Page 83
Guest Performers......Page 85
Props: The Hat......Page 86
The Auditorium Fades to Black......Page 87
Musical Audiences from the 1980s......Page 91
Notes......Page 92
References......Page 93
Part II: Contemporary Audience Performance
......Page 96
Introduction to Part II
......Page 97
References......Page 98
4. Audience as Critic
......Page 100
The Discussion......Page 101
The Post-show Discussion......Page 104
The Pleasure of Performing Critic......Page 108
The Role of the Audience Critic in Previews......Page 110
Digitising Critical Responses......Page 111
Case Study Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Playing Critic in the Public Square......Page 115
Steppenwolf Critics Live......Page 116
Steppenwolf Critics Online......Page 117
Notes......Page 118
References......Page 119
5. Audience as Community
......Page 122
Community Houses......Page 123
The House......Page 124
Socialising in the House......Page 125
Interior Decorating......Page 127
Share Houses......Page 130
New Houses......Page 131
Case Study Signature Theatre Company: Building Communities......Page 134
References......Page 137
6. Audience as Consumer
......Page 139
Esteem......Page 141
The Tourist Audience......Page 142
The Pleasure of Purchasing......Page 143
Ownership......Page 145
Audience as Guest at the Theatrical Experience......Page 146
Consuming the Right to Perform......Page 148
Case Study Times Square: Self-Conscious Performance......Page 150
Notes......Page 153
References......Page 154
7. Audience as Co-creator
......Page 156
The Electric Air......Page 157
Audience as Co-creator......Page 158
Reciprocity......Page 160
Leading and Following......Page 162
Breathe as One......Page 164
Twenty-First-Century Audience Co-creation......Page 165
Youth Theatre......Page 167
Immersive Theatre......Page 168
Communal Theatre......Page 170
One-Person Show......Page 171
The Soliloquy......Page 172
Creating a Scene......Page 173
Case Study Shakespeare’s Globe: Extending the Invitation......Page 175
Notes......Page 178
References......Page 180
Conclusion: New Possibilities
......Page 182
Everything Old is New Again......Page 183
Emerging Questions......Page 185
New Possibilities......Page 186
References......Page 187
Audience Members......Page 188
Actors......Page 190
Directors/Producers/Other Theatre Professionals......Page 191
Appendix 1: Audience Interviews
......Page 192
Appendix 2: Questionnaire
......Page 196
Index
......Page 198