Day 163 of 365 - Performance is an Art

Today I had the privilege to attend the first live reading of a new play by actors/performers.  I had never actually been to a play reading or workshop event before.  It is quite different because the actors are literally just seated in a row, reading from the script in character.

Even without a stage, set, costumes, lighting and so on, this can be a powerful experience.  It was so for me today.  The actors did a great job of portraying their characters and thus conveying the depth and emotional range of the story to the audience of 30 or so people present.  It was well received.

When I was chatting with my husband about it later, in terms of how effective it was as a live reading, he reminded me about the difference between reading Shakespeare and seeing one of his plays performed.  Point taken.

I enjoy live theatre but go to performances very infrequently.  That is going to change later this year though, as I plan to buy season tickets with a friend to attend shows at our city's main theatre starting next fall.

Live theatre and music events have extra dimensions which are just not as likely to be experienced by simply reading a book, watching a movie or listening to an audio file.  I believe it is because there is an engagement between the performers and the audience members.

Mind you, I have been to live productions in the past which fell flat.  This can happen due to circumstances of venue, annoying audience members and an 'off night' for the main performer.  But, that is also a risk taken with live theatre and concerts.  The payoff comes with those special occasions where everything falls into place, connections are made and the story of the performance comes alive, with energy resonating between stage and audience.

It is the art of performance which leads to such connections with those receiving the artist's rendition.  We are drawn into the storytelling and relating to it from our own experiences of life.

Having had this opportunity today reminded me just how much goes on behind the scenes before a dramatic or musical show is ever presented.  There is the conceptualizing by the writer, the actual writing, and who knows how many revisions, readings, rehearsals.  Never mind the seeking of a performance opportunity and then all the detail involved in actually staging a show.

As an audience member, all I do is buy my ticket and show up.  Still, it is a symbiotic kind of relationship, because, with nobody to perform to, there is no show.  I am realizing that performers must have a lot of passion and courage to keep putting in appearances.  Today, I am grateful that they do.


Comments

  1. JocelynMarch 17, 2019 at 10:49 AM

    Thanks for this reflection Joan!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JoanMarch 17, 2019 at 11:37 AM

    Thank YOU Jocelyn for your passion in performing and teaching!

    ReplyDelete

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