Live Theatre Production: use of performance space

Live Theatre Production: Use of Performance Space

Understanding Performance Space

• Performance space refers to the physical area where the actors perform and it can dramatically impact how a play is perceived and experienced.
• In order to effectively utilise performance space, it’s important to understand the concept of stage directions - ‘upstage’, ‘downstage’, ‘stage left’, and ‘stage right’.

Types of Stages

• Stages can take various forms such as proscenium, thrust, arena, and traverse each offering different opportunities for staging and audience engagement.
• For instance, proscenium stages separate actors from audience, providing a clear ‘picture frame’ view while thrust stages allows for more intimate and dynamic staging.

Blocking

• Blocking is the process of planning where, when and how actors move on the stage. It’s an essential aspect of utilizing performance space to guide the audience’s focus.
• It involves determining the positioning of characters in relation to each other, props, and set pieces.

Set Design

• Set design can transform a bare stage into any desired location and enables the creation of specific environment indispensable to the storyline.
• However, it’s important that the set design doesn’t inhibit actors’ movement or block audience view.

Staging Techniques

• Staging techniques such as minimalism, expressionism and realism can be employed to best deliver the intended ambiance and theme of the play.
• For instance, a minimalist stage may rely heavily on actor’s performance and lighting, whereas a realistic set could provide detailed visual clues to the setting.

Performance Space and Audience

• The configuration of performance space can directly affect the audience’s engagement and experience. For instance, a traverse stage setup might create a more intimate atmosphere than a proscenium setup.
• Breaking the ‘fourth wall’, where the actors address or interact with the audience directly, can also change the typical dynamic of the performance space.

A thorough understanding of performance space and how to manipulate it is crucial for stage directors, set designers, and actors. Properly utilised, it can greatly enhance storytelling and audience engagement.