{"id":135,"date":"2017-04-19T19:58:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T19:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.immersology.com\/?p=135"},"modified":"2019-02-01T21:15:42","modified_gmt":"2019-02-01T21:15:42","slug":"why-not-interactive-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immersology.com\/why-not-interactive-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Why not “Interactive Theatre”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the activity of the audience is key to a true immersive theatre experience, why don’t we call the genre “interactive theatre”? Isn’t that a better description?<\/p>\n

Because I wince when I hear “interactive theatre,” and so do you. The phrase conjures up images of campy murder-mystery dinner-theatres, children’s shows, and theatre that entertains the audience by dragging an audience member on stage and picking on them for the amusement of others.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is not immersive theatre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why does interactive theatre suck? When you pluck out an audience member from the safety of their seat and invite them to participate, it makes that person ferociously self-conscious. Once content in their passivity, now they’re suddenly under the spotlight, while the cast is seemingly chanting “Dance, monkey, dance!” It’s embarrassing. Nobody likes that.<\/p>\n

Killing self-consciousness<\/h5>\n

Self-consciousness is the enemy of the actor, and in immersive theatre, self-consciousness also becomes the enemy of the audience. Building a world around the audience as only immersive theatre does makes it possible for the audience to act naturally in a way they never could in a traditional theatre. In sophisticated works of immersive theatre, you never<\/em> feel like you’re under the spotlight because…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The world is richly detailed, thus making make-believe for an adult less embarrassing.<\/li>\n
  2. The world lacks the seat-stage divide (one zone is safe, the other is scary) so you never have that awkward transition from passive to active-mode.<\/li>\n
  3. The rest of the audience is well-dispersed, so a bunch of people aren’t there just to watch you.<\/li>\n
  4. You’re so busy doing the thing you need to do in the world that there’s no time to feel self-conscious.
    \n(More on Meisner theory in immersive theatre to come.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When I speak of The Man From Beyond<\/em> to someone who hasn’t played yet, I often have to assuage their fears of embarrassment. No one will be watching, judging, and calling you stupid, I promise. Besides, you’ll be too busy doing things<\/em> to even think of that!<\/p>\n

    I regret that we cannot reclaim “interactive theatre,” but most people don’t think of “interactivity” in the context of theatre as a good thing. Get them through your doors under any other terms, and then they’ll know that interacting in theatre is FREAKING AMAZING.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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