Comments on: The definitive, abiding, iconic image of theatre

By: ian mackenzie

ian mackenzie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:15:00 +0000

Mary,

And here I am trying to explain the obvious. ;-)

By: mary

mary — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:10:00 +0000

Ian,

I totally agree. I was just joking when I said I didn’t get it. (I would’ve used an emoticon but I’m not a fan and I’m not sure how to use them on this blog.)

The photo makes me smile every time I look at it.

By: Obsidian Theatre

Obsidian Theatre — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:55:00 +0000

I have always said that to create theatre all we need is a performer with a story to tell and someone to listen.

Great pic.

Philip

By: ian mackenzie

ian mackenzie — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Hi Mary,

For me, this really is "a" definitive image of theatre.

If theatre is about a community telling its stories back to itself, it's all here in this image: the audience, all sitting in the shade cover of a structure (the theater), the two performers, the costumes, the ground (the stage).

One of the obvious problems with Shakespeare being theatre's "definitive" image is that it's such a Western framing.

I think this image helps solve that problem. If the first humans were in Africa, presumably so were our first performance traditions. So in this image, we have a wonderful and succinct representation of what theatre is.

This image tells us what theatre is.

I'm not sure from the above comments if other people are agreeing, or if they think this is off-base.

How about you?

By: mary

mary — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:08:00 +0000

I don’t get it.

By: shakespeare

shakespeare — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:30:00 +0000

I am humbled and concede my iconic status. These men are much more definitive & abiding than me or that Stinkiovsky bloke.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:48:00 +0000

That’s a pretty fun picture. Those guys are jammin’.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:07:00 +0000

You’ve nailed it! I love those guys.