The Relationship between Performance Space and Production of Shakespeare's Roman Plays

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. PERFORMANCE SPACE – A THEORETICAL APPROACH

1. 1. FROM DESCARTES TO LEFEBVRE – PHILIOSOPHY AND SPACE IN THE THEATRE

1. 2. THEATRE SEMIOTICS – MINIMAL UNITS AND THEATRE SPACE

1. 3. TAXONOMY OF SPATIAL FUNCTION IN THE THEATRE

1. 4. TAXONOMY OF PERFORMANCE SPACE

2. SHAKESPEARE’S ROMAN PLAYS PRODUCED IN 2006 – A CASE STUDY

2. 0 METHODOLOGY

2. 1 SWAN THEATRE – ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA produced by Gregory Doran

2. 1.1. SWAN THEATRE – A HISTORY

2. 1.2. SWAN THEATRE - ACTOR/AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP

2. 1.3. SWAN THEATRE – ‘BARE STAGE’ AND MODERN THEATRE TECHNOLOGY

2. 2 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE – JULIUS CAESAR AND TITUS ANDRONICUS produced by Sean Holmes and Yukio Ninagawa

2. 2.1 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE – A HISTORY

2. 2.2 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE – A DIFFICULT PERFORMANCE SPACE

2. 2.3 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE – THEATRE OF SPECTACLE

2. 3 SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE BANKSIDE, LONDON – CORIOLANUS, ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA AND TITUS ANDRONICUS produced by Dominic Dromgoole and Lucy Bailey

2. 3.1 SHAKESPEARE’S GOLBE BANKSIDE, LONDON – A HISTORY

2. 3.2 SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE BANKSIDE, LONDON – ACTOR/AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP NEWLY DEFINED

2. 3.3 SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE BANKSIDE, LONDON – STAGE DESIGNERS VS. ‘ORIGINAL PRACTICES’

Conclusion

Research Objectives and Themes

This study investigates the relationship between the performance space of specific theatres and the production of Shakespeare’s Roman plays in Great Britain in 2006. It examines how performance space influences production choices and explores how different stagings utilize these spaces to communicate the plays' themes, focusing on the interplay between physical environment, actor, and audience.

• The impact of theatre architecture (proscenium vs. thrust stage) on performance.
• The historical and theoretical development of "performance space" in theatre studies.
• The relationship between actor and audience in different theatrical venues.
• The use of scenography, technology, and staging to define "place" and "location."
• A comparative case study of productions at the Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and Shakespeare’s Globe.

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Summary of Chapters

1. PERFORMANCE SPACE – A THEORETICAL APPROACH: This chapter establishes a theoretical framework by discussing philosophical perspectives on space and introducing theatre semiotics and spatial taxonomies.

2. SHAKESPEARE’S ROMAN PLAYS PRODUCED IN 2006 – A CASE STUDY: This chapter provides the methodology and detailed analysis of how the Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and Shakespeare’s Globe functioned as performance spaces for specific 2006 productions of Shakespeare’s Roman plays.

Keywords

Shakespeare, Roman Plays, Performance Space, Theatre Architecture, Actor-Audience Relationship, RSC, Swan Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Scenography, Theatre Semiotics, Proscenium Stage, Thrust Stage, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this research?

The work investigates the critical relationship between theatrical performance spaces and the 2006 productions of Shakespeare’s Roman plays in Britain, focusing on how architecture dictates production possibilities.

What are the central themes discussed?

Central themes include the impact of stage architecture on audience connection, the use of historical vs. modern scenography, and how directors redefine traditional performance spaces to communicate the plays' meanings.

What is the core research objective?

The primary aim is to analyze to what extent performance space influences the staging of Shakespeare’s Roman plays and to determine which types of spaces best suit these specific theatrical works.

Which scientific methodology is applied?

The study utilizes a qualitative case study approach, involving first-hand observation of nine performances across three venues, archival research, and interviews with theatre practitioners like Sean Holmes.

What is treated in the main part of the document?

The main part provides a comparative analysis of three specific venues: the intimate thrust stage of the Swan, the large proscenium arch of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and the experimental, historically-informed space of Shakespeare’s Globe.

Which keywords best characterize this study?

Shakespeare, Roman Plays, Performance Space, Theatre Architecture, Actor-Audience Relationship, and Scenography are the key identifiers for this work.

Why was the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) criticized in the study?

The RST was criticized for its massive size and the distance between the proscenium stage and the audience, which created an "impersonal" gap that made it difficult for actors to establish a meaningful, direct connection with the spectators.

What unique staging methods were used at the Globe?

Directors utilized the yard (pit) for playing, installed ramps and metal gantries to extend the stage into the audience, and used the tiring house to redefine the traditional actor-audience relationship.

What was the outcome of the experiment involving Titus Andronicus at the Globe?

The experiment involved elaborate scenography and lighting that were so intense they led to audience members fainting, highlighting the complex boundary between fiction and reality in an immersive, authentic performance space.