Viewing: Questions

What’s the Difference Between Theater and Performance?

April 11, 2009

I literally just got back from a party and am writing this post. While there, a woman admitted to me that she preferred doing performance over theater even thought she makes her living as a theater professional. I am someone who does not identify with the theater community, so I began to ask others at the party if they see a difference between Performance and Theater. After talking with several people the distinctions between the two became a bit more clear.

Theater, it was said, is codified. It has a history and expectation. Theater expects its participants to understand and carry on a tradition. In theater there’s a particular way to approach the production, direction, writing, lighting, costuming, etc. There’s a language that should be employed when critiquing theater. An audience who “understands theater” will most likely have a different opinion about a play as opposed to a person who doesn’t go to see theater often. Someone at the party went as far as to say that theater was something people (he said “we” as in the theater community) do but weren’t necessarily happy doing. He also said that theater should die, and he’s a theater professional! 

Performance, on the other hand, was described as something that unifies an audience. Performance can include theater but is more free and encompasses dance, music, and even include attention-getting outbursts in public. Sound is a huge part of performance. So are words and language. Performance has something to say beyond simply entertaining an audience. It’s less concerned with linear or structured narrative than theater. I got the impression that performance is more spontaneous and free both in how people described it and how they felt about doing it. Performance does not need to be scripted. It’s more alive. 

Theater and performance can come together as one and everyone agreed that when the two marry a very special and powerful experience happens. The word “ritual” came up when people spoke about performance. It would seem to me that ritual in theater happens in the production of a play and includes the production workers while ritual in performance happens during the performance itself ad includes the audience.

Posted in Questions on April 11, 2009 : Comments (1)

Traditional vs. First Person Storytelling

November 22, 2008

When I was living in New York City, I asked a storyteller who was prominent in the local scene what she thought about the urban storytelling non-profit called the Moth.  She replied, “Oh, that’s first person stories. That’s not really storytelling.”

I was astonished. The conversation ended there. This woman told stories in Central Park every weekend to crowds of children and adults. She had a repertoire of folk tales at the tip of her tongue. She was certainly known by the families who had come to hear her tell her tales and was known in the community as being a storytelling pioneer.

Meanwhile, downtown, the Moth had grown a significant following and stirred quite a buzz. As a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting storytelling, the Moth changed the face of the stereotypical storyteller from a white-haired librarian/grandma with a book in her hand into a young hipster with an entertaining and sexy personal experience to share.

Years have passed and little has changed. I belong to Storytell, a listserv where storytellers “talk shop” via email. Whenever first person stories come up I am again surprised to learn that there are many traditional storytellers who shun first person storytelling. They don’t see the value it in. They think it’s a lesser form of storytelling, if a form of storytelling at all.

Mind you, not all storytellers take issue with personal storytelling. Just some. But why? Could it be that some storytellers are threatened by the fact that anyone can tell a story? Not everyone can tell a story well, nor tell well every time they perform. But every person has an interesting story that’s captivating and interesting. In some cases, their stories have been told at dinner parties, on long car rides, and in places one wouldn’t consider a performance space. The end result is a polished tale worthy of stage time at any storytelling festival across the country.

What are your thoughts? Is personal storytelling not real storytelling?

Posted in Questions on November 22, 2008 : Comments (1)

What’s Your Estate Story?

November 02, 2008

Estate Sale

We saw a sign that said two estate sales were happening side-by-side. We followed the signs and parked the car. Both of the homes were huge, at least six bedrooms. However, it seemed like only one person was living in each house. Sort of sad.

Both houses had the same things for sale.

Television - $10
Decks of cars from various airlines - $3 a bag
A collection of matches from all over the world - $2
Cassette deck - $6
Old 78 records - $1 each
Various art and architecture books - $1 each

It made me think, what will my final estate sale look like?

Posted in Questions on November 02, 2008 : Comments (0)

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