Richard Schechner envisions a "new theatre" in three of his major essays,"Happenings" (1966), "Six Axioms for Environmental Theatre" (1968), and"Negotiations with the Environment" (1968).
He does not spend timediscussing his famed "not not themselves" ideology of the performer orritual ecstasy; instead he discusses a new genealogical hybrid termed the "newtheatre" by Allan Kaprow. Schechner uses the traditional theatre as acomparison and first comments in "Happenings" "because it is unliketraditional theatre, the familiar locutions of these arts, e.g., dance, music,sculpture, painting cannot describe whats going on or provide criteria forwhich to evaluate it" (145). Still, Schechner does provide many a comparisonbetween the traditional theatre and this new form.
Schechner recognizes that the"theatrical event is a complex social interweave, a network of expectation andobligation. The exchange of stimulieither sensory or ideational or bothisthe root of theatre" (158). Knowing this, the author claims all theatre, bothtraditional and new, is a set of related "transactions" (changes in outlookand situation). How these transactions occur is what defines the art form.
Forexample the traditional theatre "works from an organic system of correlationsconcerning character, story, and locale. Likewise, Susanne K. Langer states,traditional theatre "runs on a continuum of past and future as parts," (147)organic parts developing the situation." It involves a series ofunderstandable transactions. However, the new theatre lacks this destiny oftime.
"There the referents to everyday life are purely functions of sounds,textures, and images" (147). Schechner basically breaks down all the majorcomponents of the traditional theatre in a comparison with the new theatre. Tostart, the traditional theatre involves plot as a means of telling a story, butthe new theatre involves images/events. There are three kinds of new theatre asSchechner describes in "Happenings": the technological, essentiallyelectronic event (a la John Cage concerts), the free-for-all happenings or partygone wild in which the event is roughly sketched by the author, a group ofpeople are told to do something and another group is invited towatch/participate, and the "ceremony" (a la Kaprow) in which theparticipants are given a set of instructions which they are not to improvise onbut simply do. "All three kinds share autonomy and revitalization.
""Disconnections are made so that the isolated event or image can be seen initself, seen as revitalized" (154). Schechner points out that the traditionaltheatre is action whereas the new theatre is about activity. In "Negotiationswith the Environment" he further makes the distinction that the activity isusually "self-documentational" (197). As well the traditional theatresupports resolution, however the new theatre thrives on open-ended ness.
Forthis reason, "shows tend to be often unrepeated and unrepeatable" (147)--for how can you repeat something that will give you a very different result.Likewise, the traditional theatre revolves around themes/thesis, however in newtheatre there is no pre-set meaning. "When audiences exist they are left tothemselves to put together or make sense out of whats happening" (148).Therefore, the meaning can be almost anything, and everyone will most certainlyhave a different impression. The traditional theatre is oriented around roles;the actor is the most important figure.
"He becomes a human being otherthan himself" (149). The new theatre, on the contrary, is task oriented.People are themselves simply doing something. Their job is not to build roles orcircumstances in which they are justified (149). This lends itself tointermedia performances in which "the production elements need no longersupport a performance" (163). At certain times these elements are moreimportant than the performers and so a new term "performing technicians"(163) is created.
The performers are then free to be treated "as mass andvolume, color and texture, and movementnot as actors but as parts ofthe environment" (178). Like the set and text, they are a part of the piece,not taking focus, but just facilitating. Schechner points out that thetraditional theatre revolves around a stage, which is not necessarily true ofthe new theatre. The new theatre tries to reach beyond the boundaries of space.
Allan Kaprow is quoted in "Negotiations with the Environment as saying, "itdoesnt make any difference how large the space is, its still a stage.Its pretty comfortable working in the middle, but as soon as you get to theedges you have to stop, I didnt feel like stopping" (181). Schechner, then,in "Axioms of the Environmental Theatre," spends much time on two specificaxioms referring to Kaprows edges, "all space is used for performance"and "the theatrical event can take place in totally transformed space or foundspace." Schechner remarks that in "traditional theatre a special placeis marked off within the theatre for performance, but in new theatre the spaceis organically defined by the action" (165-6). "Once one gives up fixedseating and the bifurcation of space, entirely new relationships are possible"(167) fostering a sense of shared experience among the group This experience canbe achieved through transformed space in which the participants, using whatevermaterials are available and placing them wherever form the unplanned set (171)where the action will take place or something called found space. Found spaceinvolves the given elements of any spaceits architecture, textural qualities,acoustics, and so on are to be explored.
The random ordering of space is valid.The function of scenery, if used, is to point up not disguise or transform thespace. Lastly, the spectator may suddenly create new special possibilities(172-3). Some have considered Freedom Marches examples of found spaces.Schechner states in his "Negotiations with the Environment," "a foundspace was interesting; found people were found alive" (186).
So then is thetraditional theatre found dead?--Perhaps dead in terms of new energies. In thetraditional theatre the actors go by a script and the result is a product,however in the new theatre its free form, a process, one specific ideaisnt beaten to death. The text need not be the starting point (axiom 6)."You dont do the play; you do with itconfront it, search among the wordsand themes, build around and through it.
. . and come out with your own thing"(180). Whereas the traditional theatre places emphasis on flow and clarity, thenew theatre can be tangential and, somewhat chaotic, exploring many facets atonce, creating something entirely "new".
Similarly, the traditional theatreis single focused, showing the audience where they should cast their gaze. Thisis not true of the new theatre where, according to axiom four, the "focus isflexible and variable" (175). "Multi-focus will not reach every spectator inthe same way" (175). Again, the spectator is free to interpret whats goingon. As well, using local focus only a fraction of the audience can see or hear.
However, "real body contact and whispered communication are possible betweenthe performer and spectator" (176). Local whirlpools of action make thetheatrical line more complex and varied. The last comparison Schechner makesbetween the two forms of theatre involves the audience. In traditional theatrethe audience watches, but in new theatre the audience participates or isnon-existent.
Environmental theatre involves the art of participation, acelebration of sorts (184). For Schechner and many others it can be a spiritualjourney in which all involved share the idea that if people would see again,feel againnot as they did in the historic past, but as each one of us did asa childthen things would get better (155). There are the ritual elements thatcomprise Schechners work in Between Theatre and Anthropology. Is the newtheatre, then, more spiritual than the traditional theatre? That is not for meto decide but for those involved.
Certainly, the new theatre fosters newinvolvements and new ideasvariations on space, time, and focus. Yet, wecannot judge which is better for they are two very different art forms. Thetheatre world is enhanced and enriched by new developments like the "new"theatre. Hopefully, both will be around for a very long time.
