'The Object Lesson' and Theatre's New Direction
American theatre has entered full swing into a shift that is transforming how audiences and performers interact. The concept of “the fourth wall,” the invisible dividing line at the edge of the stage between artists and audiences, is in many cases rapidly eroding, both from artists seeking new performance styles and audiences no longer satisfied by sitting in a dark room watching a one-sided story. This can be seen strikingly in the recent piece [De/As]cending, which played at Arizona State University this spring. Phil Weaver-Stoesz’ MFA thesis production plunks the audience amidst the last survivors of a post-apocalyptic world. [De/As]cending was intended to be immersive, with the audience following the story as it played out in a building on campus which had been transformed into a bunker.
However, the audience began to alter the story, block performers, and interact directly with them to change events. Online theatre journal Howl Round published an article by Weaver-Stoesz exploring what happened and why. But this is merely one example of an incipient shift in theatre, which is also exemplified by Geoff Sobelle’s The Object Lesson, which won the top prize at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and plays at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through October 4, 2015.
Participatory theatre has long been championed, workshopped, and produced by Center Theatre Group. Recently, CTG has produced interactive theatre works at Radar LA, Gob Squad at REDCAT, the Rude Mechs at the Douglas, and Dia De Los Muertos through The Shop program. This trend began in earnest with current Artistic Director Michael Ritchie’s first season, when all wear bowlers (which, like The Object Lesson, was created by and starred Geoff Sobelle) played the Douglas. Sobelle and his fellow performers aggressively extended the playing space from the stage out into the theatre, blurring the line between performer and audience.
The critical and artistic success of all wear bowlers demonstrated that audiences were interested in and open to a new style of relationship with their theatre and performances. CTG Associate Artistic Director Diane Rodriguez said this change has come in part “because now all art can be participatory: YouTube, Instagram, and the like. People feel they are creators. Participatory theatre offers a place for the public to create and communicate, instead of just consume, art.”
The Object Lesson does just that. There is no divide between stage and house, with the audience seated, standing, and exploring the playing space. Instead of treating the audience as spectators, Sobelle invites them to touch the props, open the many boxes that share the stage (some of which also function as seats), and interact with each other and the story.
CTG has helped to nurture Sobelle and a host of other artists experimenting with the way theatre functions. Ultimately, however, it is the public that has driven this shift with their enthusiastic reactions to participatory theatre.