Seana’s View: Why Bother with ?

formed by a specific group of a play, you want to be surrounded listened to, by people who share people for a different group of by other theatre-goers. It is a col- the planet, the theatre, at the same people each night. It is, to use lective, communal experience. time. And that time is now. 1960s’ vernacular, a “happening.” Strangers come to hear and see Each performance is unique, be- a story told by other people, who How to get the most out of cause even if the cast is the same, are not larger than life, as in film, going to live theatre the audience is different every or smaller as in televison, but life- Make an informed choice. Read night. And the audience is a cru- size. And usually, except in musi- the descriptions of the plays in cial part of the experience. Unlike cals, you are hearing the natural theatre brochures or on the Web, cinema, the audience affects the voice, unamplified. If someone or in listings, to see what appeals players. cries in the same room as you, to you. You might want to read Your laughter as a group may they are revealing themselves reviews, but there is no guarantee o summarize the expe- force actors to pause, even to stop to you at that very moment. It is you will have the same response rience, “You had to be the play for a while. The actors intimate, voyeuristic. And can be as that reviewer. there.” It is live. You can- will skirt around and through your uncomfortable. Or exhilarating. Or In my younger days, when I not rewind, pause or fast- reactions, because they hear you. comforting, because you realize still read reviews, I attended too forwardT a play. As each moment The relationship between actors “I have felt that. I am not alone.” many plays where I thought the on stage happens, it disappears. and audience in the theate is two Actors performing are in the same critic must have been watching a Like life, theatre is ephemeral. way. While the audience may go city as you, at the same time. They different production. It is all about Part of its beauty is its transience. out of a theatre saying “That was have probably read the same news taste, aesthetics and consequently, If you don’t catch that play dur- a great show,” or “That was dull,” as you, gone through the same totally subjective. You have to see ing its run, you’ve missed it. the actors may say “What a fantas- snowstorm, shopped at the same for yourself. You can’t rent the DVD. It is per- tic house tonight” or “That was a stores. A line in the play might be If you are going to a Shake- tough crowd.” especially relevant that day, and speare play or a classical play, you You are not unnoticed, even the actor saying it knows it, and might want to read the play first. if you are in the dark. When you the audience knows it. The language is English, and if see a movie, you don’t care if the I was in a 1950s’ play that men- delivered by good actors, will be theatre is full. You may be thrilled tioned the levees in New Orleans, accessible, but it is far denser than to be the only one there. But with and Hurricane Katrina had just hit our ears are used to these days. But that week. It had new resonance the rewards of classical language, and we all felt it. Even with a play and listening to the thoughts and that is 400 years old, it is contem- feelings that that language can en- porary, because it is interpreted compass, are well worth the effort. by, performed by, seen by and Sometimes it is hard to believe something was written hundreds of years ago, it seems so current. Some familiarity with the language and the plot can allow you to focus on the performance.

Fabulous places to see theatre in Ontario There are the festivals: Stratford, Shaw, Blyth. All the in , the Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, The Grand in London, professional theatres in Kitchener, Guelph, Orangeville, St. Cathe- Seana McKenna as Anne Hathaway rine’s. There are summer theatres in Shakespeare’s Will, 2007 at and “theatres in the parks” all over Stratford Shakespeare Festival. the province. There is infinite vari- Photo by Richard Bain ety, yours for the asking. And the paying, of course. But when you Seana McKenna, an accomplished and pay, you support local industry award-winning actor, is performing in and living artists. And when some- and Fuente Ovejuna one says, “You had to be there,” at the this season. you can say “I was.”

❦ Spring 2008 25 Escarpment Views