Postmodern theater

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Postmodernism
preceded by Modernism
Postmodernity Postchristianity Postmodern philosophy Postmodern architecture Postmodern art Postmodernist film Postmodern literature Postmodern music Postmodern theater Critical theory Globalization Consumerism

Postmodern theatre is a recent phenomenon in world theatre, coming as it does out of the postmodern philosophy that originated in Europe in the 1960s. Typically, a postmodern theatrical work would contain some or all of the following characteristics:

A diverse pastiche of different textualities and media forms are used, including the simultaneous use of multiple art or media forms, and there is the 'theft' of a heterogeneous group of artistic forms
Narrative need not be complete but can be broken, paradoxical and imagistic. There is a movement away from linearity to multiplicity (to inter-related 'webs' of storying), where acts and scenes give way to a series of peripatetic dramatic moments.
Existing ways of seeing the world are subverted and questioned, including conventional methods of portraying character and human experience
Each new performance of a theatrical pieces is a new Gestalt, a unique spectacle, with no intent on methodically repeating a play.
The audience is integral to the shared meaning making of the performance process and are included in the dialogue of the play
The rehearsal process in a theatrical production is driven more by shared meaning-making and improvisation, rather than the scripted text
The play steps back from reality to create its own self conscious atmosphere

Postmodern theatre works tend to be challenging for an audience who are used to the time-honoured conventions of theatre and have expectations. The breaking of these expectations and the finding of new boundaries and sensibilities is the very point of this theatrical movement.