What describes the study of theatre? What is the purpose of theatre as a whole? In the course of theatrical studies, no one term exists that encompasses the research of this particular art form. At the university level, we approach the teaching of theatre from the perspective of its individual elements. The student learns to navigate their performance studies through acting, singing, and dance classes. During my undergrad, I attended courses such as “Scene Into Song,” “Acting I” (through III), and “Audition Techniques.”
When it came to reading plays and understanding them culturally, socially, and fundamentally, the student attends classes focused around the overarching theme of that class. I attended classes called “History of Musical Theatre,” “Introduction to Drama,” and “Queer Theatre,” whose focus was just this.
And when one seeks to travel further into theatre studies, they find Masters and Ph.D.-level programs focusing on broad topics such as “Theatre Education,” as well as “Theatre and Performance Studies.” They may find more niche programs whose titles are “Directing,” “Acting,” or “Production.”
But what is it that these classes, programs, and degrees teach? The answer: Theatre Theory.
Theatre Theory’s Close Relative
“Music theory” is a very nuanced term, but, in layman’s terms, it relates to how composers make music, why elements of a score sound consonant or dissonant (i.e., “good” or “bad”), the history of music composition and the possibilities that music provides.
Music is tactile. We can see sheet music and play it. There are standardized rules for how composers may write music. But there also exist musical “compositions” which break the set rules (John Cage’s 4’33”, anyone?).
How, then, do we study everything that belongs to (and breaks) these rules? How, then, do we study the history of those who break the rules and those who follow them? And how do we study why their works were influential (from a musical standpoint)? The answer is: under the guise of music theory.
(I must note that music theory is very complex (a glance at music theory’s Wikipedia page could tell you this), and, for the sake of everyone here, I’ve tried to describe music theory with as much restraint as possible. Musicologists, my apologies.)
Theatre theory is much the same.
“Genetic” Differences
Much like music theory, theatre theory seeks to engulf the practices of its art form. Where music theory studies the elements of a score, theatre theory studies the elements of a script.
Music theory studies multiple disparate things: why does a composer decide to include different instruments in the score? Why does a composer select which chord to use? How do those chords and progressions affect the audience?
Theatre theory, in the same way, studies its own disparate subjects. Why does a playwright include the characters they do? Why does a playwright write what they do in the stage directions? How do the plot elements come together to form the whole production? What is the deeper meaning behind the play?
Music theory can describe the timbre of an instrument (the instrument’s “color”; a flute playing one note still sounds different than a recorder, or even a violin, playing the same note), its uses, and its function in an orchestra. Theatre theory can describe different technical elements (including the areas of tech theatre: lighting, carpentry, sound, etc.) that can make up a production, their uses, and their function in the theatre.
For example, lighting designers often use purple light to highlight the dreams and wishes of a character. However, even this can be altered with different lighting fixtures, textures, and even other colors to have different effects on the production and, by extension, the audience.
Theatre theory analyzes all of this and more.
Redefining Theatre Studies
Why has theatre theory been shoved aside in the cultural zeitgeist? When researching the writings of different theatre scholars, the term “theatre theory” rarely, if ever, comes up. I find this frustrating, especially as it feels like there should be a term other than “theatre studies” to define the scholarship of the whole of the theatre.
I have a couple of theories.
Complexity = Difficulty Understanding
The first is probably self-evident: the concept of “theatre theory” is complex. Most people define the purpose of theatre as an art form serving to entertain. However, that cannot be the true purpose for the theatre as a whole. Theatre theory allows us to visualize the theatre’s parts to see how they connect. In this way, we can see that the purpose of the parts works to form a whole serving a purpose far greater than to entertain.
In the 1984 work Theories of the Theatre, Marvin Carlson describes theatre theory quite succinctly: “[theatre theory describes] statements of general principles regarding the methods, aims, functions, and characteristics of this particular art form” (to steal from MLA citations: Carlson 10).
This statement alone shows that each area of theatre production (including playwriting and acting) has its own purposes. The purpose of theatre, then, cannot simply be to entertain. The goal of each part can be to create an entertaining work, but the purpose of theatre must, then, serve a greater end. Theatre theory helps to discover it.
It is important to note that even Carlson’s definition is complex. This is intentional.
If we take any play, Macbeth in Stride, perhaps, we can look at the methods that it engaged. However, what are these “methods,” exactly? First, we could say “methods” relates to how the production conveys its themes to its audience. Or, we could say that “methods” refers to the technical theatre techniques the show used to put up the production. Even further, we could say that these “methods” are the mechanisms Whitney White (the playwright) used to write her piece. While theatre theory encompasses all of these, it quickly becomes evident that even one word, in this case, “methods,” can have many different definitions. It quickly becomes clear that the purpose of this theatrical piece might not be just to entertain. Entertaining is a goal, but not the purpose of this work.
Yet theatre theory sees this and accepts it as part of its process.
Difficulty Understanding = Studies Begin at Easier Levels
There is a second reason why theatre scholars haven’t readily adopted this term. I believe this is because it is far easier to separate the individual areas of theatre than to combine them.
If theatre theory is the end-all-be-all of theatre studies as a whole, then it is necessary to break theatre theory into its constituent parts. Thus, the area of theatre theory which seeks to define a method of theatre production (analyzing the sound design of a show, perhaps) would naturally consider theatre production as its starting point.
If theatre theory is the end-all-be-all of theatre studies as a whole, then it is necessary to break theatre theory into its constituent parts. Thus, the area of theatre theory that seeks to define a method of theatre production (analyzing the sound design of a show, perhaps) would naturally consider theatre production as its starting point.
The area of theatre which seeks to define the characteristics that a group of theatrical works share (common themes, plot devices, etc.) would naturally start at the level of play scholarship. The question we, as theatre scholars, must ask is, “what characteristics must a production have to consider it a work of theatre?” Those wanting to study this form of theatre would start at play production, devising, directing, etc. The barrier to entry is lower. Those wanting to study this form of theatre would start at play production, devising, directing, etc. The barrier to entry is lower.
Is Theatre Theory Unnecessary?
I believe these are the two main reasons indicating why theatre scholars haven’t readily adopted the study of theatre theory. Music theory is necessary: it gives a definable structure to how music scholars look at, analyze, and comprehend the possibilities of music. Theatre theory, it appears, is not. We cannot deconstruct a plot beat in the same way in which we analyze a chord. Additionally, the elements of a production are infinite and are limited only by the space, money, and physical ability of a theatre. Thus, analyzing these possibilities could be endless as well.
Why, then, should theatre artists adopt theatre theory as an integral part of the theatre-making process?
Theatre in the Great Conversation
Have you ever watched a play when, suddenly, out of nowhere, you feel like what you’re seeing has happened before in a different production? You may notice a reference to another show (“A Musical,” from Something Rotten, anyone?), or a thematic similarity (both Hamilton and Tick, Tick…Boom focus on themes of “time,” or the lack thereof), or even production similarities (again, the use of purple light to signify a dream/wish). In any case, you’re sure you’ve seen it before. What is it that these plays are doing?
They’re engaging in what is known as “the Great Conversation.”
In the Western canon, the Great Conversation is a process that all works engage in, where they expand upon, reference, and hone the craft of everything that came before it. Because most modern, successful theatrical works belong to the Western canon, it is here that these works can interact with each other to build upon and further the development of modern theatre.
Great Works Interact With Great Works
Theatre theory sees this and, thus, seeks to analyze how these works talk to each other. When we study a production through the lens of theatre theory, we are looking at that work in the context of all other theatrical works. What general principles apply to modern works of theatre? Golden-age musicals? Vaudeville?
What are the modern aims of theatrical pieces? To answer this question, we must first be aware of the different modern plays currently being produced. What themes do they collectively discuss? Once we answer this, we can define what the aims of contemporary theatre are.
How do modern theatrical plays build on the characteristics set by older productions? Does a new work, or collective new works, adopt older models of theatre? Does it reject the older models? These are the types of questions one studying theatre theory must answer.
Theatre theory seeks to understand these methods, functions, and characteristics of theatrical works. However, it does not sacrifice analyzing the production on its own. The role of theatre theory here is to contextualize theatre among all other theatrical productions. Thus, when we contextualize more than a single play, we see how the purpose of theatre is far greater than to entertain.
This contextualization is one of the many reasons why we should encourage the study of theatre theory.
We study any one area of this art (theatre production, acting, etc.) because of theatre theory. We combine elements from each area to form a complete production. As theatre scholars, we may take inspiration from past shows, and future shows may take inspiration from the work we put out. It is our responsibility to observe this in action and apply it to our future shows.
Only Just the Beginning…
The role of the “ideal” theatre scholar is to form a relation between the different parts and to show how they fit to form an overall production. The ideal theatre scholar also shows how productions converse with each other. Luckily for everyone involved, we do not live in an ideal world.
In reality, the theatre scholar, as well as the production team, focuses on one element. They may see how one part of the whole functions. They may instead see its characteristics, or its methods, or its aims. This is why we study the individual parts. Because we study the individual parts, most would say that the purpose of theatre is to entertain. They miss the forest for the trees.
However, we should always strive for the best we can be. We should attempt to reach this ideal by contributing to the Great Conversation ourselves. We can do that through theatre theory.
The purpose of theatre, then, becomes far bigger than to entertain when we see how all theatrical works communicate with each other.
I hope to analyze how to develop theatre theory more in the future. As of right now, introducing theatre theory should be more than enough.
The concept is complex and ever-evolving. I cannot wait to continue developing this area of theatre studies.