Theatre makes me happier than anything in the world. I am the biggest nerd when it comes to seeing plays and musicals, and often crave long discussions with my fellow viewers after we leave the space. Theatre is not just something that I love viewing and participating in, it is my passion.
I was so fortunate in my youth to have seen a large amount of theatrical performances, but all of those productions had one thing in common: they were inside a building, with lighting and sound design, and often had seating where the stage was in front of the audience: proscenium seating. Never had I experienced experimental theatre, site specific theatre, or anything out of the ordinary theatre format.
Not that there's anything wrong with the "ordinary theatre format" which does not acknowledge the audience, or has "a fourth wall," intricate lighting design, a robust orchestra, and maybe an elaborate set. I often adore seeing fully fleshed out, realistic art, that have characters with no knowledge their lives are being viewed. But having been exposed to the National Theatre of Scotland's production of "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart." I am now very intrigued to see more of this collaborative art form that breaks the standard convention many know theatre to be.
Creativity is apparent in all mediums of artistry, whether it is painting, film, theatre, dance, etc. But I think what really drew me to "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" was the how inventive the direction was. The director, Wils Wilson, who is known for her site specific theatre, was so imaginative with the actor's abilities and script, that I was consistently blown away throughout the entire show.
The performance was done in the back room of a bar. There were five actors that played a multitude of parts in order to tell the story of Prudencia Hart. The majority of the audience was seated at round tables, the kind you'd find at a wedding reception, consisting of eight people per table.
The actors would move around the tables incorporating the audience into the show. Since the story took place during a snowy Scotland winter, we were asked to rip up our white napkins and then told to throw them up in the air during a part of the performance. Using a flashlight and a drinking glass to represent headlights, and having the actors play instruments to underscore the action were just some of the innovative ways that enhanced the writer David Grieg's narrative.
This kind of theatrical experience absolutely reminded me why I love being an artist. The word to sum up the production was definitely: creativity. So often in mediocre productions of plays or musicals, the performance is a recreation of the previous or original piece. I think more theatre should be done with the kind of immersive and clever way Wils Wilson used to tell Prudencia's story.
I encourage everyone to take a chance and see a theatrical performance that they would not normally attend, and keep an open mind. Yes this might not be what you've been conditioned to believe theatre is, but it's just as important.