For the Audience

A lot of people I have worked with in theatre seem to be about creating worlds for the audience, for immersing the spectator into a brand new world of their creation. For giving those people a chance to suspend their disbelief and lose themselves in the story.

I don't truck with that.

For some reason, I find myself perfectly content to do the theatre for the sake of itself. Sure, I like to see a good house and can draw satisfaction from a crowd that enjoyed the show. But I don't think that's my primary motivation. I guess I view the process as a series of problems to be solved, and I enjoy nothing more than solving them. From the very early stages of the show, everything's somewhat nebulous, but in whatever capacity I'm working on the show (be it as a designer, an electrician, the sound technician or carpenter, whatever) there's a series of problems to be solved. As a designer I have to solve the problem of presenting the world we've come up with to the audience. As a technician I need to solve the more practical issues of implementing what the designers and director have decided needs to be the world of the play. I don't know which I prefer, but I think they both have their merits.

There's something very visceral and real about constructing a world of our own, crafting a reality. If it's a giant blue marble world, fine; I guess I'll be setting up the router for a lot of tile. If it's a deconstructed city, well then let me grab the welder and plasma cutter. I don't have to worry about justifying these things as a technician, leave it up to the director and design team. I've done pretty much everything outside of the costume department in support of one show or another, from building and painting to composing music. Everything I do is in support of what we're building.

This is why I know that I'll be happier if I can find work in theatre, rather than the larger and less well-defined "Entertainment" industry. I know the skills are ultimately the same working as an electrician for a production company that does concerts and corporate events, but the intent is different, and that means all the world.