The integrated spectator: theatre audiences and pedagogy

ABSTRACT

Theatre artists were interviewed to understand how they conceptualise audiences in relation to their own creative and collaborative processes. The authors identified three modes through which theatre artists engage with audiences: (1) watching with the audience, (2) confronting the audience, and (3) creating a community of practice/knowledge. This article considers each of these ideas pedagogically as spaces for the co-construction of knowledge. In doing so, the authors confront Jacques Rancière's ideas about spectatorship and pedagogy. The article offers possibilities for theatre educators, as well as theatre artists, to integrate these pedagogical modes of engagement with audiences within their own practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Pedagogy
• audience
• collaboration
• theatre
• interviews

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

David Allen is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. His research examines collaborative teacher inquiry, teacher learning groups, and authentic assessment of student learning.

Eero Laine is an Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Notes

1. The interviews were conducted as part of an IRB-approved research project on creativity and collaboration in the arts and literature. In addition to those conducted by the authors, interviews were also conducted by Stephanie Vella. Our interview subjects were: Jessie Alick, Massimiliano Balduzzi, Shane Breaux, Ping Chong, Tanya Dean, Lear deBessonet, Michelle Farbman, Shannon Fitzsimmons, Marcus Geduld, Stephen Gridley, Angie Hauser, Kristen Kosmas, Meron Langsner, Luke Leonard, Richard Maxwell, Bebe Miller, Kate Sidley, Ben Spatz, Ben Paul Williams. Their names are used with permission. This study was supported by a grant from the Research Foundation of the City University of New York.

2. Langsner, Meron. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. May 3. New York City and Boston via Skype.

3. Balduzzi, Massimiliano. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. January 16. New York.

4. Fitzsimmons, Shannon. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine Digital recording. April 4. New York and Chicago via Skype.

5. Gridley, Steven. 2013. Interview by Stephanie Vella. Digital recording. February 23. New York City.

6. Miller, Bebe. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. May 9. New York City and Columbus, Ohio via phone.

7. Breaux, Shane. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. June 12. New York City.

8. Maxwell, Richard. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. March 21. New York City via phone.

9. Maxwell, Richard. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. March 21. New York City via phone.

10. Maxwell, Richard. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. March 21. New York City via phone.

11. Williams, Ben Paul. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. April 9. New York City.

12. Sidley, Kate. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. June 6. New York City.

13. Balduzzi, Massimiliano. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. January 16. New York City.

14. Spatz, Ben. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. January 15. New York City.

15. Dean, Tanya. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. April 25. New York City and New Haven, CT via Skype.

16. Balduzzi, Massimiliano. 2013. Interview by Eero Laine. Digital recording. January 16. New York City.

17. Hauser, Angie. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. May 16. New York City and Northampton, MA via phone.

18. Hauser, Angie. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. May 16. New York City and Northampton, MA via phone.

19. Kosmas, Kristen. 2013. Interview by David Allen. Digital recording. March 24. New York City and Walla Walla, Washington via phone.