Class Review of TS1101e: Shining a light on the magic of theatrical text

The semester has begun and with that, I present to you my first look at TS1101e. In the last two weeks of Theatre and Performance Studies classes, a bunch of theatre lexicons have made their way into my vocabulary. My favorite one has to be "theatrical text".

What's so special about that?

I'll explain the difference between a dramatic text and a theatrical text in layman terms.

A little crash course into the world of Theatre and Performance Studies

The dramatic text is the pure script-and-score version of the play. It is presented in a tangible, pen-and-paper or online text form, printed and universally understood. A dramatic text implies a production, but it does not mean that there is one. It's simply a template and a blueprint, a file stored away in the playwright's basement which might hopefully come to fruition someday.

Therefore, the dramatic text is the bare script with no embellishments.

The difference between the dramatic text and the theatrical text is the difference between script and stage. The theatrical text takes the dramatic text, or the script, and recreates it with set design, sound, lighting, costumes, direction and the actor's craft, completing the story. The theatrical text is what the audience sees from their seat. In short, you could say that the theatrical text is the magic of theatre.

In class, we were invited to look at a snippet of dialogue between two unnamed characters, A and B. The dialogue was devoid of directions or emotional cues. It appeared as innocent as an everyday conversation - they well may be talking about the weather.

We were then shown two more texts, each one with more directions and acting choices written into the script than the last. The exact same words, three completely different levels of tension and meanings. I was awestruck. This is the magic of subtext - the imaginary text that we write as actors, with our voices and our bodies, the imaginary text that directors and choreographers instinctively know and envision as they piece the story together. This is the beginning of chemistry, tension and suspense. It is what we strive to create when we contribute our artistry to a massive collaboration that culminates in the theatrical text. The theatre experience.

From an actor's perspective, I can relate on a personal level to such an experience, if only by instinct and from the practice of the craft. The process of developing a character's psychological world and layering it on imaginary circumstances from their past experiences to their spontaneous reality on stage is an exhilarating one, and being at the center of that magic, it is no wonder that the actor is described as the conduit of the theatrical illusion.

Some other concepts that I've picked up in the last two weeks (straight off my own notes) include:

• The duality of theatre. It refers to how theatre is both fiction and reality occurring at the same time. The actor is neither themselves nor their character, the theatre is neither the performance space nor the fantasy location. The audience knows that it is not real, yet they choose to suspend their belief in order to allow the story to take place. Due to this dual nature, expectations are constantly negotiated and every aspect of the theatre is dependent on a few shared conventions for the illusion to be maintained.
• The liveness of theatre. Liveness is being present in the same space and time as the performer. A live performance is unpredictable because of how it happens in the moment, and part of the experience includes exploring the theatrical text created spontaneously by the players on the stage. A live performance is dynamic and responds to changes. It is directly affected by its environment even as it retains its purpose, which is to present a story through an audiovisual illusion.
• The ritualistic roots of theatre. Western drama has its roots in pagan or Christian ritual, where a ritual refers to social rituals rooted in the earliest cultural constructs among human civilizations. Asian drama too has its roots in folk ritual and ceremonial processions. Where social rituals are concerned with shared values and beliefs, theatre is thus derived from the need to communicate those beliefs either in smaller and more private groups, or publicly. Such rituals thus take on a performative aspect, and therein lies the creation of live theatre as a medium for storytelling.
• The presentational value of theatre. Theatre may take on more forms than representational (mimetic) portrayals of reality. It may communicate its poetry in ways that are not representative of real life, thus freeing up space for more artistic liberties which may access its audience in ways that film and television cannot. For example, heightened acting styles such as musical theatre and physical theatre use song and physicality to create greater meaning in the story above and beyond the language-based dramatic text. This creates a theatrical text which the audience can read through additional dimensions such as analyzing the melody and the musical language of the musical, or in the case of physical theatre, the "dance" is its own theatrical code. Both art forms are not mimetic, which defines how theatre does not need to be representational.

So, with this much content before we even step onto the stage, two weeks into the course, what do I think about majoring in Theatre Studies?

Let's be real. The word Studies is there for a reason.

Theatre Studies has thus far appeared to be a scholarly pursuit, but strangely I've found that understanding the complete picture of how and why theatre works has strengthened and extended my knowledge of what it means to be an actor. Sure, it sounds very philosophical and theoretical - some might even pass all those indecipherable terms as superfluous. But somehow, knowing the vocabulary behind the specifics of the text (locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary anyone?) has given me something to think about the next time I analyze a script for auditions.

I have thus far understood the principles of Stanislavski and the importance of creating imaginary circumstances from the text from external acting classes. I enjoy analyzing musical theatre and training physically and vocally in the various forms of acting. However, Theatre Studies approaches theatre from the outside in, not just as an actor, but though every angle in order to see why every elements works, and why each element is as vital as the next. I now understand my role as an actor in relation to the various aspects of the theatre, from the moral and the ethical conundrums of Asian theatre to the psychological complexities of Western theatre. As far as being a thespian goes, being in this introductory course has been a total eye-opener.

Don't get me wrong, you WILL need acting classes and preferably membership in NUS Stage if you really want to develop your craft as a professional actor. Theatre Studies is great as a taster for what acting is and as an overview of the entire theatre community, but it is no conservatory program and acting is not always the focus. Personally, I still harbor hopes of entering a drama school in time, but I would consider the contextual knowledge that I am gaining in Theatre Studies as an amazing background and an awesome basis to make a case for transferring into an acting or a musical theatre program.

Do I recommend it? Depends, and I probably have not seen enough of the program to make a sound judgement that early. If you are a Singapore citizen who is set to pay about US$6000 of tuition or so a year, and if you barely have any formal theatre training, Theatre Studies is an amazing idea for the price point. You get a sound foundation in the study of theatre, and an MFA is probably in order if you want to take your acting to the next level. On the other hand, if you graduated from the A Levels or IBDP Theatre program, I've had many seniors inform me that the NUS Theatre program was too basic for them. You're probably better off honing your craft in a more specialized setting.

Verdict: TS1101e is both a springboard for the beginning actor and a scholarly pursuit for those who are really interested in the performing arts. It's also the best bet for anyone who does not want to rack up six figure student debts just to get a BFA overseas.

Tomorrow, I'll get my first taste of Theatre Studies tutorials. Unlike other tutorials which happen in Zoom or in classrooms, theatre "tutorials" are practice studios and workshops that explore acting, directing and theatre making. That exploratory journey is part of what makes the TAPS major so appealing and unique, and I'm excited to see that process take shape.

Here's my sell. If you want to train professionally as an actor, but you've never had the exposure to theatre training in your pre-university program, then the Theatre and Performance Studies program might be your gateway into the theatre industry. That said, you will need to go above and beyond the expectations of everyone if you intend to pursue theatre and acting professionally. Be as proactive as you possibly can, join a theatre company either within or outside school, and never stop searching for your moment. It's no BFA, but it can be your training ground if you dare to see it through different eyes.