Actor As a Scenographic Instrument Essay

The sound of the prop needs to be in a certain way in order to adequately support the performance, otherwise, the things that the artist will convey will be different than those he wishes to. Such an intrinsic attention to details also reveals the fact that the actors himself is just a small part of a much larger ensemble that works together for the final image of the play.

The concept of the actor as a scenographic instrument moves the focus from the actor, as the central element of the dramatic interpretation, to a consistent set of elements that includes those related to the actor's interpretation (movement, language), but also an additional set, such as lighting or props. All of these come together to create a synergy effect on the performance of the actor, to amplify it and support it throughout the representation. Through all these additional elements, the director is able to complete the expression of the artist and to give it entirely new dimensions, depending on what needs to be transmitted to the viewer.Robert Wilson was probably one of the foremost practitioners of this new concept. For him, movement and language are often at the center of the artistic interpretation, even if this may mean, occasionally, no movement or no speech at all, as even this is actually a mean of expression. His theater fully supports the concept of the actor as a scenographic instrument.

Bibliography

1. Gordon, Robert. The Purpose of Playing: Modern Acting Theories in Perspective. University of Michigan Press. 2006.

2. Holmberg, Arthur. The Theatre of Robert Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.1996

3. Robert Wilson on http://robertwilson.com/sites/robertwilson.com/files/downloads/RW_movement.pdf. Last retrieved on June 13, 2010

Gordon, Robert. The Purpose of Playing: Modern Acting Theories in Perspective. University of Michigan Press. 2006.

Ibid.

Holmberg, Arthur. The Theatre of Robert Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.1996

Robert Wilson on http://robertwilson.com/sites/robertwilson.com/files/downloads/RW_movement.pdf. Last retrieved on June 13, 2010

Ibid......