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The Surprise Theatre Concept
Theatre is about framing a story. Typically
this frame includes a stage, programs to
educate the patrons about the play, and a
curtain creating the “fourth wall” that
safely separates and protects an audience
from the dangerous and unpredictable actors.
“Surprise Theatre” tosses aside the
curtain and kicks down the wall. It removes
the boundaries an audience is prepared for
and anticipating and takes them from their
normal safe point of observation and turns
them into part of the story.
“Surprise Theatre” does not come with a
warning. Lights do not dim to announce the
beginning, no one takes the stage for a
speech to welcome the audience,
in fact there is no stage in the sense of
theatre that we are used to. The stage can
be anywhere, even everywhere. In that vein
“Surprise Theatre” does not notify the
audience to what will be seen and who is
participating. The story might be anything;
the performer might be sitting at the next
table. And with this breaking down of the
typical frames of theatre it is illustrated
how stories about life unfold; almost always
serendipitous, unplanned, and surprising.
Excerpt from "Surprise Theatre" July
2005 Press Release:
Why watch reality TV? Is there not enough
reality? But, of course, reality is messy,
three dimensional, unresolved and demanding
of our participation…we really are basically
lazy. Try this: Reality does have all the
components of theatre, it’s just curtainless
and lacking a good artistic director. It
runs hundreds of unwritten scripts all
around (and within us) making it hard to
concentrate on just one thing at a
time…Unlike reality theatre provides a frame
for easy viewing and allows script writers,
actors and directors to make statements.
What if you move theatre right into the
midst of an ordinary day…say in a restaurant
and not tell anyone…would anyone notice?
We hope that our pick of plays will turn
your heads, but beware... there is no
guarantee that the table next to yours will
not take you and your date for actors and
start laughing at your lines.
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