An intriguing Concept...

So I was stumbling the internet yesterday (thanks Stumble Upon!) when I came across http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson407.html by Dante Shepherd. Now normally his daily lessons are just funny, but this one really got me thinking. He proposed the thought of the Sixth wall in theatre (wait sixth! When was there a fifth!? Read the link):

“The sixth wall, of course, involves two plays on different stages interacting with each other sporadically over the course of the evening. The audiences will be forced to choose sides in the potential war between casts and crews. Lighting designers will play key roles in utilizing the spotlights in flashbang style attacks. And theater critics will rip into both sides gleefully”

Now Dante might have been joking, but it struck a chord with me. All of a sudden I got this image in my head of a theatre with stages at either end, and all the chairs rotate so that the audience can switch back and forth. I know, most of you are probably thinking “That would never work” but I beg to differ. I can remember going to the Drive In as a kid, and it had 2 movie Screens, one at either end of the parking lot, and if you got bored with one movie, you could turn around, change the radio station, and watch the other movie! It was great!

I know, I know, it had a radio, and you didn’t have to listen to both movies at once, that’s a very good point. But this idea would need a new kind of show. Imagine if you can, a play performed on two different stages at the same time, each stage appears to be presenting a different kind of show, but in reality they have been written to give a complete picture. The only way to get the full story is to watch bits and pieces of each show. The lighting and sound crews would have to have their cues down, and the actors would need some of the most incredible timing. But think about it, you could tell a story from multiple perspectives by having action on both stages. It could bring a whole new concept to musicals! Think about being able to watch a show like West Side Story, and re-write the opposing groups songs to be sung at the same time! I know, I’m starting to ramble, but I think it would be pretty awesome! It could really show that while we may all be different, we are all very much alike.

Best,

Mike