The theater virtuality is the intrinsic ability of all dramatic text to be represented on stage, that is, to become a play. This is precisely one of the main characteristics that distinguish the dramatic literary genre from the narrative (novels, short stories, legends, fables) and from the lyrical (odes, elegies, eclogues).
In this sense, the notion of theatrical virtuality is related to the concepts of dramatic text and theatrical text. At this point, it is convenient to review the etymological origin of the words drama and theater. The first comes from the Greek dran, which translates "to do" or "to act", and the second comes from theatron, also a Greek term that means "place to see."
Thus, playwrights conceive their works to be performed. Therefore, his texts contain very rich, albeit general, indications about how they should be staged. This makes it present two levels with different degrees of stability: the verbally manifested text (more or less stable) and the scenic component (variable).
As for the theatrical text, it bears a closer relationship with production and acting. Theatrical virtuality materializes in these spaces. In the staging there are elements that are explicitly required by the literary text, or clearly implied by it. But there are also elements added by production.
What is theatrical virtuality?
Perhaps one of the elements of the drama where one can best appreciate what theatrical virtuality consists of is in the stage directions or instructions. Traditionally, the playwright writes them to inform readers about various details of the staging of his play.
These include time frame, set considerations, production requirements, entrances and exits, stage action, and line performances.
In some cases, they also provide information regarding the style and tone of the work. In addition, they offer guidance and inspiration for the creative team.
On the other hand, it should be noted that these are not written to be pronounced aloud in a complete production. These instructions are in a different format than dialog, and although there are no uniform rules, they are generally written in italics and often in parentheses.
Elements
There are several technical elements that contribute to theatrical virtuality. To a large extent, these elements determine the possibilities that a dramatic text has to become a theatrical text. Some of them will be described below.
Act
An act is the part of the play that takes place between interruptions. It is the largest division of your script, and consists of a unified group of activities. The act contains smaller divisions, such as pictures and scenes.
Now, modern long-playing works have two or three acts. The two-act structure is more popular because a smaller interruption allows the playwright to make the action more intense.
In the past, the five-act form was the standard, but it is out of date. The four-act structure never materialized.
Scene
Scenes are traditional segments in dramatic texts and serve various functions. These can indicate changes in time, changes in location, jumps from one subplot to another, introduction of new characters and reorganization of the actors on stage.
On the other hand, scenes do not have a preset duration. These can last a few minutes or even the entire act. In contemporary plays it is common for the change between scenes to be indicated visually, usually by making changes in lighting. But these can also be differentiated by the entry and exit of the actors.
Picture
The pictures are great sequences within the dramatic structures. Its surface is much larger and its contours more imprecise than that of the scenes.
These are related to major changes in space, environment or time. As a rule. They mean big changes in the scenery.
Dimensioning
The annotations detail the details of the staging of the play. Among others, they tell the actors where to sit, stand, move, enter and exit.
Also, they can be used to tell an actor how to shape his performance. These notes can describe how the character behaves physically or mentally and are used by the playwright to guide the emotional tone of the play. Some scripts also contain notes on lighting, music, and sound effects.
In this sense, playwrights approach these constraints in various ways. Some describe the scenario instructions in great detail. Other writers focus more on stage action.
Some playwrights specify how certain lines should be interpreted by placing an adverb before a line of dialogue, such as "stealthily."
Similarly, some of these instructions can become romantic, poetic, or unconventional. When this is the case, they can pose great challenges for reading.
Historically, scene instructions in published scripts were taken from the scene director's guidebook. Currently, the quantity, content, style and format of published works are the prerogative of playwrights, with occasional contributions from the editor.
Apart
Asides are the characters' interventions aloud and before the audience, but they are not "heard" by the other actors.
By exposing the thoughts of these characters, they fulfill the function of discovering their true intentions. In addition, they serve for the viewer to establish a certain complicity with the actors.
References
- Ferris, L. (2017). The Art of the Now: Introduction the Theater and Performance. Ohio: The Ohio State University Department of Theater
- Villegas, J. (2005). Multicultural history of theater and theatricalities in Latin America. Buenos Aires: Editorial Galerna.
- Culpeper, J.; Short, M. and Verdonk, P. (editors) (2002).. Exploring the Language of Drama: From Text to Context. London: Routledge.
- Pfister, M. (1991). The Theory and Analysis of Drama. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Urbinati R. (2016). Play Readings: A Complete Guide for Theater Practitioners. Burlington: Focal Press.
- Catron, LE and Bert, NA (2017). The Elements of Playwriting. Illinois: Waveland Press.
- Garcia del Toro, A. (2011). Theatricality: How and why to teach dramatic texts. Barcelona: Grao.
- Del Moral, R. (2014). Rhetoric: Introduction to the literary arts. Madrid: Editorial Verbum.