Audience as Performer: The changing role of theatre audiences in the twenty-first century

— —

Caroline Heim (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Audience as Performer

The changing role of theatre audiences in the twenty-first century

Caroline Heim (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

$284

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Routledge
12 August 2015

Performance art; Theatre Studies

'Actors always talk about what the audience does. I don’t understand, we are just sitting here.'

Audience as Performer proposes that in the theatre, there are two troupes of performers: the actors and the audience. Although academics have scrutinised how audiences respond, make meaning and co-create while watching a performance, little research has considered the behaviour of the theatre audience as a performance in and of itself.

This insightful book describes how an audience performs through its myriad gestural, vocal and paralingual actions, and considers the following questions:

If the audience are performers, who are their audiences?

How have audiences’ roles changed throughout history?

How do talkbacks and technology influence the audience’s role as critics?

What influence does the audience have on the creation of community in theatre?

How can the audience function as both consumer and co-creator?

Drawing from over 140 interviews with audience members, actors and ushers in the UK, USA and Austrialia, Heim reveals the lived experience of audience members at the theatrical event. It is a fresh reading of mainstream audiences’ activities, bringing their voices to the fore and exploring their emerging new roles in the theatre of the Twenty-First Century.

By: Caroline Heim (Queensland University of Technology Australia)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 430g
ISBN: 9781138796911
ISBN 10: 1138796913
Pages: 190
Publication Date: 12 August 2015
Audience: College/higher education , Primary , A / AS level
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Caroline Heim is Lecturer in Drama at Queensland University of Technology. Previous to entering academia she worked as a professional actor on New York and other US stages winning a Drama League Award.

Reviews for Audience as Performer: The changing role of theatre audiences in the twenty-first century

"""Heim's succinct, accessible volume serves as an important contribution to the ever-growing scholarly field investigating audiences in relation to theatrical performance. Highly Recommended."" - Choice Magazine ""An invaluable text for classes and scholars in theatre history, criticism, and practice."" - Theatre Topics ""Takes the research and understanding of the active role/s of audiences and the people in them to a new level of understanding and recognition."" - Australasian Drama Studies"