The Characteristics Of A Theatrical Documentary Production
Posted on April 20th, 2012 by Rosalind Estes
Documentary theatre is a unique and fascinating way to address social and political issues on stage. This type of theatre uses raw data, often acquired from news sources and interview transcripts. These texts, generated by the people who took part in the actual event, form the script of the play. As the play text does not distort or embellish this information in any way, a theatrical documentary production falls under the category of verbatim theatre.
These shows take place on stark sets with few colors and details. They attempt to direct the audience’s attention to the words of the actors, instead of the aesthetics of the stage. Actors speak directly to audience members, treating them as part of the performance. Often, the actors will play a variety of roles, offering varying and contrasting perspectives of the same event.
In Germany in the 1920′s, Bertolt Brecht and Erwin Piscator developed this type of theatre. These directors explore the relationship between theatre and social change. They wanted to steer plays away from the realm of emotional involvement, towards more detached viewing practices. Techniques such as ‘alienation’ helped audiences to engage critically and intellectually with the play.
Brecht and Piscator did not want audiences to be passive. They wanted their plays to ignite audiences and encourage social revolution. Documentary productions often seek to encourage dialogue and debate among viewers. It has also proven to be a useful teaching method, encouraging students to interrogate historical events.
Such shows abolish aesthetics for the factual. Directors and playwrights try as much as possible to stick to the original source material. But, there is much criticism surrounding this treatment of fact and fiction. Many theorists argue that it is impossible for one show to be entirely unbiased.
In 2000, a collective called the Tectonic Theatre Project staged the play, the Laramie Project. This show consisted entirely of interviews conducted with residents of Laramie, Wyoming, USA. These conversations addressed the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, who was the victim of a homophobic-driven hate crime. It allowed audiences to engage critically with the subject matter. This theatrical documentary production proved to be crucial in allowing audiences to grapple with a very sensitive, and significant issue.
Learn more here: theatrical documentary production