Theatre is a game of hide-and-seek. For both the hiders and the seekers, the thrill is in the discovery. When the rules of the game are too vague or too complicated, however, the audience can lose its urge to play; the prize no longer seems quite worth the hunt.
Interpretation
Theatre involves a playful exploration, but clarity in its rules is essential for audience engagement.
In this quote, John Lahr reflects on the nature of theatre as a playful and engaging experience akin to hide-and-seek. He emphasizes that the excitement comes from the act of discovery, but if the parameters of the performance are unclear or overly complex, the audience may lose interest and feel that the effort of engagement is not worth the rewards that theatre can offer.
In practice
During a theatre workshop, I quoted Lahr to emphasize the importance of clarity in directing.
I was the first critic ever to win a Tony - for co-authoring 'Elaine Stritch at Liberty.' Criticism is a life without risk; the critic is risking his opinion, the maker is risking his life. It's a humbling thought but important for the critic to keep it in mind - a thought he can only know if he's made something himself.
Writers don't always know what they mean - that's why they write. Their work stands in for them. On the page, the reader meets the authoritative, perfected self; in life, the writer is lumbered with the uncertain, imperfect one.
The only thing that's important is the legend created by the picture, and not whether it continues to exist itself.
Stories are the most important thing in the world. Without stories, we wouldn't be human beings at all.
If I have any regrets, I could say that I'm sorry I wasn't a better writer or a better singer.
For me the initial delight is in the surprise of remembering something I didn't know I knew. I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew.
I personally made a decision many years ago that I wanted to crawl into portraiture because it had a lot of latitude.
An acting career usually has about a shelf life of ten years before people get sick of seeing you. It's a good thing to have a job to fall back on and I really do enjoy directing.
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