FREE ESSAY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING RICHARD SCHECHNER?:

WHAT'S HAPPENING RICHARD SCHECHNER?:

What's Happening Richard Schechner?:
A Look at Schechner's Ideas of the "New" Theatre
Richard Schechner envisions a "new theatre" in three of his major essays, "Happenings"
(1966), "Six Axioms for Environmental Theatre" (1968), and "Negotiations with the
Environment" (1968). He does not spend time discussing his famed "not not themselves"
ideology of the performer or ritual ecstasy; instead he discusses a new genealogical
hybrid termed the "new theatre" by Allan Kaprow. Schechner uses the traditional theatre
as a comparison and first comments in "Happenings" "because it is unlike traditional
theatre, the familiar locutions of these arts, e.g., dance, music, sculpture, painting
cannot describe what's going on or provide criteria for which to evaluate it" (145).
Still, Schechner does provide many a comparison between the traditional theatre and this
new form.
Schechner recognizes that the "theatrical event is a complex social interweave, a network
of expectation and obligation. The exchange of stimuli-either sensory or ideational or
both-is the root of theatre" (158). Knowing this, the author claims all theatre, both
traditional and new, is a set of related "transactions" (changes in outlook and
situation). How these transactions occur is what defines the art form. For example the
traditional theatre "works from an organic system of correlations concerning character,
story, and locale. Likewise, Susanne K. Langer states, traditional theatre "runs on a
continuum of past and future as parts," (147) organic parts developing the situation." It
involves a series of understandable transactions. However, the new theatre lacks this
destiny of time. "There the referents to everyday life are purely functions of sounds,
textures, and images" (147).
Schechner basically breaks down all the major components of the traditional theatre in a
comparison with the new theatre. To start, the traditional theatre involves plot as a
means of telling a story, but the new theatre involves images/events. There are three
kinds of new theatre as Schechner describes in "Happenings": the technological,
essentially electronic event (a la John Cage concerts), the free-for-all happenings or
party gone wild in which the event is roughly sketched by the author, a group of people
are told to do something and another group is invited to watch/participate, and the
"ceremony" (a la Kaprow) in which the participants are given a set of instructions which
they are not to improvise on but simply do. "All three kinds share autonomy and
revitalization." "Disconnections are made so that the isolated event or image can be seen
in itself, seen as revitalized" (154).
Schechner points out that the traditional theatre is action whereas the new theatre is
about activity. In "Negotiations with the Environment" he further makes the distinction
that the activity is usually "self-documentational" (197). As well the traditional
theatre supports resolution, however the new theatre thrives on open-ended ness. For this
reason, "shows tend to be often unrepeated and unrepeatable" (147)-- for how can you
repeat something that will give you a very different result. Likewise, the traditional
theatre revolves around themes/thesis, however in new theatre there is no pre-set
meaning. "When audiences exist they are left to themselves to put together or make sense
out of what's happening" (148). Therefore, the meaning can be almost anything, and
everyone will most certainly have a different impression.
The traditional theatre is oriented around roles; the actor is the most important figure.
"He 'becomes' a human being other than himself" (149). The new theatre, on the contrary,
is task oriented. People are themselves simply doing something. Their job is not to build
roles or circumstances in which they are 'justified' (149). This lends itself to
intermedia performances in which "the production elements need no longer support a
performance" (163). At certain times these elements are more important than the
performers and so a new term "performing technicians" (163) is created. The performers
are then free to be treated "as mass and volume, color and texture, and movement-not as
'actors' but as parts of the environment" (178). Like the set and text, they are a part
of the piece, not taking focus, but just facilitating.
Schechner points out that the traditional theatre revolves around a stage, which is not
necessarily true of the new theatre. The new theatre tries to reach beyond the boundaries
of space. Allan Kaprow is quoted in "Negotiations with the Environment as saying, "it
doesn't make any difference how large the space is, it's still a stage. It's pretty
comfortable working in the middle, but as soon as you get to the edges you have to stop,
I didn't feel like stopping" (181). Schechner, then, in "Axioms of the Environmental
Theatre," spends much time on two specific axioms referring to Kaprow's edges, "all space
is used for performance" and "the theatrical event can take place in totally transformed
space or found space." Schechner remarks that in "traditional theatre a 'special place'
is marked off within the theatre for performance, but in new theatre the space is
organically defined by the action" (165-6). "Once one gives up fixed seating and the
bifurcation of space, entirely new relationships are possible" (167) fostering a sense of
shared experience among the group 
This experience can be achieved through transformed space in which the participants,
using whatever materials are available and placing them wherever form the unplanned set
(171) where the action will take place or something called found space. Found space
involves the given elements of any space-its architecture, textural qualities, acoustics,
and so on are to be explored. The random ordering of space is valid. The function of
scenery, if used, is to point up not disguise or transform the space. Lastly, the
spectator may suddenly create new special possibilities (172-3). Some have considered
Freedom Marches examples of found spaces. Schechner states in his "Negotiations with the
Environment," "a found space was interesting; found people were found alive" (186). So
then is the traditional theatre found dead?--Perhaps dead in terms of new energies. 
In the traditional theatre the actors go by a script and the result is a product, however
in the new theatre it's free form, a process, one specific idea isn't beaten to death.
The text need not be the starting point (axiom 6). "You don't do the play; you do with
it-confront it, search among the words and themes, build around and through it. . . and
come out with your own thing" (180). Whereas the traditional theatre places emphasis on
flow and clarity, the new theatre can be tangential and, somewhat chaotic, exploring many
facets at once, creating something entirely "new".
Similarly, the traditional theatre is single focused, showing the audience where they
should cast their gaze. This is not true of the new theatre where, according to axiom
four, the "focus is flexible and variable" (175). "Multi-focus will not reach every
spectator in the same way" (175). Again, the spectator is free to interpret what's going
on. As well, using local focus only a fraction of the audience can see or hear. However,
"real body contact and whispered communication are possible between the performer and
spectator" (176). Local whirlpools of action make the theatrical line more complex and
varied.
The last comparison Schechner makes between the two forms of theatre involves the
audience. In traditional theatre the audience watches, but in new theatre the audience
participates or is non-existent. Environmental theatre involves the art of participation,
a celebration of sorts (184). For Schechner and many others it can be a spiritual journey
in which all involved share the idea that if people would see again, feel again-not as
they did in the historic past, but as each one of us did as a child-then things would get
better (155). There are the ritual elements that comprise Schechner's work in Between
Theatre and Anthropology.
Is the new theatre, then, more spiritual than the traditional theatre? That is not for me
to decide but for those involved. Certainly, the new theatre fosters new involvements and
new ideas-variations on space, time, and focus. Yet, we cannot judge which is better for
they are two very different art forms. The theatre world is enhanced and enriched by new
developments like the "new" theatre. Hopefully, both will be around for a very long
time.