An activation of the spectator in contemporary theatre: semiotic and performative aspects

Abstract

Studies of modern theatre pay special attention to the description of how activate the spectator as an acting subject and as a co-creator. In this context, theorists are interested primarily in the performative aspect, related to the corporeality of actors and the audience, and to the changes of theatrical communication conditions. This article focuses on the formation of meaning as the complex process that promotes spectator involvement and, in particular, on how “open” theatre works construct spectator activity. At the same time semiotic and performative aspects of the stage play are not opposed to the hard-line stance. As an example the play “Staircase” of the theatre “Near the house of Stanislavsky” is selected.