Some Aspects of Self-Audience Relationship

Abstract

In our everyday life we meet with various kinds of glances of other people. When being stared at, we regard others as audience who are interested in our countenances, gestures, actions, etc. Taking special notice of such role of others (i. e., the role of audience), this paper examines varieties of self-audience relationship. To begin with, the distinction between normative audience and theatrical audience is made clear. The former functions as superintendent, the latter as spectator. And further, inner audience is distinguished from immediate audience. The inner audience means the internalized audience which has great authority over the actor's choice, while the immediate one means the audience which stares at the actor immediately and has no such authority.Toward the theatrical audience (i. e., spectators) a performer presents his self. According to the purpose to be served, two types of self-presentation are distinguished. One is called utilitarian self-presentation where a performer makes the most of the spectator's reaction in order to attain some utilitarian purposes. And the other is called aesthetical self-presentation where a performer presents his self only for the aesthetical effect to the spectators. In the aesthetical self-presentation toward inner audience , a performer tries to be aesthetically perfect. But he would find himself in a trouble. It is quite difficult to be perfect, to be completely independent of immediate audience in self-presentation. When one present his self, one can never be immune to the influence of the immediate audience. Aesthetical perfection in self-presentation is hardly realizable.