Theatre of the Inescapable and Single Thread Theater Company’s “Everyman”

Abstract

The presentation will present the hypothetical and practical application of "Theatre of the Inescapable", a new and experimental theory of theatre developed by Alex Dault. The theory is concerned with the use of theatre as a tool for social change and the vitality of the live theatrical experience. The presentation will examine the manifesto of the Theatre of the Inescapable; this includes the purpose of the theory and its basis in the writing of Antonin Artaud and Friedrich Nietzsche. The Theatre of the Inescapable relies upon the isolation and terror of the individual audience member in order to create the sensation of being within a vivid waking dream devoid of "attentive escapes". The audience member must accept the conditions of the theatrical world as real in order to function within it. The presentation will explore many of the questions and answers arising from documented experimentation with actors. Finally, the presentation will look at the recent production "Everyman" and its forty performances for one audience member. Special focus will be given to the perspective of the actors involved and their observations on performing for one audience member. The presentation will include photographs and video footage from this production.