Chanel Pratt

Professor Jamie
UWRT 1101-078
November 14, 2014
Micro-Ethnography
When one thinks of theatre, the mind automatically thinks of a great big stage, actors
dressed in colonial clothing, and confusing Shakespeare. Though those elements are included,
theatre is much more than that. From my observations in the lecture I learned that theatre is
plays, films, and musicals. It has its own language. Most of all theatre is everyday life. Humans
participate in theatre everyday by assuming the roles they play throughout their lifetime. These
roles are known as familial and social roles. Your familial role in life consists of titles such as
mother, father, daughter, etc. Ones social role includes titles like doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.
According to the world of theatre these are both considered as acting. As William Shakespeare
said in his monologue (As You Like It), All the worlds a stage, And all men and women
merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many
parts.
So, what is exactly is theatre? The actual definition of theatre is A building in which a
play is performed. The word theatre derives from the Greek word theatron, which means a
seeing place or viewing place. In the theatres plays would be performed for a live audience.
These plays were imitations of life, containing various stories that let actors purge their
emotions. Some were drama based off of Greek tragedies and their Gods, and some were
comedies. The world of theatre provided people with means of escape from the real world,

especially comedic plays. This was also used in film during wartimes. The production of plays
and films based on comedy was a way to distract citizens from the hardships going on in the
United States.
In plays Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, names six important elements that makes them
whole. On the top of the list he considers plot to be most important, followed by character,
thought, language, music, and spectacle. The plot is the goal of tragedy and the goal is the
greatest thing of all, Aristotle quoted when speaking on how dire it is to have plot. Plot is the
organization of events or actions and gives a play its unity. This is also known as structure.
In this community contains completely different language from what I speak on a daily
basis, with its own terminology. During my observations, the use of this language opened my
eyes to things I didnt notice before when doing things just as simply as watching a movie. I was
able to experience my newfound knowledge by attending a film screening and a modern
adaptation of a Shakespeare play. I attended the production of Shakespeares The Merry Wives
and noticed things like the visual design and sound design. Visual design is a term used in theatre
when talking about the set, the actors costumes, lighting, and other visual elements. As for
sound design, that covers things such as music, dialogue, and everything we hear. Before these
observations I wouldnt have been able to appreciate these elements in this community.
When I went to a film screening I was open to notice the different techniques in the
movie. I paid attention to things like different camera shots and the frames used. Whenever they
wanted to portray the feelings of the character they used techniques like close up or extreme
close. These terms are when the camera moves closer to the characters face in order to give the
audience a sense of intimacy. And it also shows the emotions on the character, so the audience

can understand. Theatre is an art that gives you different perspectives on life and contains its
own language barrier making it a community on its own.
While researching this discourse community I decided to conduct an interview with my
theatre teacher, Professor Jay Morong. I started with the question of why did you choose theatre?
What brought him to this specific field? His response was A girl. There was a girl I liked and
she was auditioning for a play, so I went too. Though she didnt get a part in the play, I did
which started a love for theatre. It was a unique and interesting art form that explored humanity.
My next question lead to asking if this community had its own language. Absolutely. Using
literal texts, spectacle and music it helps the audience convey what we mean between artists.
Also the human body is a language used in theatre, creating an entire package. This connects the
performer to the audience as well, he responds.
Another question I asked was, Are you a part of any other theatre related community?
He replied with saying how he worked not just as a UNCC faculty member in theatre but with
other theatre companies as well. Hes worked with companies like Twilight repertory
company, Improv Boston, and Actress theatre of Charlotte to name a few. Because Professor
Morong is so invested in theatre I also asked him about what things should a person experience
when getting involved in this field? To that question he answered, Human beings acting what
it is like to be humans. The rhythm and pattern of what its like to be a human being. Going back
a quote from Susanne Langer Human feeling, what it feels to be human. They should
experience what I would call humanness, which can be as simple as going to see a play.
My final question for my Professor was Who inspires you the most in theatre? He then
expressed that People with thoughtful questions. Someone who asks questions with a critical
eye, but also a joy and spirit towards life. This can include playwrights, actors, directors, etc.

This is why I like satire (Use of humor or irony to expose someones vices concerning typical
issues), those people who genuinely love life and the world, but they see the wrong in the world
and try to get others to think. This shows how theatre has its own community. Through the
differed language they partake in and their views on the world itself.