The reason why theatrical performance is regarded as a play in modern era is that it is the genre closest to the nature of play. All arts can also be said to be play in that they create another fictional and symbolic world. Having the capability to cr...
The reason why theatrical performance is regarded as a play in modern era is that it is the genre closest to the nature of play. All arts can also be said to be play in that they create another fictional and symbolic world. Having the capability to create a new world, arts can be deemed a high form of play. By experiencing playfulness through theatrical performance, the genre closest to the nature of play, we can make our life richer and beautiful. Embracing this view, this study inquired into the way the question of how we should live is dealt with in the stage design through play, and this constitutes the aim of this study.
To this end, the work, [The Maids] by Jean Genet was selected as the study material. Paying attention to the fact that the drama form of [The Maids] is essentially a play, the study had attempted to analyze the entire course of how the dramatist shaped the work through a play form. Basically, it analyzes the entire work made for the stage as well as its characters focusing on how playfulness has been embodied in the work and what is play. In particular, illuminating the nature of play, it presents concrete examples of play, and examines the course in which play is embodied in the work.
Based on all this, this study into the stage making will show each play, character, and new stage language varying according to the whole circumstance. And by presenting the work note on the course in which the play was created, all of the participants into this study intend to speak of the outcome of the study into the stage making through play and all about its performance.
The outcome of making the work [The Maids] a stage performance through the play form reveals that the reason why theatrical performance is regarded as a play in modern era can be found in the nature of play: that there is no intrinsic value in play. We were able to observe what is common between theatrical performance and play: that there is no intrinsic value or absolute truth to be taken as a value in our life. The meaning of play the researchers of this study have found is that all of activities in the lives of human beings can be seen as a play. The temporal-spatial condition and rule a play has is similar to that the human being has for his or her life; we humans live our lives with the rule working on the stage called life. Life that cannot be judged by absolute truth has been sought for its real purpose. It was concluded that the dignity of human being and social issues could be reminded and reawakened by performance and the meaning of play is closely linked to the meaning of living a life. Though there is no essential nature of play, the rule of play cannot be transgressed; this was identical to how we live our lives. In short, all activities conducted by human beings can be seen as play and life and play has something in common, which is to abide by its rule. This study gave the researchers the chance to ponder over the question of what rule we abide by, of how we abide by that rule, and of what we pursue in this stage of life, reflecting our own life. It made the researchers ask existential questions on life, which will last for the entire lifetime.