Kinesics – The study of those body movements and gestures by which, as well as by speech, communication is made; body movements and gestures which convey meaning non-vocally. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014)  This focus on the movements of the theatre and the meaning they convey, so the dictionary is more of less dead on in this case.

Semiotics – The science of communication studied through the interpretation of signs and symbols as they operate in various fields, esp. language (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014)  So, in our case we are focusing on the interpretation of signs and the meaning they convey.

Proxemics – The study or interpretation of physical proximity between people in various situations; the ways in which people interact spatially, esp. in maintaining a certain amount of space between themselves and others. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014)  In the case of the theatre this means all the spaces, that between the audience members and other member of the audience, also to the audience to the actor, the actor to other actor and the actor to objects on stage.

But why start with all these definition?  Well these are all the elements that need to be considered when designing a set and directing a performance to identify what will be conveyed to the audience.  Arnold Aronson refers to the stage as staring in the abyss, which is capable of staring back at you.  This suggests that the stage can represent anything.  It starts as a blank empty space and then it is the director’s job to fill it with meaning, if he/she does this correctly then it may mirror the audience of tell them something about themselves.  It seems to all come down to conveying meaning or, in the case of some performances, conveying a deliberate lack of meaning to create reason.  To this end everything on the stage is there for a reason and if you want to convey meaning successfully, nothing can be left to chance.

 

Aronson, Arnold (2005) Looking into the Abyss: Essays on Scenography, USA: University of Michigan Press.

Oxford English Dictionary, (2014) Oxford: Oxford University Press, Available from: http://www.oed.com.proxy.library.lincoln.ac.uk/