Total Darkness as Shared Solitude in Contemporary Theater
A recent trend in theater immerses audiences in total darkness, transforming the theatrical experience into a sensory and dreamlike journey. Several directors have invited spectators to confront complete obscurity, stripping away visual stimuli to restore the primacy of voice, silence, and breath. This practice plunges the solitary viewer into a community of ghosts gathered in the night, creating a shared solitude. The phenomenon is explored in the June 2016 issue of artpress (no. 434, pp. 62-66), in an article titled "L'obscurité, vérité double, solitude partagée." The piece examines how darkness functions as a double truth, both isolating and connecting participants in a collective, introspective experience.
Key facts
- The article appears in artpress issue no. 434, June 2016, pages 62-66.
- The title is 'L'obscurité, vérité double, solitude partagée'.
- Several theater directors have recently used total darkness in performances.
- The experience is described as troubling, sensory, and dreamlike.
- Darkness restores the theater's voice, silences, and breathing.
- The solitary spectator is plunged into a community of ghosts gathered in the night.
- The article is published by artpress.
- The URL is https://www.artpress.com/2016/06/01/lobscurite-verite-double-solitude-partagee.
Entities
Institutions
- artpress
Sources
- artpress —