Short and Sweet

Just got back from seeing the first ten plays of Short and Sweet 2006. Each play was ten minutes or under and although not all were to my ideal taste, I developed an appreciation for every one of them. It must be extremely difficult to contain a plot or story to such a short time frame and to be able to connect with the audience on an emotional level in this small amount of time or at least capture and hold their attention. I felt a certain artistic empathy and appreciation whilst watching these short plays and left the theatre feeling, in many ways, inspired.

I do enjoy live theatre and I have not been to a show since late February, when I saw Edge, a play based on the last day of Sylvia Plath's life, starring Angela Torn.

The two plays that stood out for me last night were When We Fall, by Tamara Searle (VIC), and The Emotional Anatomy of a Relationship Breakdown, by Suzie Miller (NSW). For me they were the most enjoyable and dynamic, featuring characters and/or stories that I felt sympathetic or empathic towards.

Like with most things I observe, I relate them (or thoughts on them), in some way, to my art or the way I think about or approach it. Tonight was no different and I found myself thinking a lot about the audience (or viewers) of art and the relationship or connection they may or may not have with specific works - in any medium.

I have many thoughts racing around inside my head. I shall sleep on them.