Theatre ABC, Act 3

O Off-Theatre

Unconventional, independent and small: Off-theatres are independent theatres that operate outside the established theatre business. They are financed by ticket revenues or foundation funds and are not commercial. Some of these independent theatres receive subsidies, some do not. The latter are somewhat more independent, and are consequently also called off-off theatres. Whew, complicated!

P Audience

The audience, always silent and almost invisible? Think again! In a live performance, the behaviour of the audience plays an important role for the ensemble on stage: Do they cough, whistle or applaud? Sometimes the audience is also given a role in the play and thus encouraged - if not obliged - to interact.

Q Quality

Still the most important goal.

R Props

From the flowerpot to the revolver to the wedding dress: all the utensils and equipment necessary for the performance of a stage work are called "props".

S Municipal theatre

In contrast to the independent scene, which operates independently of cultural institutions, the municipal theatre is firmly anchored in the cultural programme of larger cities. At the municipal theatre there is a permanent ensemble in which the actors:inside are permanently employed.

T Ticket

Theatres are largely financed by the income from tickets for a performance. Municipal theatres or opera houses could not finance themselves purely through ticket prices, as the costs of sets, costumes, props or wages exceed this amount. Therefore, financial support from the city or the federal government is very important.

U Entertainment

Theatre is entertainment - or not? The question of how far theatre has to entertain is political. Just as theatre sometimes is.

V/W The fourth wall

The imaginary wall between the audience and the actors is called the fourth wall. It keeps the illusion of theatre alive. In the past, it was not broken. That is, there was no interaction with the audience - today it is handled in a more playful way and interactions between actors and audience are a common stylistic device.

X Xe

"Das musch xe ha!" You can watch films at home, but not theatre. So come on, let's go!

Z Encore

Still not enough? If the audience applauds loudly and shouts "encore", there is at best a supplement at the end - a short additional performance on stage after the actual end of the play.