The space of theatre is the stage. And what is upon the stage. And what is above the stage. And what is in front of the stage. And what is beneath the stage. And what is beside the stage. And what is behind the stage. And what is between the stage. And what is within the stage.
And what is without the stage.
Space is directional. Theatre operates among the shapes of those geometric directions. The character directs itself into its image from the directional movements that are manifestly inherent among the stage and affects the directional pull of space which creates the dynamic of line. Each directional pull affects the other directions so that they are pulled too and by that pulling, tangles them all together into a multifarious line that the character traverses allowing the image to form upon, above, in front of, beneath, beside, behind, between, within the line. And what is without is its frame, or, rather, its outward expression that is within the image.
The space, therefore, has bounds. And within those bounds, the limits can be shaken—broken. It is the character that shakes and breaks those bounds into an affected creation. And from that creation is the character’s place—the shaken and broken bounds.
Among space, character discovers its place. And that place has form, unique to itself and its character. The space changes when character expresses its place among it, where the image is contoured from it. The directional necessity of space to express its place colludes an abstract conflict between space and place.
Space is wide and free. Place specifies its freedom from the character of image who possesses it—creates it. That creation may only be a brief moment, or prolonged. Or the possession may be weak and untenable. Or strong and overbearing. Or the conflicting uncertainty between movement and unmovement.
The character has its own conflict too. And the conflict conflicts in its physicality within the abstraction, the almost spiritual conflict of place and space. This paradox upon paradox provokes the theatre into movements of upheaval and catharsis, however unknowingly fearful, all relying upon, above, in front of, beneath, beside, behind, between, within (among) the line and its dynamic expressions within the conflict of place and space.
The treading among the paradox of the soul—magnified space; contoured place.