The Power of the Spoken Word
by Treescaper: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bokononist/1421174161/
I wrote of the power of writing something down yesterday… But today, I found that actually saying something aloud can be even more powerful.
A project that had been languishing for a while got done today in a matter of minutes because I’d mentioned it to someone yesterday.
Saying something aloud makes it real…
And maybe beyond the idea of the power of theatre being live, it’s the action of hearing something aloud (on the part of the audience and the actors) in that moment where the power lies.
If someone says something profound, what good is that statement if no one heard it? (Or if a tree falls in a forest, and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?)
Which means an audience’s participation isn’t only limited to seeing (like it can be with a movie, hence the popularity of silent films), but very much hinges on the hearing.
I think I’ve always known this… as I build silences into my texts as often as possible… to give the actors/characters and audience a chance to breathe and hear what is being said, or unsaid… But I got a reminder today, when I saw myself literally taking action.
–Sue
Add comment April 15th, 2009
