Social Sciences in Theatre
Social Sciences in TheatreSocial Sciences in Theatre
How are the social sciences associated with theatre?
In his article �Performance Studies�, Helbo identifies many social sciences associated with theatre including psychology, sociology, and semiotics. Psychology, he states, has greatly increased the work of the actor by giving him a tool to examine his character or role in greater depth. Psychology has also affected the spectator by creating a release and even a form of therapy. Sociology is used in theatre to determine the cultural politics involved, the link between demand patterns and economic patterns, and the role of theatre in everyday life. Semiotics plays a vital role in theatre by determining how signs, whether they are speech pattern or facial expression, affect the audience.
Schechner focuses solely on anthropology and its use in theatre. Schechner even goes so far as to define theatre anthropology. It is defined as �the study of the biological and cultural behavior of man in a theatrical situation.� He writes that anthropology and theatre have no definite boundary and uses anthropology...
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