For years, theatre practitioners have utilized documentary techniques to interrogate political, social, and cultural constructions. These shows do not rely on fictive scripts, but on actual material gleaned from a specific historical event. Such materials can be acquired from interviews, newspaper articles, and reports. The play script attempts to unpack this information, and deliver a theatrical documentary production that is faithful to its original sources.
These shows take place on stark sets with few colors and details. They attempt to direct the audience’s attention to the words of the actors, instead of the aesthetics of the stage. Actors speak directly to audience members, treating them as part of the performance. Often, the actors will play a variety of roles, offering varying and contrasting perspectives of the same event.
This type of performance was initially theorized and employed by German directors Bertolt Brecht and Erwin Piscator in the 1920’s. These practitioners sought to emphasize the socio-political potential of theatre, rather than its ability to manipulate emotions. Through various techniques, their plays highlighted the issues surrounding class tensions and power configurations in Europe.
Brecht and Piscator did not want audiences to be passive. They wanted their plays to ignite audiences and encourage social revolution. Documentary productions often seek to encourage dialogue and debate among viewers. It has also proven to be a useful teaching method, encouraging students to interrogate historical events.
The aim of this type of show is to deliver the facts as faithfully and objectively as possible. Playwrights often eschew any fictive embellishments, in order to attain a true, clear impression of the event. Nevertheless, the clash between the fictive and the actual is a debate that still surrounds these plays.
Many practitioners the world over create effective verbatim productions. One of the most famous examples is The Laramie Project, by the Tectonic Theatre Project. It consists of interviews conducted with the citizens of Laramie, Wyoming, about the homophobic murder of Matthew Shepard. This production catalyzed some important dialogues over homophobia, hate-crimes and morality. It is an example of how effective a theatrical documentary production can be in addressing critical social issues.
Learn more here: theatrical documentary production