Theatre With An Audience Of One
Many theatre owners like to say they offer an intimate show but one really means it. That would be Theatre for One, a 4ft by 8ft portable theatre that allows one audience member at a time to see one short play performed by a single actor. “There’s definitely an immediacy that happens within this,†said Tony-winning scenic designer Christine Jones, who conceived and leads the project. “The theatre acts as a kind of portal into a human being.†The theatre will be parked in three Manhattan locations for the next two months, offering shows for free. Which play the audience sees is largely the luck of the draw, adding to this unique theatrical event. Each audience member slips into a section of the theatre and waits until a partition rises, revealing a performer who then begins his or her short piece. This year, new plays were commissioned from Craig Lucas, Will Eno, Lynn Nottage, José Rivera, Thomas Bradshaw, Zayd Dohrn and Emily Schwend.
