The theatre

Extracted from EPOTI, http://www.englishtap.com/vocab/interest/theatre.htm?login=0&lang=en

Modern Theatre
Have you ever been to see the fringe theatre?

Compared to Elizabethan times modern theatres may stage a play anywhere, they can conjure up an impromptu stage from any flat area without stalls and balconies. Some makeshift seating for the audience is all that's required. Famous actors are rarely used as preference is given to up and coming actors, many of whom may consider themselves to be budding stars of the future. The main priority of the director is to keep within a low budget. Often these modern renditions of traditional plays are set in contemporary times, using modern costumes and modern language as a backdrop to the old classic plot . Critics may say that the music was deafening and discordant and the plot disjointed yet for the audience the performance may have been enjoyable and memorable.

Critical appraisal


If it goes off well, the critics may give it a stunning review. The critics review does not often concur with that of the audience. Critics can pan or laud a play regardless of whether it gets a standing ovation or is booed off stage. Critical appraisal, however, can boost the popularity of a play. When the play hits the headlines we can rely on a full house and tickets will be sold out beforehand. People will queue in front of the box office to see Mr AB in the role of King Lear, "whose gripping performance in the last scene elicits insatiable desire for encores ."

Fringe Theatre festival

Though many cities now host fringe Theatre Festivals, Edmonton's was one of the first, biggest, and best. Really taking off in the 1980s, this festival allowed lesser-known actors from around the world to perform in warehouses , former bus barns, and other such venues around Old Strathcona on Edmonton's southside. In its earlier days, tickets were a few dollars each, and it was necessary to line up just before the show to buy rush seating. With its popularity, some of this spontaneity gave way to convenience of pre-sold ticketing, etc. The best plays were often promoted through word of mouth and posters, though a parade kicking off the event, shown here, gave performers a chance to promote their work.