Nbpt Model

The model typical associated with theater is based purely on the western canon and of performance and the spaces that they occupy. First with the Roman amphitheater that created the audience looking down on the performers and not directly engaging in the play. The tradition continued with Shakespearian Theater where the actors were still at the center of the space but the spectators were located on different levels throughout the theater. In Shakespearian Theater there was a call and response from the actors and the audience that created an interaction not common in the western canon. The present day use of the theater has reverted back to the separation of the audience members and the actors. The separation is so distinct that the only interaction
from the audience is a very brief meeting after the end of the play.
The experience at the NBT is different than what you would experience in western theater.
At the NBT they have two performance spaces, one set (the black box theater) and one flexible in its arrangement. There is a physical relationship in the experience in the NBT that is not experienced in the western canon. First in the black box theater the space immediately surrounds you because of the color of the room. You are seated on risers in the space that are not too high so that you are still very close to the performers. In the octagonal space the openness of the room feels like a temple, a temple to the performing arts. The seating is not fixed and neither is the stage so the physical space of this theater is in a state of constant change depending in its intended use. The physical experience changes depending on where the seating is placed and the interaction with the
actors.
The visual relationships change depending on what theater you happen to be in at the moment.
The visual experience in the black box theater is a focused on the performer and the material being displayed. There are two relationships at play in the black box theater first there is a “give“ by the actors and the “take” by the audience. When the play is over during the “talk back period” after the performance, the dynamic changes again. In the second space the octagonal nature of the space creates a sense of openness that can suit many other uses besides a theater. The seating arrangement if it’s situated in direct relation to the space would create a visually interactive space. There would be a constant state of visual stimulation that would beneficial to both the actors and the audience
members.
The closeness of both theaters at the NBT help in the ability for the performers to connect with the audience. This closeness helps with tackling issues like the Black Lives Matter movements and the issues in Ferguson. At the NBT the perceptions of boundaries normally associated with the western theater going experience disappear. In some instances the viewer is looking at plays based on the realities of their lives. The changing face of the NBT audience will affect the talk back sessions after the plays. It will go from a session of affirmation and self-worth to a process of education for those outside of the diaspora.