Read Performances

MANIFESTO

Read Performances, the new Read Theatre, a theatre productions organization


Historical Background

Since the 20th Century, particularly in Europe, theatre scholars, directors and actors have been showing a strong interest toward a wider participation of the audience to the performance offered by actors who act reading the script, relying mainly on their craft, re-establishing a connection with classic theatre and developing a new, vibrant one with contemporary theatre.

This fashion of read theatre had spread already in ancient Rome, starting from the Emperor Augustus.
Emperor Hadrian (117-138 ad) had a small theatre specially built, the Athenaeum, destined to acted readings, which included a proper stage from which actors, or the authors themselves, would enact their works, and proper seats for a paying audience who were given tickets (codicilli) and programmes (libelli).

Objectives

The aim of Read Performances is to revive a "different" theatre experience, engaging directly with authors, directors, actors, performers, designers and audience in a more intimate way. It follows old European theatrical traditions, ranging from the ancestral story telling, to giants of the calibre of Moliere, in France, and Pirandello, in Italy, only to mention a few.

With Read Performances we do not intend replacing or competing with full theatre productions, which are the core of our wonderful craft (but unfortunately limited to only a few government sponsored companies).

The objective of Read Performances is to promote theatre, offering opportunities to all involved in live performance to develop their skills through less expensive productions, creating a base for a close collaboration between established professionals in the various areas of theatre and young soaring talents.

Read Performances will establish an intermediate step between conventional readings and full productions, performing rehearsed plays on stage in front of a paying audience, thus being considered as theatre experience.

In Read Performances the actors recite an interpreted reading of the script, emotionally charged, as we have developed acting techniques allowing for a play to go on stage with only two week rehearsals, properly paying all involved and ending the common "criminal" attitude of expecting them to work for free.

Read Performances will allow for the development of more affordable theatre productions, and the opportunity to playwrights, dramaturgs, directors, actors, performers, dancers, choreographers, costume, set, sound and lighting designers, multimedia gurus and technicians to bring on stage new contemporary works, as well as classics, and be paid for their craft.

Read Performances will also allow to open the theatre doors to a wider audience, offering a more accessible ticket cost to the ones who couldn't otherwise afford a live performance experience.

For more information, please visit our website www.palmavision.com