Role of the Playwright and Playwright's Intention

Question 1

Who are the interpreters of the written text in postmodern theatre and literature?

Answer 1

• the interpreters of the written text (director, designer, actor and audience) are the creators of meaning, and the author cannot be said to hold any ultimate truth about the product created

Question 2

What is the role of scripts in postmodern theatre and literature?

Answer 2

• scripts are often only a starting point, and the performance itself is layered with images, soundscapes and other multimedia experiences not captured in a script

Question 3

What is the role of the director in postmodern theatre?

Answer 3

• the director may interpret, add images or choose styles in their staging of the script

Question 4

What is the role of the playwright in postmodern theatre?

Answer 4

• playwright does not offer one point of view and the audience also constructs their own meaning from their own frame of reference - therefore, meaning is not fixed and shifts