Theatre Spectatorship and Gaze

In chapter 3 of “Practices of Looking,” one way that the gaze of a spectator is explained is in relation to theatre. Psychoanalytic film theory is not primarily concerned with either the individual viewers’ acceptance or rejection of films, but rather how the spectator is shaped in relation to the gaze. It is explained that the cinematic apparatus, the traditional theatre- with its darkened space, projector, film, and sound, is crucial to this spectatorship. In this type of setting, the viewer can identify with specific characters or the films overall ideology, depending on how they see fit. I experienced this first hand last night when I went to go see Wicked on Broadway for the first time. It is interesting to note the initial fluttering excitement I felt inside when the lights first turned off and the initial music started playing. Sitting in the dark and silent space, observing only the characters in front of you allows the viewer to bring their specific gaze to the situation, without any judgment or criticism from others.

As noted in “Practices of Looking,” part of the fascination with cinema is that the darkened theatre and the conditions of sitting and watching invite the viewer to regress to a childlike state. The viewer undergoes a temporary loss of ego as they identify with the items being played out before them. This is exactly what happened to me as I sat and watched this play for the first time. So excited to see this well-renowned play or the first time, I experienced a break from reality, a genuine pleasure in sitting there focusing only on this fantasy world about the Wicked Witch of the West. What also very interesting to me was that I was sitting next to my dad, who brought his own gaze to the situation. I had read this chapter before going to the play, so it must have been fresh in my mind, but I kept noticing his reactions in comparison to mine. It was interesting to note our different reactions to different parts of the play, when he would perk up, or really genuinely laugh, or find a certain scene less interesting, in comparison to me. Our different responses to certain scenes were because of our different gazes. Similarly, there were parts of the play where many more women laughed than men, and parts where one gender found more humor than the other. For example, when Glinda mocked the Wicked Witch for her lack of style, many more women laughed than men did.

After it was over, my dad and I compared notes on what we liked about the play. I remarked on how intelligent I thought the writing was, and how I was curious to know how the writer came up with such a creative back story for the Wicked Witch, probably because of the writing classes I am taking. My dad was more drawn to the powerful voices of the lead characters, and the great acting of Glinda the good witch. It is interesting to note our differences in age, life experience, and gender that caused us to leave with different reactions towards the play, although we both watched the same exact thing and enjoyed it equally. This is a good example of how a viewer’s personal experience can affect their gaze, and that the reaction of the viewer varies depending on what the viewer personally brings to the situation.