The Actor’s World of Silence: Structural Significations and Artistic Impact of Silence in Theatre
The Actor’s World of Silence: Structural Significations and Artistic Impact of Silence in Theatre +e

Summary/Abstract: The present paper’s aim is to analyse the artistic and symbolical impact of silence on the actor’s performance. We argue that in a world dominated by (often pointless) noise and dissonance, silence can and should be a welcome and inspiring counterpart. Especially in what the actor’s art and craft is concerned, the contrapuntal technique between speech and silence is one of the most powerful carriers of meaning. What this paper tries to prove is that more often than not, the actor’s silence can achieve depths of performative and interpretative meaning which can otherwise not be achieved by traditional dialogue/monologue. By analysing several established critical opinions on the importance of silence in theatre, we attempted to offer a theoretical framework for our own acting experiences with silence in performance.

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