The edge of the stage

Abstract

The edge of the stage is not only the point where the mask is removed but also the line where performance enters daily life . The film, The Edge of the Stage, revolves around this point through the lives of five performers. Many levels of illusion are presented and removed as they portray different characters in the film, including themselves. Their roles are both unique and universal as they become metaphors for performance . The vehicle, the film, is not only a transparent medium in which to express the art of performance but rather a structure to reference the performers' art and their lives to the nature of performance in all our lives. This paper examines the role of illusion in both film and performance and the structures that control and break that illusion. Moving through the history of these intertwined art forms, the paper traces some of the ideas and observations that provided a framework for The Edge of the Stage. The thesis consists of a text and a videotape. The tape is 18 minutes long, in color, with sound, and is a transfer onto 3/4" video from film.