THEATRE FOR ONE
Conceived by theater set designer Christine Jones and developed in its architecture form by LOT-EK, Theater for One is a theater for one actor and one audience member. Inspired by small one-to-one spaces - such as the confessional or the sex peep-booth - Theater for One explores the intense emotion of live theater through the direct and intimate one-to-one interaction of actor and audience.
Theater for One uses the ‘road-box’ technology to configure a system where connected and detachable units form the theater black box, allowing for continuous transformability, interchangeability and expansion. The audience sitting area, referencing the iconography of baroque theaters and opera houses, is lined with red padded velvet and incorporates a peep-booth chair with stereo speakers and pay buttons. The actor unit is left raw to be transformed according to the play. Its background is a flexible plug-in system where different sets can be exchanged depending on the play requirements. A small plug-in box at the top holds lights and special effects, including rain and snow.
Theater For One (T41) Trailer 110315-HD from Octopus Theatricals on Vimeo.
In this second iteration, developed for higher flexibility of movement and for full ADA accessibility, three boxes form the main volume – one for the Performer, one for the Audience(r), and one to hold the shutters that divides the two opposite spaces. The two separate entrances for actor and audience are positioned on opposite sides. A hard shatter pulls out at the start of the play to connect the two spaces and to announce, on the outside, that the theater is active, together with a red-light bulb at the top of the structure that signals that the play is on.
The audience sitting area, referencing the iconography of baroque theaters and opera houses, is lined with red acoustic foam and incorporates a vintage red velvet theatre chair on a turntable.
The performer space can be transformed according to the play, and includes a small plug-in box at the top for lights and special effects.
Credits
Client: Christine JonesType: Performing Arts
Size: 30 SF
Design: 2008
Exhibited: Princeton University, Julliard School of Music, NYIT, Times Square
Photography: Danny Bright
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Theatre for One / ︎Articles
Octopus TheatricalsNew York Times