sectional theatricality

It is inherent in human behavior to present a front before others. Outside of our homes we all wear “social masks” and, in essence, all become actors and actresses for an indeterminate audience. Consequently, the spaces we inhabit can be perceived as amorphous or transient theatrical spaces.

The concept of Sectional Theatricality is to provide a framework for the manifestation of this type of unexpressed pluralistic theatricality. The performer and audience are equals in their attempts to explore every-day human interactions in an artistic, poignant and experimental manner using found space.

Our proposal involves the sectioning of St. Anna Church. Cutting the building transforms the structure into an open and communal space while retaining its original architectural characteristics. It also conflates notion of the performer and the audience where it is assumed that every individual has the creative capacity and spatial opportunity to embody both – a sectional view into another’s home and a stage set in one’s own home. From an urban approach, the cut creates a pathway that connects previously disconnected public spaces. The specific orientation of the section cut maximizes audience capacity and view of the stage, all the while extending a welcoming invitation to locals and tourists wandering the streets between Old Prague and the Charles Bridge.