In the art of theatre, many effects are created by way of a thorough
understanding of the performance space, and also through the manipulation of the
borders that divide the architecture of the theatre building from the temporary
scenery of a production, the actors from the audience. These realms—the building,
the scenery/stage, the auditorium—have been conceived of as “worlds”, “continents”,
or “seas” that constitute the global geography of the theatrical experience.
This essay demonstrates some of the ways in which maps, cartography, and
geography have impacted the academic discipline of theatre studies, and it also
considers how theatre artists’ conceptualizations of the theatrical event as a universe
that includes worlds informs the way they create their art.
