Three Houses Beyond the Fourth Wall

Written by

The Students & Faculty of the Devised Theatre Course

Directed by Lindsey Snyder

This performance is a type of experimental theatre known as devised theatre. Devised theatre is improvised in the sense that the actors develop their own dialogue and movement. However, the performances are not improvised. The text, loosely based on myths and fairy tales, has been developed by the students in the theatre course “Theory and Performance.” As the class worked through the term, students chose an overall theme — how individuals create identities within cultures. Myths and fairy tales show what each culture sees as appropriate for the individual. Some of the stories are familiar, such as Sleeping Beauty or Pygmalion. There are moments of comedy and moments of sadness. Some have the very standard happy ending, and some do not. They don’t fit neatly into any categories.