Communication in Theatre Directing and Performance: From Rehears ...

mysteries of interpersonal dialogue (another form of intelligence, according to Gardner 1983, and therefore dependent on how developed it is personally), yet the outcomes will be assessed objectively, in the sense that the created taxonomy has allowed a breakdown of communication outcomes to be observed. This taxonomy (i.e., the ‘Lanigraph’) cannot unpick the mysteries of personal communication—for example, I am not recording the emotional exchanges that take place nor the dynamic levels of interaction. This particular tool is not refined enough for the recording of such messages, nor could it begin to record the often invisible subliminal emotions that affect exchanges. It can, however, analyse overt physical and verbal dialogue. It can record the overarching types of communication that occur during rehearsals in a way that will then allow the extraction of significant information about those exchanges.

1.3. The Research Questions

Certain questions of fundamental interest seemed to arise naturally within the context of observing rehearsals in a collective arts context, such as opera and theatre: enquiries about the specific undertaking and also general questions from the standpoint of directorial communication. These questions I attempt to address through my research. I have the idea, arising from my craft knowledge, that one is able to rely on the body as a foundation for development and refinement in vocal training, firstly by understanding how the body physically produces sound and maximising that knowledge at a personal level, in conjunction with lessons from a teacher of quality, and secondly by understanding the manifestations of emotion that can influence performance, both from inner knowledge and by observing masters at work, watching how they use the body to express emotive content. I now want to see whether one can understand the extent to which the body has abilities as a conduit in communicating intention for directing performance and, in acting as an initiator of feeling and expression, to raise the quality and standard of individual performance in others. However, because this aim encompasses so many aspects and areas of enquiry, too many to cover in a single