ENVIRONMENTAL THEATER DEFINED

Ten points defining Environmental Theater  by Jack Bowman 2007

1.  You are in a real world environment. This is the major requirement.

2.  Your colors/costumes are of major importance to attract attention to yourself.  That is why we see so many Environmental Theater performers in Gorilla costumes or gas mask.

3.  Group Environmental Theater (in a sense) is like creating abstract visual art in that you really do not know where all the parts are going.  It is like splatter painting. Performance Art is more structured.

4.  Environmental Theater works best with current issues such as political, legal, and religious.

5.  The risk of arrest or detainment are great because it is done in the public. Effort should be made to prevent arrest but for an artist to be arrested for his art is the highest honor he can hope to reach.

6.  Environmental Theater is it's own shock value. In contrast, on a stage that is known to feature performance art, unique or different visual and conceptual images are expected.

7.  It is best if your scheduled presence is not announced to the public by the press or other media. This lowers the chance of arrest.

8.  Since you are among the public and interacting with them, unpredictability  becomes a major factor.  This factor also separates Environmental Theater from the "Happenings" of the 1950's and 1960's.

9.  Even though it appears that Random sites and dates/time can be and are selected, this is not the case.  The site, day, time is selected for the audience you want. The audience that fits your theme.

10.  Environmental theater works best with a group of three or more. This is because it is difficult to get the attention of a passing, disinterested audience with only one or two.