Oblivious Audience

A city where theater is considered solely a street activity. Actors take up large slices of the road, tossing flowers in the air, proclaiming themselves rightful heirs to dessicated thrones, boys dressed like serpents scatter fire around their feet, markets are occupied by troupes who put on puppet plays long after midnight. Social space becomes theatrical space. Theater happens where crowds rush home, where cars stall in traffic, where fruit vendors whistle. And because of this, every member of society becomes a member of the audience. Since theater is such an integral part of daily life, no one watches. Actors invest their souls into their performances, but people casually stroll by. The lack of distinction between performance and everyday life has rendered performance banal. And yet it continues. The sets grow more elaborate. The plots more intricate. Actors don more make-up. The indifference on the part of the citizenry has no effect on the performers themselves. They're completely satisfied performing in front of an oblivious audience.