When we hear the word ‘wall’ we tend to think of a concrete gray and rough form of texture standing tall in front of us. Well, it’s not. The seventh wall is a virtual wall that we build over the years. Its texture is formed of ideas and ideologies, experiences and examples, taboos and restrictions that accumulate in our deep psychological self and stay there forming a complete system of defence mechanisms and resistance. It is also the social norms and habits that keep reforming our behaviour from childhood into adulthood, mainly reshaping our spontaneity and framing our instinctive abilities.

When we go to the theatre, we might either wear casual clothes or a soirée suit that resembles our cultural background or defines the place. Regardless of what we wear and despite our approach and perspective towards theatre, once we enter the performance hall we make a deal with ourselves and accept the fact that our voyeuristic manner will be accentuated. We might come to the theatre with the expectation to be entertained, stimulated, affected or afflicted but we do not come ready to be transformed.

Breaking the seventh wall is an experience that puts the audience on their feet at their own stage, a stage of their inner self, facing their personal life. To be able to do so, actors should first break their own seventh wall by unfolding their social mask; get to know it profoundly; be aware of its presence and its function. They should develop a system of how, when and why to use it and tackle the unresolved self, see where it comes from and where it leads to. Deal with all one’s vulnerabilities, strengthening the self and celebrating its presence. Understand one’s decisiveness, analyze ones actions and reactions, criticize one’s will and counter will. Expand the trust in one’s own self, the others and the surroundings. Stimulate the instinctive self, eliminate judgment and exhilarate spontaneity. Once actors are ready they can jump over to the other side and start unfolding the seventh wall at the audience’s end. One can’t ask others to step in the light when one is living in the shade!

Hence, in breaking the seventh wall between the actors and the spectators, the bond between the two becomes closer and the involvement of the audience grows higher, warmer and more intimate. This leaves a certain space for a beam of energy to get from the stage to the hall and straight into the body and mind of those watching the show. On the other hand the unity between the actor-character and each audience member becomes more personal and analytical. By doing so they create an honest and candid moment that enables the spectator to break through all the safety walls he/she tends to hide behind. Thus, the role of the actors is to raise essential questions on the unconscious level of the audience to a point where such questions cannot be denied any more.

In the Experimental Theatre plays that Ashtar Theatre produces every year, the team seeks to unfold certain taboos and work on issues in a manner whereby questions are always boldly raised on stage. They also stimulate the public not only to be aware of certain social deficiencies in our society but also to criticize them and thus take action about them.

One example of breaking the seventh wall through theatre was the tri-lingual play in Arabic, English and French, “Women Under the Spotlight” that Ashtar Theatre recently produced. In the creation of this production, the four female team members delved into their personal stories and cultural backgrounds. The production also explored in depth their inner monologues and suppressed desires which in turn provided them with a personal space that carried them on a trip inside their subconscious in search of their heritage, taboos, and stereotypes. They also looked at how women are raised in our society and in other societies as well. When performed, “Women Under the Spotlight” confronted the audience with the questions of how each of them look upon women and how much they allow the media to form their perceptions, control their behaviour and dominate their judgments about women in general, consequently forming their norms.

Iman Aoun is the Artistic Director of Ashtar for Theatre Production.
She can be reached at iman@ashtar-theatre.org