Neuro-Aesthetics – Representing the Mind on Stage

Abstract

This article analyses the challenges of representing the mind on stage, through stage design and acting techniques. To address this particular difficulty, we used our practice as research at Craiova National Theatre in 2019, with the play Under (re)Construction, written by Marco Tesei, and also various examples in both theatre literature and theatre practice, focusing on relevant renditions of the mind on stage in modern theatre. Our conclusions highlight the difficulties, from a director’s point of view, of making the audience understand that a specific section of a play takes part in a character’s mind. Moreover, the study shows that representing the mind on stage equally poses problems to the team of artists involved in the creation of the show.