I was intrigued by our discussion of space earlier this week, and how different cultures interpret personal space. I thought about what space meant to me and what came to mind was how space applies on stage.
As an improviser, when I’m on stage there are no limits to how I use the space around me. However, I still become overwhelmingly concerned with how much space I’m taking up on stage. Am I taking up too much? Too little? What’s the rule of thumb? Luckily, on stage, fellow actors don’t feel like you’re invading their space. How do people in day-to-day interactions feel about their personal space?
We leave a decent amount of space in between ourselves and others in different social situations. Waiting in line warrants a rule of comfortable space- so does sitting in a theater/classroom. Chances are we pick the seat where someone is NOT next to us. I’m curious as to how this compares to other cultures around the world.
