Summary

Introduce

A play should blend beauty and intrigue, captivating the audience’s attention. At its core, this play is about a journey of discovery.

Information

Offending the Audience, the first play written by Austrian playwright Peter Handke when he was just 25, was an immediate sensation that propelled him to international fame. In this play, there is no storyline, character development, or dramatic incident. Instead, four actors simply engage in an exploration of theater and language directly with the audience. This unconventional approach can be unnerving and unsettling, especially in the final segment, where profanity is liberally used. Recognizing the challenges of maintaining the audience’s attention throughout the play’s lecture-style format, Theater Company 79 implemented significant changes when they brought the play to Korea in 1979.
The director experimented with linguistic forms, wordplay, sarcasm, disruptions in word spacing, and imitated people using specific languages. The most radical deconstructive method was the “play within a play” format. Approximately 10 days before the premiere, a preview performance was held for journalists and critics. However, the director had to proceed with the event as if it were a rehearsal because the actors had not memorized their lines. The response was explosive, and this rehearsal format became a permanent part of the play. Due to its unique nature and themes about theater, Offending the Audience inspired many audience members to enter the world of theater.