An experienced entrepreneur, James Ferrari has founded companies ranging from the condo rental firm, Benjamin James East Corporation, to Tribal Truth Media, a blog and media company dedicated to promoting the work of social activists and artists in a variety of mediums. In his leisure time, James Ferrari enjoys participating in theatre both as a performer and spectator.
Although theatre requires the involvement of both audience and actor, the relationship between the two has changed over the years. Beginning in the Greek theatre, actors would speak freely to the audience members as their roles demanded. The same custom held true in Shakespeare's time.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of naturalistic theatre. The naturalists sought to present real life before the eyes of the audience with everyday speech, realistic sets, ordinary characters, and no interaction between actor and audience, similar to the experience of watching a movie.
In the 21st century, some movements in the theatre world began trying to break down those boundaries. These include the Living Theatre founded by Judith Malina and Julian Beck in New York City and Theatre of the Oppressed developed in Brazil by Augusto Boal, which try to engage the audience almost as a performer.
