Micro Theatre
Also "Micro Theater" or "Microtheatre". A term used for small performances, in small spaces - often spaces not intended for theatrical performance, and frequently used for political purposes. It would appear that for some theorists and practitioners this concept is related to Augusto Boal's notion of "Invisible Theatre".
The idea of using small, economically viable, venues however, has been a tradition for a long time, also at festivals, particularly in economically depressed times. For example, Giles Tremlett (2013) has written about the proliferation of such venues in Spain. And the term micro theatre seems to be applied in this case as well. Similarly the term "Micro Cinema" has been employed to refer to the rise of the small cinema venue.
A form called "micro-theater" was portrayed by Samuel R. Delany in his science-fiction novel Triton.
See also
La Micro Theater, New York (http://www.lamicrotheater.org/)
Micro Theater Miami (http://microtheatermiami.com/)
El microteatro (o el teatro de pequeño formato), Madrid
Micro Teatro México,
"Micro Theatre" in South Africa
On its website the tiny 44-seater Alexander Upstairs in Cape Town, is referred to as a "microtheatre". However, it has none of the political agenda of the Boalean concept.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_theater
Giles Tremlett "Spain's microtheatres provide lifeline for actors as public subsidies dry up." in The Guardian, Thursday 28 February 2013 [1]
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