As you have learned, the dramatic text unfolds on two levels. The first is el plano textual, which includes all the elements of the communicative code that you explored in the previous section. The second level on which theater unfolds is el plano espectacular, also known as la representación teatral. Just as the first level uses words to communicate, the second level depends on objects and actions to communicate. These two levels work together to give theater its unique power to impact the participants and involve the audience in the unfolding and interpretation of the dramatist's message.

Task 1. Scan and Confirm.

1.			Scan the first paragraph of this section on page 246 and the first two sentences of the next paragraph. Find the phrases that confirm the preceding statements about the relationship between el plano textual and el plano espectacular and highlight them in the text. Would you add anything to these statements?

Task 2. Scan for Information. The next part of the paragraph, beginning with the third sentence and ending with the seventh, explores three ways in which el plano espectacular can function as un lugar de acción. Scan that segment of the paragraph for the three ways and complete the following statements with the appropriate information.

2.			En primer lugar,
3.			En segundo lugar,
4.			Por otro lado,

Task 3. Identify and Brainstorm.

5.			The last three sentences of this section identify the two perspectives through which el espacio escénico can be defined. What are they? Provide examples of each, then brainstorm other ways in which el espacio escénico might be defined. Note the results of your brainstorm on a word wheel (see Appendix) labeled "el espacio escénico."

Task 4. Make Connections.

6.			Add your new knowledge about el espacio escénico to the graphic organizer you created in Task 4 of Análisis del teatro. Note: Your graphic organizer now contains nearly all of the essential information that you will need in order to read and interpret theater. The only element remaining has to do with the structure (la trama) of the dramatic work.