So we discover, to our astonishment, that theater is not “about” dialogue after all, but what might be called fields of dramatic tension; force-fields of human relationships beneath the level of language, and perhaps even of consciousness, at which dialogue hints in the way that a divining rod hints at a subterranean spring.
O: On stage, dialogue is merely a probe, pointing to the flow of emotions and underlying meanings, but not the flow itself. When writers choose to enter the realm of theater, they challenge and compromise, choosing to strip away elaborate strategies in language to emphasize responses to psychological and social dynamics that lie deep below consciousness. The core of theater is an invisible energy space – the tug, conflict, or attraction/repulsion between people. It creates drama, often beyond language. It is also a way to open up new ways of feeling for the audience, not only feelings on the page, but also intuitions when watching human contact.