Listen to part of a lecture on this topic in a theatre studies class.
So for example, back when I was in college, one of my roommates, Richard, was in a play I went to see. And when he first went on stage, I have to admit I was a little distracted. Richard was dressed up like an old man. I could tell that his hair was colored grey and he was pretending, you know, to be older. So he walked more slowly, the way in older person would. But at first, I only saw him as my roommate dressed up to look like an older man. But then as the play went on, I began to think of him less as the guy I live with, and more as this older man who was a father, one who had to work very hard for his family, the family in the play. And in the play, the father gets sick and so he's out of work. Would you know, caused me to become a little sad. And because of the father's lung illness, the family was worried that they wouldn't have enough money to pay the bills. And this made me feel worried too. Well, in the end, what happened was, the family all came together and everyone found job and started working. They all pinch in and help in the time of crisis. So the family gets by and pays the bills. And soon after the father recovered from his illness, And this made me feel relieved. And even rather happy.
Explain how the example from the lecture illustrates the suspension of disbelief.
This passage talks about a concept named suspension of disbelief. That means the process in which the audience gradually forgets that the stage performance is imaginary but believes it to be real. Thus will help one person to absorb in the plot and give emotional response. In the lecture, the professor gives an example about himself in a performance of his roommate Richard. At the beginning of the play, the professor was distracted and he still recognized Richard as his roommate instead of the old man he was playing. However, the play went on and the professor gradually regarded Richard as the old man rather than his roommate. When Richard started to perform as a sick man and got out of work, the professor felt worried. But at the end of play, the families of this old man found job and paid the bills. Also the old man recovered from his illness. This made the professor felt relieved and happy.
