Beyond goffman: Some notes on life and theatre as art

This paper discusses two events: a scene from a performance of ‘Waiting for Godot’ and an incident from a team development meeting for a group of senior managers. The focus is upon the nature of the experiences of the respective audiences not upon the instrumental value of the performances. Drawing upon the work of Heidegger and Shklovsky in particular, the author comments, compares and contrasts the two events. Particular emphasis is given to the notion of art as an “unconcealment” and upon the notions of imaginative and present truth.