More philosophy! If blocking consists of finding paths through a map of the territory - combined physical space, objects, character physicality - depending, of course, on the weather that day...
- and it's lovely to think of a map drawn in sand -
... then does X mark the spot?
If X is where the treasure of the drama lies, then I think X is a movable feast.
A better analogy for me is The Copenhagen Interpretation. (Which seems to be the name of my new theatre company, if everyone involved agrees. Catchy, ain't it?)
It's a theory in Quantum Mechanics which states that a quantum particle normally exists in all possible states of existence, all in one go, but when someone tries to observe it, it's forced to choose one state in which to present itself.
(For the most famous theoretical proof of this theory, see Schrödinger's cat, in which the cat is both alive and dead whilst no-one can see it in the box. If you opened the box, one state of existence would be forced to be the observed state of existence.)
In my view, at any given moment in drama, emotion is presented in such a way that anyone - or at least, anyone collaboratively willing - sees it in a specific form of existence and connects with it in their own personal way.
The drama itself doesn't make a decision about that final presentation: someone observes the drama, and experiences it in their own personal choice of existence in order to serve their own personal connection with the drama.
So I don't think there is one specific X for everyone. I think the map is littered with X's, but every audience member only sees their own X, which is exactly how it should be: their own Copenhagen Interpretation.
