Request for anecdotes about 'aesthetic arrest'

[Will Weigler]

Dear CanDrama members,

For my doctoral project at the University of Victoria I am looking for stories from anyone 
who has ever witnessed a single brief moment onstage that prompted among the spectators 
a sudden and unexpected emergence of deeply felt insight, or the radical re-assessment of 
a long-held assumption. One can only speak with certainly about personal experience, but I 
am especially hoping to identify moments in which the observer sensed that many people in 
the audience seemed to be reacting similarly and simultaneously. I will conduct a grounded 
theory study of a wide variety of these rare moments of “aesthetic arrest” to investigate 
the conditions that may contribute to their effectiveness. The aim of the research is to 
develop a theory and conceptual language that will enable artists working in collaboration 
with community members to share knowledge about how to orchestrate these powerful 
moments of theatricality. If you have a story or stories you can contribute, please visit my 
research website: www.aesthetic-arrest.com.

Thank you