ABSTRACT
Smell and taste are our chemical senses, and with them we sample our environment for information, continuously testing the quality of the air we breathe to alert us to potential dangers, such as smoke, as well as searching for other relevant information, such as the presence of food or another creature. Smell, similar to sound but unlike taste, can signal over long distances. The emotions of others-for example, fear, contentment and lust-may also be experienced and communicated by smell. Smell is said to be the most direct route to memory, and the longest lasting. It can infl uence mood, mewmory, emotions, mate choice, and the immune system. With taste, one or a combination of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami alert us to vital information about anything we put in our mouths. Both smell and taste, though little talked about in theatre practice, have their place in performance. What are the ways in which artists have used smell and taste to communicate? How do these senses evoke memories or convey messages? In what way can harnessing these alert sensations intrinsically defi ne theatre as a live event that connects the attendant to the artistically mediated environment?
