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fourth wall
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Tweet n. 1. The imaginary barrier that is considered to separate the audience from the characters in a play or other live performance: an actor who broke the fourth wall by directly addressing an audience member. 2. A similar imaginary barrier that is considered to separate a viewer from a film or other recorded performance: traditional films that maintain the illusion of the fourth wall. 3. A similar imaginary barrier regarding as separating a text from its readers. [From its use in the theater, where it is likened to a wall that would complete the enclosure of a proscenium stage.] |
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