Final answer:
Alienation is the term for the detachment of the audience from the action on stage, which can occur due to environmental distractions, performance quality, or deliberate theatrical techniques to encourage critical viewing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The degree of separation or detachment of the audience from the dramatic action is referred to as alienation. This term highlights the distance that is deliberately created between the audience and the stage, preventing the audience from getting emotionally caught up in the story as if it were real. This concept, often associated with theatrical plays, is used to ensure that the audience maintains a critical perspective on the unfolding drama.
Alienation can occur for a variety of reasons, including the quality of the performance, the environmental distractions, or even the intentional direction of the play to make the audience self-aware of watching an act. This approach can be linked to the work of 20th-century playwright Bertolt Brecht, who wanted to prevent audience members from getting too emotionally invested in a play, so they could critically engage with its themes.