Experience vs Story

I’m more interested in the experience an audience member has attending a play than I am in crafting the perfect story. Story is important in the writing process, sure, but the liveness of theatre calls for a game to be played: an encounter with strangers that unfolds like a mystery. Audiences are presented with dots they have to connect themselves, and the connecting is a major part of the enjoyment.

Any storytelling kind of art I consume is particularly compelling when it offers a solid structure for play. What are the rules? What should I expect? What should I not expect? Where are all the dots, and what are the many possible shapes I can make when I connect them?