{This quote from Michael Rohd has epic implications and has
personally inspired me. For one,
if we are not curious enough about the other
than we’ll only know ourselves.
In addition, we have to be thoughtful or careful in how we approach the other (just as we must learn culture
norms when we go to another country).
Yet we must be passionate about breaking down barriers and set goals for
ourselves as we venture into the unknown.}
This blog is a mish-mash of ideas that have been bouncing
around my head since the Sojourn Institute in Chicago. I’ll start with the basics so that
we’re all on the same page:
Working Definitions
Devising = a way of putting together exercises (dramatic or
otherwise) in order generate material
Devising can be both civic practice and process to
production, or process to production within civic practice.
Process to production = putting on a show
We talked a lot about civic practice. {Civic Practice is defined as a process of relationship-based
dialogue to listen and find a way for assets to meet the needs.}
We also talked about how we have assets as artists to bring
to the table (the business meeting or conversation with non-arts partners). Assets of the artist = text analysis,
receiving information, making choices about that information, getting everyone
on the same page, making moments that are useful, Setting the expectations of the room, understanding
when the body can be used to push the mind and vice versa, willingness to
suspend disbelief.
Here’s
an example of a group of devising exercises that were used as a topical
dialogue: We started by three or five chairs and, at the same time, filled the
chairs (or used them) to present individual artistic offerings based on the
word “listening.” We moved forward
by setting up 3 rows of 7 chairs.
We all participated. In a
couple different variations of the same exercises, we walked in individually
and began to interact with the others in the chairs around this theme
again. It was almost like a
scene. We then were allowed to
take a movement someone else created and walk in with a partner and re-create that
piece. My partner and I chose the
simple act of giving someone a back massage. Then we told stories about successful listening to our
partners. Eventually we all sat in
a circle and finished the “I know listening…” about some of the things we
learned through the interactive pieces.
Another
thing we did was to explore the challenges of conversations within civic
practice. We were able to explore
arts partnerships by acting them out.
To do this we had to suspend reality for a moment research arts partners
and have one actor from our group play that partner. We further explored relationships and struggles of this
person by doing a group improvisation based on the information he/she gave us
in a 60 second monologue.
Light bulb moments:
What I learned
These
things expanded my idea of what was possible! You don’t just have to
do a play. When one is commissioned by a non-arts organization, the end
result does not always have to be a play.
While putting on “Our Town” may be great, my soul yearns to actually
fill a need. It can simply be an
idea. It could be a game, like the
game board Michael’s colleague put together for the show Built!
Not
only that but that I (little
pea-sized brain I) have the ability to imagine those things. Like I said earlier, I learned that I
do have assets I can bring to the table!
For
my whole life I thought things I cared about had to be chosen between or even
pitted against like two competing boxers in a ring. Yet, for example, I learned story and the abstract can work
cohesively together. It all
depends upon what you are trying to achieve. There are many more things I care about that suddenly came
together for me in one collective collage of ideas.
I
was challenged. I was forced to
ask myself: can I actually function in an ensemble or will I just be that girl who goes along with everyone
else’s ideas? It was difficult and
also exciting to recognize I need to jump in more and not be afraid of
failing. Michael said it thus:
“make and sell your own material so it won’t just supplement others work but
create your work within an ensemble.”
Basically, you are responsible for moving the things that are the most
important to your forward.
Passion
was re-awakened in me. Why am I drawn
to this work? I had a lot of those
“oh, yeah” moments. Like while I
was doing a scene with a girl working through problems of listening related
specifically to our field and one question Michael asked changed my whole
perspective on the person I was playing and suddenly I realized I was
stereotyping her.
Devising
is a movement about movement and movement makes me tick. There was a point where we were
devising and Michael said, “Lets not talk so much about it but just see where our bodies take
us.” My heart leapt inside
me. It’s a dream come true! Working with non-artists (mostly school
teachers) I felt compelled even once also to simply say, when they asked me
what I wanted to do, “I don’t know.
Let’s just try it and see what I naturally do.”
I
had this epiphany moment that the reason why I respond to this kind of
work is that movement is about intuition.
It gets me out of my head.
Suddenly I can be! This is
my “method” to acting. I want to
explore it’s potential.
It’s
about asking questions and listening.
Michael’s approach to what he does is a very humble one. He has mastered the art of asking
questions and actually listening.
He spent a lot of time teaching that.
It’s
about translation. Because the
nature of this work is constantly changing--we are constantly growing and
learning by listening to other collaborators—we need to learn how to define
what we do. Not only that but, we
need to learn how to translate to people who are non-artists what an art
project looks like. I love
translation. That’s what I love
Spanish. Helping someone
understand something better is so cool.
All
of this has got me thinking about individuality and where we as individuals fit
into collective communities. How
do we contribute to that community and let that community contribute to
us? There is so much I can say on
this so I will just leave it with that.
I
think Michael’s quote from an article he wrote perfectly sums up why I love the
process of collaborating with others in the structure of an ensemble. I don’t think I’m the only voice. “So why do it? Because though there is
power in the expression of singular voices and visions, I find the world far
too complex to wrestle with and articulate the matters I want to explore
without the collision of other brains, hearts, and experiences. Investigations
I undertake alone yield discoveries far less satisfying than what my explorations
with others reveal” (The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage).
Re-imagining
Before I came to this workshop I thought I had a pretty good
handle on Michael’s methods. I
knew there were a couple things I did not quite understand but I wanted to know
more. I came to discover that
everything I had previously imagined that this work could be was so small.
In my mind, everything was process to production. Even future projects dreamt in my mind
that I labeled the goal as being dialogue, the goal was to put on a show. I imagined that as a facilitator the discussion
and where it went was in my hand.
I cringed at the thought of dissimilar minded people working in the same
ensemble as me because I imagined this kind of work, though dialogue was
involved, was primarily for social advocacy and leaned towards a particular
agenda.
When I came to this workshop, however, I was struck by how
pure one’s motives can actually be.
I was amazed that when we ask arts partners what they need, that the
automatic response is not a play.
I was stupefied by the fact that I could imagine much more than a play
to meet that need. I was blown
away when our group, as completely unalike as we were, came under the same roof
and created something beautiful, powerful, and moving together in a
kaleidoscope of ideas conjoining on truth that comes through relationship.
