Devised Theatre and Collaboration

I am excited that were are using devised theatre to put on this production, because we have a talented group of people who can put together a great show. The fact that we are not just working on the show but actually creating it means that each person will feel ownership over the show. This also means that everyone working on the show will need to be sure that what they are doing works with the creative vision of the group as a whole.

The subject matter is an ambitious one, but this could be a very powerful show. As others  have said, there are many different tones with which this subject could be approached. It could be completely tragic, or it could introduce comedic elements like the film Life is Beautiful (1997) does, which combines tragedy and comedy. The film is certainly a tearjerker, but is ultimately uplifting. What is important here is that everyone agrees on the tone that we are trying to achieve so that there is consistency across different scenes as well as across the aesthetics, music, and other creative choices.

Communication is key to make sure that the various elements from the teams come together in  a way that is consistent and makes sense for the production. I also believe that our digital assets should always work to serve the production and the performers, not vice versa. The performers should not have to compete with overwhelming graphical elements, as this will ultimately detract from the performance.The assets we create should only be used to directly compliment the show. Hence, we should also be sure to work with the director and performers to ensure that the show is cohesive, and make sure that we understand the tone and meaning of the show from their perspective as well. 

Therefore, I think the things we need to decide and agree on are:

1. What is the tone of this show?
2. What is the overal aesthetic sense that should guide our work?
3. How do we want our assets to play into the performance?