Friday, January 11, 2013

Devising

When it was revealed that the work for A Handful of Leaves would be a devised theatre performance, I was immediately reminded of the Scrum software development method. There are risks involved with both processes: They both depend upon iteration and introspective course correction throughout the process, and they are designed to promote creative, collaborative contribution and involvement of all members of the production team. The performance and script will be devised by the actors and the director, and so shall all of the supporting elements of the production be devised by the students of this class. The supporting media and supporting production materials created by the class will be its own sort of devised work.

As with the Scrum development methodology, the success of the project requires the engagement and honest feedback of the members of the team. In an effort to make sure that the supporting media that we create for this production pays the proper respect to the source material, I will make my best effort to point out things that I think do not quite communicate the tone and message appropriate for the subject. I encourage fellow classmates to please do the same.

Grotowski’s Akropolis resonated with its original audience, in part, because of its effective use of supporting thematic elements. In this example, this was achieved by surrounding the audience in a simulated crematorium and dressing the cast as concentration camp prisoners. The large canvas of the REVE allows us to incorporate any imagery that we can imagine. But, before we put any images on the screen, we should be sure to ask a few questions:

  • Are we putting these things in because we “like” them, or because they communicate something? “It’s cool” is probably not a very good reason to include it.
  • Does this support the setting?
  • Do these elements reenforce the tempo and motion of performance?
  • Do the sounds and images support the emotional tone of this part of the story or do they create dissonance?
  • Do these images and sounds support the message, themes, and objectives of this piece?

As we learn more about the performance, we will be better able to make decisions about how best to support it. I think we are off to a good start (especially considering how little we know about the final performance at this point).

Let me know what you think in the comments. Any extra questions that you think we should ask ourselves during the process, or disagreement and corrections to any or all of what I have written here, are welcome.

3 comments:

  1. I completely agree with you and your comparisons of the Scrum method to devised theater as we were introduced in class. To those unfamiliar with the Scrum method, it is a process of design and collaboration in game/software development adopted from the sport of Rugby. During Rugby, a scrimmage is held in the event that play is stopped and must be reset. The resulting scrimmage is a moment of intense effort in both teams towards regaining possession of the ball. The adoption of this term in software development is appropriate for the rigorous and experimental nature of the process.

    The need for collaborative experimentation and iterative development is necessary in facilitating a successful project, especially for one in such an early stage of production. I would go one step further in your comparison in saying that an iterative approach in devised theater is also important. With the freedom of experimentation, there will need to be checks and balances and at times, a re-working of things if they are not acceptable.

    I look forward to using this method of approach, especially with such a diverse set of skills collaborating together. I hope no person is afraid of giving their criticism at any stage of the production.

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  2. I agree regarding your comment "In an effort to make sure that the supporting media that we create for this production pays the proper respect to the source material, I will make my best effort to point out things that I think do not quite communicate the tone and message appropriate for the subject. I encourage fellow classmates to please do the same."

    I think there is a fine line between feeling confined by "the way things have been done before" and trying to take a new angle on a familiar topic. However in this situation, in addition to handling more sensitive material, we also have a purpose of motivating the audience to contribute their family documents.

    With that in mind, I think our greatest challenge in this production will be to edit down what we are doing, establish a mood that pays respect to the events that occurred, and focus on a message of "these stories would never have been told without donating."

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  3. i think you are all on the right track here. Certainly we want to avoid "cool" for the sake of it, but arrive at 'impact' without being heavy handed and poignant perhaps without resorting to sentimentalism. I think good theatre can inspire, or convey information and situation without necessarily creating a judgement. Encouraging donors and people to contribute is always a tender area. What inspires donation? Often it seems humanitarian or charitable is a result of gratitude and that might be a nice place to focus.

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