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11 Mar 05 - 04:19 PM (#1432533) Subject: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST,*Laura* Hi, Uhh - bit of a random and probably quite obscure question - I don't suppose any of you actors/directors/theatre peeps have ever been involved in any Artaudian work? I'm devising and need some... well - just some different perspectives really! Breaking taboo and that sort of thing. Cheers in advance! :0) xLx |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:32 PM (#1432543) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST,*Laura* Or if not - does anyone know a decent theatre forum? I've looked but mostly I find ones for specific forums. Obviously none as good as the 'cat :0) xLx |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:44 PM (#1432562) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Rapparee I've "done" some theatre (and theater, too) and I can only say: What the hell is it? |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:58 PM (#1432573) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST http://www.splatcomic.com/links/artdir/theatre/Theatre-Chats-and-Forums.asp |
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11 Mar 05 - 05:07 PM (#1432583) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST,*Laura* Cheers for the link. Artaud - a french guy who liked breaking taboos and taboo subjects like violece and sex, and involving the audience (as in - taping them to the floor and throwing chicken innards at them and stuff) - surprisingly (aha) he wasn't very sucessful, but he has had a lot of influence (e.g. Peter Brook). And I mean specific theatres before, not specific forums! hehe. (or theater - if you come from America or the other places where it's spelt wrong. Hehe - only jokin!) xLx |
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11 Mar 05 - 06:15 PM (#1432638) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: open mike Project Artaud |
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11 Mar 05 - 07:20 PM (#1432685) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Jim Dixon Here's an article about Antonin Artaud in Wikipedia. I haven't been involved in the production of any experimental theatre, but I can tell you about some interesting performances I attended in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1963 to 69 there was a theatre company in Minneapolis called the Firehouse Theatre (not to be confused with the Mixed Blood Theater which still exists and also performs in an old firehouse). As I understand, the actors lived communally and developed a lot of their performances by improvisation, but sometimes they worked with avant-garde playwrights-in-residence as well. In 1969 they relocated to San Francisco where they probably found a more devoted audience. I was a college student at the time, taking an acting class, and I was assigned to see several professional theatre productions and write reviews of them. I remember writing a glowing review of one of their plays—I think it was Jack-Jack by Megan Terry, in 1968—and having it picked apart by my professor who was less impressed than I was. I know they used nudity, which was nearly unheard of in live theatre in those days, and they produced a "rock musical" which was also a new idea—this was about the same time "Hair" was first produced in New York. I believe Jack-Jack was loosely based on "Jack and the Beanstalk" but it barely had any plot (that I can remember anyway) and the "magic beans" that Jack planted were probably hallucinogenic. There was one feature that particularly stuck in my memory. There was a scene in which the actors handed out a dozen or so flashlights to audience members (who were given no instructions what to do with them) and then all the theater lights were shut off, so the only light illuminating the actors was that coming from the flashlights. I remember that as an acting student I had been pondering the problem of how actors "take focus" and how (according to my professor) actors were supposed to be totally in control of what the audience was paying attention to at any particular moment—and here you could literally see the audience shifting its attention. An actor would speak and most of the flashlight beams would shift to that actor, but a few would remain on the other actors, so that no actor was ever in total darkness. This fascinated me: first, that the audience flashlight-holders, without any instruction, were able to cooperate to produce a viewable performance; and second, that (contradicting what my professor said was supposed to happen) no actor ever held 100% of the audience's attention. |
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11 Mar 05 - 08:50 PM (#1432724) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Big Al Whittle Was he one of Theatre of Cruelty people. i saw a production of jean Genet's The Maids and the theatre programme was full of quotes by Artaud. if so, i think there was a film version with Glenda Jackson starring. Interesting philosophical ideas that I haven't discussed for 40 years or so - since I was at college. I think you will enjoy the project - a real confrontation with bourgeois assumptions about life. |
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12 Mar 05 - 12:56 AM (#1432825) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: M.Ted What do you have in mind? Artaud is not really obscure--in a lot of ways, he is a pivotal force in the development of contemporary theatre--in truth, there isn't much out there that hasn't influenced by him--even TV-- |
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12 Mar 05 - 01:25 AM (#1432833) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: jimmyt To Jim Dixon, what a fascinating post! Let me tell you about a theater performance I did once that was completely spontaneous. We had been performing Dearly Departed, a rather shallow southern comedy for some 25 odd performances and one night the power went off just before curtain. A winter storm as I remember, but suffice it to say, the actors got together back stage, agreed to do the show if the audience wanted to see it. We did the entier 2 hour plus performance with candles and flashlights, it was perhaps the best pwerformance I have ever done, and the audience payed so close attention as they HAD to to follow the show, I have never had a performance experience like that since nor ever suppose I will again. It was absolutely the best of a show that is tight, but with performers that were solid enough to improvise any way we could to get the story told.! |
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12 Mar 05 - 05:13 AM (#1432897) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Jeanie Ooh, all very interesting. That's very interesting, too, what you said about focus on stage, Jim. In real life (assuming here that a particular piece of theatre is intended to reflect real life - not always the case !) there are always lots of things going on at once. I've noticed that the children in my drama classes (under 11 year olds, so creating their own 'conventions'), if given a free hand, will have lots of things going on and being spoken at once in different parts of their stage area in the scenes they devise themselves. As an audience, their classmates are perfectly happy to watch a performance like this, swapping their attention around. I'm the only one who has difficulty following this format ! It's rather like a promenade performance of an all moving, all talking Breughel painting, but with the audience staying put. Maybe I should have them do this more often (remembering to take aspirin in advance...) Now, as for Artaud, here's a webpage which may be of help (notes linked to a drama teaching course): Artaud with links to other pages. As for ideas for devising, Artaud-style (taboo, shock, violence, audience involvement): here's something I had a thought about for making a piece of theatre after I had been on a tour of Buchenwald concentration camp. We had been through the hall where people were taken to be shot through the back of the head from a slit in the back wall, with loud military band music playing to drown out the sound. What I thought at the time would make a good piece of theatre would be to create scenes of various sections of the camp, the "progress" of the prisoners, from their arrival onwards, with the audience gradually realizing that *they themselves* were the inmates, culminating in a final scene of loud military music, gunshot, blackout, and silence. At some point prior to this, the roles could also be reversed, with the actors being the prisoners, reacting to the audience, who realize that *they* are the tormenters. This was just a thought I had - never took it any further - but it could make a stunning piece of theatre. Melissa Jones, who is an examiner for A Level Edexcel Theatre Studies (probably your exam ?) has written a chapter on "Teaching Artaud" in the book "Teaching Drama 11-18" published by Continuum, which may well be worth while getting hold of for ideas for your devising work, if you can. (Sorry, I haven't got it myself to send). All good wishes, - jeanie |
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12 Mar 05 - 05:52 AM (#1432921) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Jeanie Oooh, Laura - I've just had an idea of a discussion board for you ! If you go to the drama teachers' discussion board on the Times Educational Supplement webpage :Drama Staffroom you will be able to ask for suggestions for devising work from people who are teaching 'Artaud'. Although it's intended to be for drama teachers, a school student doing GCSE Drama asked a question on there a week or so ago and got a lot of very enthusiastic and helpful responses. They were all very impressed that he had had the initiative to ask for advice there ! Here's another discussion board you might like, and which could be helpful: Have you been on the National Youth Theatre discussion board ? I've never been on it myself, but my daughter visits it regularly. Obviously, it's full of people like yourself who are studying drama for GCSE and A Level, so lots of kindred spirits. 'The Stage' discussion boards, my daughter tells me, are less helpful - more full of people who want to become "famous". All the best, - jeanie |
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12 Mar 05 - 06:53 AM (#1432936) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: The Fooles Troupe When I was with Camerata Theatre, one we did was a Greek play staged outdors at night - lit with the Uni Caving Group's Carbide Lanterns. |
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12 Mar 05 - 06:59 AM (#1432938) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Jeanie I've just been carrying on thinking about this, and have remembered a workshop I took part in which may also be a springboard for some ideas for your devising work, Laura. Have you ever done any blindfolded work ? It requires a lot of trust on the part of the audience members, but can be extremely effective. I say "audience", but in this kind of work, the boundary between "audience" and "actors" merges. In the workshop I was in, we took turns, in two groups, to be "audience" and "actors", and devised a series of scenes of events described in Bible (although *any* subject matter could be used for this). In the part where I was a blindfolded "audience member", my group heard, smelt and tasted the Last Supper, as Jesus's disciples - with the "actor" group creating a "sound picture" around us and handing us bread and wine. We were then guided out of doors and put to sit down - hearing the sound of the trees, feeling cool shade - and then heard the sounds of Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gesthemane. In the part where I was in the "actor" group, we had the "audience" members in turn become Jesus - lying them on the floor and hammering on the floor close to (not on !) their hands and feet. People who were on the receiving end said they could feel the whole floor and themselves vibrate. As an "audience" member, it was an extraordinary experience. After we had taken part in the Last Supper, Jesus started to sing, and as we were guided to follow, his voice got quieter and quieter into the distance, and I had the very strong feeling of wanting to get closer and closer to him. It is a very powerful way of putting people into other people's shoes and, as I say, can be applied to any subject matter and can involve all the senses (except sight), so that "the mind's eye" is heightened. Just another thought. - jeanie |
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12 Mar 05 - 08:25 AM (#1432969) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST,Guest JACKASS - MTV |
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12 Mar 05 - 10:35 AM (#1433038) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: GUEST,*Laura* Thanks Jeanie, for that link. And everyone for your Artaud experiences! You're right about The Stage, full of people who are going to be big movie stars! haha. And I really like the idea of blindfolding! Thanks everyone! xLx |
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12 Mar 05 - 02:49 PM (#1433187) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: jimmyt Wow, Jeanie, it is great to hear your thoughts and ideas. I miss your input in the chat and was delighted to see you with so much excellent info in this thread! jimmyt, yer ole china |
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13 Mar 05 - 12:33 PM (#1433696) Subject: RE: BS: Obscure theatre question From: Jeanie Lor luv a duck, Jimmy ! Break a leg in your show - and you, too, Laura in Les Mis and in your drama exam assessments. Let us know how it's all going. Cheers ! - jeanie |