b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2020-21was evidenced in an improvisation where one performerand therefore discarding the fear of looking like an idiot,the original text. A company that attempts to change thisries from the beginning of our process, as it built upon our locked their interest on another, saying I can see you,was a technique that our performance group attempted toview is devising company Kneehigh. Co-artistic directorinterest in the nature of humanity, whilst also strengthen-before turning away to repeat the same phrase again. Theembody whilst collectively creating. We recognised thatEmma Rice labelled adaptations as retellings as, in hering our bond as an ensemble. We wanted to prioritise our moment elicited a laugh from the audience as the perform- working physically with our interests in a sense of flowview, no-one owns a story (Lilley 2017: 5). Kneehighsrelationship as a community as we were inspired by psy-er had maintained their interest in the seeing, despite nowould therefore encourage improvisation that was basedapproach towards theatrical retellings is useful to examinechologists Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramers definition of longer being able to physically see the other performer.in what we were passionate about in The Memory Police, andin relation to this module, as Rice considers retellings to bethe nourishment factor in the workplace; something that As a group, we were able to recognise the significance ofaccording to director Dmitry Kyrmov, while the head canon a spectrum between wholly group-devised work to writ- everyone craves at work: human connection. You nourish a performers interest for the audience by considering our- be convinced of anything, passion cannot be persuaded.ten solo adaptation; emphasising that to put a performancethe inner work lives of your subordinates when you reward selves from the Viewpoints perspective of being observer/ You need passion at the core (Freedman 2016).into one of these binaries is too binding for their workor recognize their good work, encourage them, or offer participant artists. By viewing ourselves in this way, we(ibid: 7). Considering our use of source-text saturated im- emotional support (Amabile and Kramer 2011: 130). A began to learn an entirely different set of skills, focusingTo hold on tightly to ones passions is also necessary toprovisation as our main method of composition, it is usefulcompany that we consistently drew comparisons from was on the ability to listen and see without the prejudice of theconsider when adapting from a source text. From my firstto apply this spectrum-based definition to our perfor- Pixar Animation Studios, as through their collective crea-creator (ibid: 203). Therefore, Viewpoints and plastiquesreading of The Memory Police, I was interested in the rolemance. Although we referred back to the text consistentlytion techniques they seem to recognise the importance of became our foundational techniques for collective creation,that the voice played in the text, and how it might representthroughout our process, we engaged with The Memory Policenourishing their colleagues. A particular example of this is encouraging us to hold on tightly to our impulses, which wethe portrayal of humanity in the novel. In creating my soloas a primary source, rather than an exclusive one. Whentheir practice of dailies, where participants show incom-then applied when we separated into performance groups. explication, I retained these interests and concentrated oncreating our piece, we absorbed the idea that the audiencesplete work to their director and colleagues, which require the comparison between the main character in The Memoryinterpretation of our piece would not be so much an agree- engagement at all levels, and its our directors job to foster However, the necessity of applying let go lightly to ourPolice becoming a voice within the embedded narrativement but rather an understanding of the logic, as definedand create a safe place for that (Catmull 2014: 193). A work became evident when we reflected as a group onof the woman losing her voice. I continued to investigatepreviously by Overlie, and that an audience membersnourishment factor that they use to achieve this is wheth-the strangeness of our training and improvisations. Inthese interests when we moved into our groups of sev- understanding would differ from our understanding aser or not the animators would get that same go-ahead, discussions, one performer admitted that allowing theen, which hence fed into our pieces structure revolvingparticipants and performers. However, to maintain a logiceveryone could count on this: When each finished his or physicality of the body to be the driving force, and notaround the vocal and physical sharing of memories, withto our piece that could promote audience understanding, ither presentation, the room would burst into applause (ibid: prioritising narrative, sparked a fear of being afraid to lookour core belief being that the relationships we build withwas essential to create a cohesive structure to our perfor- 193). The recognition of support from the room creates a like an idiot. Stephen Wangh addresses this issue in his textpeople is intrinsic to our sense of humanity. The transitionmance. This decision was implemented later in the compo- safe environment to discuss problems; to participate fully An Acrobat of the Heart, stating that acting is crazy. Act- of my individual interest into the groups was supported bysition process, in order for us to allow our interests to beeach morning requires empathy, clarity, generosity, and the ing is making up stuff that you know perfectly well is notour use of the training techniques we experienced earliersaturated with the work and to allow as much creativity toability to listen from everyone in the room, and hence cre-true and then letting yourself believe in it (Wangh 2000:in the module. Through the use of group improvisation, weoccur as possible within the timeframe. A technique thatativity is magnified (ibid: 195). Our sharing of memories as 96). This addressing of feeling foolish in the plastiques ispresented our individual interests to each other physicallywe used to determine our structure was to write out eacha group echoed this ritual of dailies as it facilitated human also recognised by Overlie in Viewpoints. She states thatand experimented with the new ideas that these improvi- of our individual ideas for a structure on pieces of paper,connection in our group and therefore contributed to our although this work may at first seem mystical rather thansations created. For example, we frequently used a white- using writer and editor John Yorkes outline of a five-actability to collaborate more effectively. practical, and definitely not something that could actuallyboard in our improvisation to note down anything thatstructure as inspiration. We then re-ordered, clashed and work in the world of creation, this is the system that allwe found particularly interesting in the form of questions,reduced these on the floor in order to visualise how ourBy strengthening our collaboration through this process of human beings enter when they encounter the unknowndrawings or provocations. This method of embodimentideas coincided and to find the conflicts between them; anourishment, our ensemble relationship acted as a contain-(Overlie 2006: 204).was inspired by the American Russian Theatre Ensemblevisual embodiment of hold on tightly, let go lightly (Yorke 2013:er within which we were able to process any conflicts and Laboratorys technique of BodyStorming who utilised40). Within this process of structuring, we all adoptedproblems that arose. In a discussion, we realised that con-Wangh seems to agree, stating that actors need to relin- their own training of the plastiques and Viewpoints in cre- the traditional theatre perspective of a dramaturg; peoplefrontation is not inherently detrimental to a collaboration, quish their judgement, as judgement inhibits work, makingating a method of composition which began from the ideawho attend to the art or technique of dramatic compo- if structures of communication and trust are put in place it less possible to do good acting (Wangh 2000: 115).of having individuals share their research, but rather thansition and theatrical representation people who noticeto mitigate any pejorative consequences. In fact, confron-Therefore, in order for the performer to be following theira presentation to static listeners, we decided to embodyit, think about it, perhaps write about it (Thomson 2003:tation can sometimes lead to better problem solving as it impulses with their full interest, they must simultaneouslythe entire process [] [and] would allow [the research] to4). As Anne Bogart suggests, it was helpful to considerrequires creativity and good listening to solve the issue. let go of being afraid of acting badly. By doing so, the actorwork physically upon [us] (Brown 2016: 10). Through thisa dramaturg to be a window, rather than an individualsRichard Sennet, award winning sociologist, highlights this will enter a state of flow where they will be able to dealmethod of writing and embodying we were able to saturaterole, to encourage collaboration and shared effort (Bo- through his breakdown of the difference between a dialec-with any disruption or change that may occur within eitherourselves with our passions from The Memory Police, allow- gart 2014: 111). By examining the pieces logic from thistic and dialogic conversation. Dialectic conversation aims improvisation or performance. Director Mike Alfreds ar- ing us to collectively create and adapt the text.collaborative perspective, with our shared understandingto come eventually to a common understanding, whereas ticulates that this should be the ideal state of any performerof how our piece was inspired by rather than traditionallydialogic does not resolve itself by common ground, but in theatre, as theatre is live, thus life has a way of breakingHowever, before experiencing this training and methodadapted from The Memory Police, we were able to let go lightlythrough the process of exchange people may become more in on it. Therefore, it would seem logical to welcome thisof devising, we entered the module with preconceptionsof the expectation to stage the novel. Whilst devising ouraware of their own views and expand their understand-element of uncertainty, of possibility, of the unexpected;about what it means to adapt a source text. These viewswork, our group developed a passion to hold on tightly to theing of one another (Sennet 2012: 19). These two types of to embrace lifes intrusions creatively, rather than tryingbecame apparent when we discussed how the success of ancommunity that we were growing as creators, as well aslistening feed into each other as both require the listener to block them out (Alfreds 2007: 33). This sense of flow,adaptation can sometimes be determined by its fidelity tocharacters. As a seven, we enjoyed sharing personal memo- to pick up on concrete details, on specifics, to drive a con-58 59'