Friday, April 25, 2008

back to school

We're heading down to Rowan University, my old professorial stomping grounds, on Sunday for a two-day violence/brutality workshop with some of the Captain Overlord's Folly crew, notably Paul Urcioli, Wil Petre and Melissa Lynch. Paul's the Clown King and Wil and Melissa are the young lovers, Tom and Sue. Nancy plays Heavy Clown, so we can do some bouffon work as well as begin to explore some of the ugliness of the second act.

Here's the Artaud quote I'm bringing in to the room on Monday morning as a way of focusing the workshop, (emphasis mine):

Is our goal clear now? It is this: with every production we are playing a very serious game and the significance of our efforts lies in the very nature of this seriousness. We are not appealing to the audience’s minds or senses, but to their whole existence. To theirs and ours. We stake our lives on the show that is taking place on stage. If we did not have a very deep, distinct feeling that part of our most intimate life was committed to that show, we would not think it necessary to pursue this experiment further. Audiences coming to our theater know they are present at a real operation involving not only the mind but also the very senses and flesh. From then on they will go to the theater as they would to a surgeon or a dentist, in the same frame of mind, knowing, of course, that they will not die, but that all the same this is a serious business, and that they will not come out unscathed. If we were not convinced that we were going to affect them as deeply as possible, we would think ourselves unworthy of this, our highest task. They must be thoroughly convinced we can make them cry out.

Right?

Not too much to add to that.

May not be posting until we're back unless there's some kind of wi-fi set-up at the hotel.

And if you want to hear a bunch of spurious lies about my younger self, just read the Comments to the Clinton Beats Spread post down below.

Mendacity, I tell you.

I was a quiet, studious, pious youth as my sainted mother will attest.

8 comments:

Ann said...

Of course the emphasis would be yours...let Artaud get his own blog, we come here for the Clancy Emphasis.

Well, I actually come here for the MMMQ and the banter. And to see Rose.

Good luck and I hope you're able to figure out all sorts of ways to be brutally violent.

Hmm.

There should be a phrase, sort of the opposite of 'deja vu', that means "I just typed something I never thought I would type"...

John said...

Now there's a contest.

Like Sniglets for the literati.

Sniglets? Anyone?

Have gotten to know Rich Hall over the last few years, actually. Very cool guy.

Deja vu is seen again, presque vu is almost seen, so, "I just typed something I never thought I would type..."?

Something about writing and self-bafflement. Auto-reflexive flinch syndrome? Self-baffling scribe synesthesia?

I'm flailing.

Rosemoo said...

Lol, I come for the Clancy and the wildness of Ann as well. PS: Anne, I posted some soup dragon photos on me website. I welcome T Shirt committee advice from you and John. :D And how about 'WTF vu' for all your typing problems? LINK: http://rosehoward.com/graphics/soupdragon.html

Ann said...

Aw, you boys are always so cute when you flail!
How about "Writer's-that-should-probably-have-stayed-Block(ed)"?

I don't do brevity. With Ann, you get More. Usually Too Much More.

Hey, on your way to Rowan how about you drive up here and get the box I have for Nan?

Ann said...

ROSE!

I love #6 - for some reason, I want to see it with an Oodle of Noodles Cup.

You've got mad skillz, Rose!

John said...

Wow.

Holy fuck, Rose, you're a stone genius. I knew you were good, but that video is extraordinary.

Let's work together a whole lot from now on, what do you say?

Rosemoo said...

John, I keep trying to sell you my soul for peanuts. I'm just waiting for you to take me up on it. Really. No REALLY. :D

Anonymous said...

Hi there John, you "don't know me from a bar of soap" as we say in Australia (perhaps you even say that there!!??), but suffice to say that i stumbled across your blog a few months ago and posted it in my favourite folder entitled "Cool Blogs". I also had a lovely email corro with Nancy about my play (yes i am in the industry, a playwright) quite some time ago. When i recently tapped in there was some catching up to do and the story of Nancy's burn and the daily wait for her recovery was laid out with the ending already attained. Poor Nancy, such a horrible thing to have happened, I really wanted to send her lots of thoughts from Sydney Aus, as it was so recently that we emailed each other, and of course one never knows what is around the corner. Give her a big hi from me. And keep blogging such wonderfully interesting theatre stuff and political thoughts that are right on!!! Cheers Suzie Miller