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.