SPACE AND PLACE
“In creating a living space or environment within the performance area attention is drawn to the ways in which the place of a building can be turned into a malleable space. In other words, the fixed ‘place’ of the performance building is transformed into a ‘space’, a continuous moving entity capable of shifting to reflect those inhabiting it.”
- Govan, Nicholson, Normington – “Making a Performance”
Given that you don’t have the luxury of owning a permanent space, your ensemble will most likely be going through rounds of workshops in acquired space. These could vary from living room spaces, found warehouses, black box theaters, friend’s garages, and rented storefront property. While it is true that in many cases, at this point in the creation process, the artistic goals may be somewhat fuzzy, a critical look must be paid to the space itself. Inevitably, the original rehearsal space will provide limitations that will in some way influence the actors and designers to each other, and set boundaries for technical desires.
In most cases, the long rehearsal process for this kind of work will not happen in the same place from residency to residency. If a group is working toward a set venue and performance date, it is important for the producer and director to examine the unique dimensions and capabilities of a place, and aim to seek spaces that accommodate the same scale. Yes, this has obvious benefits to the most accurate design and “load in” periods, but also allows for process-created aesthetic benefits.
In considering shifting from place to space, it is at this point that the producer and director (or ensemble) discuss long-term artistic goals. What are the ideas about size and scale? How will media design play into the final performance? What are the special physical capabilities/limitations of the performers (i.e. areal performers, gymnasts, dancers, etc.). While many of the specifics of the work will come out of the testing phases and early workshops, clear goals at this point can help locate spaces that can become fertile grounds for more engaging rehearsal processes.
Even for those auteurs serving as both director and producer, it is beneficial to spend a considerable amount of time laying out the ephemeral goals of a piece. I found it personally helpful to work with another artists outside of the project (in this most recent experience, another producer). Personally, I find this step frustrating and time consuming, but ultimately essential to the creation of thoughtful work. I often times know what kind of feelings I want to evoke and what the audience should be challenged with physically and emotionally, but it is sometimes unclear how this all relates to space.
What I ultimately found, is that the space, or more specifically, the critical considerations of space, become the first step, and tool to creating the work: shaping the limitations, and presenting challenges from the onset. Actors are able to think clearly about scale and scope from the onset, and, even when rehearsing in other alternative spaces, a sort of psychological tuning occurs that allows them to re-orient themselves, if only in their minds, to the final performance space.