Introduction and Definition
Devised theater. For some these words may conjure images of intense “experimental” physical experiences in poorly lit storefronts and dilapidated black box theaters, with hipster audience members (of past and present) masking confusion with rapturous applause. However, this isn’t (always) the case. While devised processes developed in the 1960s as a sort of rebellion against the hierarchical process of traditional theater (with the writer being at the top of the pyramid), new devising processes have become somewhat of a norm in the development of new work, and not just theater. Film, Installation, and newer mediums such as Live Action Gaming and Immersive Theater use traditional devising processes to achieve final results.
“…the generic term ‘devising’ describes ‘a mode of work in which no script – neither play-text nor performance score – exists prior to the work’s creation by the company.’
- Govan, Nicholson, Normington – “Making a Perforamnce”
Truth be told, the term “devised” seems to hold little weight anymore, as each process is as unique and nuanced as the next, and each outcome unexpected and special in its own way. When initially contacting the people interviewed for this blog, I was often countered with “I don’t consider my work devised”, but through conversation, many were left without a definition of how to define their work, as it sat outside of the traditional production process (a process most commonly linked to the “regional theater” model of producing theater). New definitions of these processes are popping up everywhere: “New Original Work”, “Original Ensemble Based Theater”, “Non Scripted Processes”, “Movement Centered Works for Stage”. It is my assumption that the creators or producer/presenters are inventing these terms to better frame the experiences create these terms for the audience - and they succeed in doing so, but these terms don’t do much to solidify process models.
“…text-led theater inevitably represents the sole vision of his playwright, a way of thinking about mainstream theater that implies that it is still hierarchical in structure and dominated by naturalism. The vision of devising as alternative, oppositional and democratic recalls its avant-garde and radical histories, abut by the early 1990s…this particular form of idealism was beginning to wane.”
- Govan, Nicholson, Normington – “Making a Perforamnce”
I personally prefer the term “Original Ensemble Based Work” because it is nonspecific in its form, yet highlights the heightened dialogue amongst the ensemble required to successfully bring the work from its initial stages to a viewing appropriate for audiences.
As a producer and director, I’ve become more and more interested in as sort of “best practices” for the development of my own work. While my personal aesthetic falls outside the interests and goals of traditional regional theater, it is very much theatrical, and I hope, has an emphatic audience. The first step to finding this audience, however, is to look at better practices for producing the work. Not only to streamline costs and find innovative ways of finding audiences, but to also support the aesthetic goals of each piece and nurture the ensemble; to create the most productive working environments and the best possible results.
While developing my latest work, with the crass working title “#THESIS2015”, I wanted to explore other methods of creating original ensemble based work, and to share my findings with the theater community at large. I wanted to use my rehearsal period as a personal case study, and measure that against what other academics and professionals in the field were saying about the different phases of the creation process, and how to best approach each stage of development. The list of people with whom I spoke includes and designers. I also set out to research internationally renowned devising ensembles, to peek into their processes. Not all of these interviews or research made it into this blog, but I began to see my process much more clearly three things:
- As a director, how I might better prepare myself for process, and better interface with a producer
- As a producer, how I might better interface with an ensemble, and director of that ensemble (if one exists
- As a producer, how to better frame these processes for audiences
I came to one major conclusion through this process: there is no prescribed method for developing original work. However, there are commonalities in most processes that made themselves clear through the research, including my own workshop process. It is my hope that the following can better prepare anyone involved in the creation of presentation new ensemble based work for the extensive needs and often long timeline to follow.