Ode to the Theatre.
In 2010, I started hanging around with some theatre-makers. Outside of performing in elementary school plays, seeing the occasional production as a grown person, and watching Waiting for Guffman, my theatre knowledge was scant, at best.
Six Characters, Iowa State University, 2011.
“Hanging around with” led to actually getting involved in some productions at Iowa State University for a couple of years. I made a bunch of props, got some art students involved, and felt at home. Which was weird. Since then, I’ve enlisted many theatre-makers as guest lecturers in my visual art classes, and I preach the gospel of community theatre anytime I get a chance.
The Wisdom of Improv
After last week’s blog post, it dawned on me that much of my understanding and application of the “yes, and” philosophy comes directly from theatre-makers and their use of improv. The rule of never turning down an offer. Here’s an example:
Say Person A approaches Person B during an improv skit with a possibility: “hey, great to find ourselves in this deserted mine shaft with just a flashlight and 3 donuts.”
Person B would NOT respond with “What are you talking about? We’re not a mine shaft, we’re in a subway tunnel. Get it together.”
This would ruin the flow. Plus, it’s kind of rude.
Person B might instead say, applying the yes, and principle: “Yeah, and I think I just heard some weird circus music around that corner.”
To which Person A might reply: “Circus music, are you serious? I have a pretty intense clown phobia. Maybe we should head in the opposite direction!”
And on it goes. You open yourself up to the possibilities that the other person brings to the table and you see what happens. This is trust in action. You don’t pretend to know what’s going to unfold and you trust the process of collaboration.
Theatre + Community
Theatre has been more impactful to my artistic and community engagement development than just about anything else. One of my favorite books in recent years has been community theatre-maker’s Patrick Overton’s Rebuilding the Front Porch of America. In this he points to the history that community theatre has had upon civic engagement and active democracy in the United States.
“Community arts aren’t about art as a sign – a noun, an object. They are about art as symbol, a verb, a process. Our work in community arts is about creating a process that invites individuals to participate and experience the arts on a personal basis. It is, in essence, a paradigm shift from ‘art as product and citizen as patron’ to ‘art as process and citizen as participant.’ It is called community arts development.”
What continues to resonate over and over is theatre-makers’ propensity for possibility and for listening. I certainly see this in the work of Ashley Hanson and Andrew Gaylord’s PlaceBase Productions, in Climate Change Theatre Action, in the work of Matt Foss and Mary Swander, Brad Dell, Eleanor Kahn, and Amanda Petefish-Schrag. In the work of Allison and Andy McGuire at the George Daily Auditorium in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Simple Methods to Apply Theatre-Making to Your Community Work
Here are some concrete examples of applying theatrics to your community work:
Say yes, and. Even if it’s unusual and never been done before. Especially if it’s unusual and never been done before.
“Hi, We’d like to transform vacant storefronts into temporary artist spaces” – Yes, and we also have some empty billboards you can use as canvases.
“We’d like to put an artist on city council” – Why, yes, what a wonderful idea. We need creative thinkers as civic leaders. Brilliant.
“We’d like to cover your building with a giant knit sweater” – HELL YES. Do you need a scissor lift, or will scaffolding do?
Saying yes is streamlining red tape and simplifying policies for inclusion, engagement, and participation.
Saying yes means easier and more financial support for creative activity in your community.
Saying yes means actively attending community events hosted by people who don’t look/think/act/worship like you.
Saying yes means actively pursuing partnerships with community organizations outside of your wheelhouse.
Saying yes means removing barriers to partner – ask artists/creative partners what barriers may exist.
Saying “tell me about your thoughts/experiences on this issue” is saying yes.
Saying yes is sometimes deferring authority/credit to other people.
Listening is saying yes.
Other resources to explore: