It is all about "liveness".
Having spent the past two days (if not the last week) thinking about where I am going to permanently situate myself I have finally settled on a research question and have the beginning of a show/play... which will actually harness what I am looking at theoretically (I hope)! I thought that I was going to stray right away from my research proposal but as it turns out I haven't... isn't it funny how we have to come full circle just to carry on where we started in the first place!?!
I am researching (and committing to) the notion of liveness within theatre. As my research proposal touches on, I am addressing the fact that the notion of liveness within theatre is being challenged by the incursion of mediatization. I am taking a slightly different approach to this and not examining the technology that produces this affect (as I was beginning to), but looking at what the effect of this affect is.
I want to look at liveness in terms of time, space, and the body; and excavate how we view, read, interpret, and understand theatre in terms of these concepts.
My practice has always been firmly routed in the premise that it takes place with real bodies in real time and space. I am spending my time this year sticking to this premise, but allowing my notion of liveness (time, space, and the body) to warp, not disintegrate, and see what happens.
I love looking at how we read and creating different viewing positions but have come to realise that this is inherent in my practice as the audience is paramount. I will always want to leave my work open to interpretation, and ensure that people take away different experiences in order to encourage discussion amongst spectators. However, I don't feel like I could spend the rest of the year researching this. Having said that, I am fully aware that my research will lead to considering how we read as an integral grounding for the essay.
The play that I am beginning to work on is about a woman who's view of reality is distorted. Her memory, perceptions of time and self have long ago disintegrated and she is left living in a world that is nothing if not confusing. My research into disrupting the notions of liveness in terms of time, space and the body will help me portray my subject matter much more effectively. I am looking forward to investigating, through my subject matter, what happens when I am no longer restricted to "real" time and space as I am beginning to consider that the view I once had of them no longer exists.
I have also decided not to take part in the interim show. Trying to fit my work into a gallery was really damaging. What I want to create is theatre so will be working towards perhaps producing something for the Centre for Drawing.
I am currently working on the linear time line of the lead character's life before I start to write the actual text- this is what I will start with in my forum on Friday... seems like as good a place as any I guess!
