It is really interesting to read about your experiences with theater and the solo writing with OS. I am involve in documentary and interactive medias creations.A major part of our conceptual work is done in an adaptation of the spirit of OS.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">2010/7/16 OSLIST automatic digest system <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:LISTSERV@listserv.boisestate.edu">LISTSERV@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
There are 3 messages totalling 419 lines in this issue.<br>
<br>
Topics of the day:<br>
<br>
1. making theatre in Open Space (3)<br>
<br>
*<br>
*<br>
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----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:37:29 -0600<br>
From: Stella Duffy <<a href="mailto:stell@CLARA.CO.UK">stell@CLARA.CO.UK</a>><br>
Subject: making theatre in Open Space<br>
<br>
hi all,=20<br>
I'm new to this list, having been at all of Improbable's 'Devoted &<br>
Disgruntled' Open Spaces led by Phelim McDermott in London in the past<br>
years. Some years ago, when I came to a major impasse in the editing of m=<br>
y<br>
eleventh novel, I tried editing in OS and was astonished at how useful it=<br>
<br>
was for me, alone, with my manuscript. This year I have shared OS, along<br>
with other practitioners, with my buddhist practice here in the UK, and m=<br>
ost<br>
recently I've been working on a new theatre project and (with Phelim's<br>
encouragement!)I now - shyly - share with you the report I returned to th=<br>
e<br>
National Theatre Studio who generously gave 30+ of us the space to work o=<br>
n<br>
this new project in OS.=20<br>
I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone else who has used OS for<br>
writing or where it's been used for making/devising theatre work.<br>
best wishes,=20<br>
Stella Duffy<br>
<a href="http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com" target="_blank">stelladuffy.wordpress.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
My report to the NTS :=20<br>
I'm emailing to thank you all so much for your support for the Chaosbaby<br>
Project Open Spaces this weekend and last.=20<br>
<br>
To give you some idea of what happened, and how valuable it was :<br>
36 people attended over both days (many of them came to both).<br>
The age range was from 21 to mid-60's.<br>
They were 11 actors, 2 actor-musicians, 4 actor-writers, 1<br>
choreographer-dancer, 6 directors, 1 designer, 1 film-maker, 2 musicians,=<br>
2<br>
playwrights, 5 writer-directors, 1 photographer.<br>
<br>
In the two days, using the Open Space form, various groups & individuals =<br>
:<br>
- wrote a 14-page traditional/'straight' narrative for the piece<br>
- developed character breakdowns<br>
- worked on the physicality/movement for a number of characters/spaces<br>
- held many discussions about the nature of the piece<br>
- discussed the nature of chaos (as a theatrical concept, as a<br>
dance/movement concept, and in terms of chaos theory and mathematics)<br>
- created/drew up initial design ideas<br>
- wrote 3 new monologues<br>
- worked on the (two, brief) pre-existing texts<br>
- wrote and recorded a lullaby<br>
- documented the work on camera and video<br>
- made a puppet show, with live music accompaniment<br>
<br>
Above all, I think, we showed ourselves it is not only possible, but perh=<br>
aps<br>
preferable to work in Open Space, with a wide range of theatre-makers,<br>
across many disciplines, which generated an enormous amount of<br>
work/material, led not by a single director or writer, but by the whole -=<br>
<br>
and that in doing so it is still possible to have a cohesive idea of wha=<br>
t<br>
we are making and where best our skills might be used.=20<br>
<br>
I'm really excited about taking this on further, I especially loved that,=<br>
<br>
having met Slav (on the door, doing security) the first Saturday, he took=<br>
<br>
(wonderful) photos for us on the 2nd Saturday.=20<br>
<br>
We're looking at a full weekend/three day Open Space to further the work<br>
later in the year.=20<br>
<br>
I've worked in made/devised/improvised theatre for the past twenty-five<br>
years, this was one of the few times I've felt that it was TRULY a shared=<br>
<br>
group endeavour and not, at least in some ways, a director or writer-led<br>
experience. And happy though I am to work as both a director and a writer=<br>
, a<br>
working form that uses ALL the skills in the room, to the utmost that can=<br>
be<br>
offered, feels like a much better use of time, space, money and, most<br>
importantly, the full range of all the artists' abilities.=20=20<br>
<br>
*<br>
*<br>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
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------------------------------<br>
<br>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:40:32 +1000<br>
From: Allison & Jim Baensch <<a href="mailto:mbody@iinet.net.au">mbody@iinet.net.au</a>><br>
Subject: Re: making theatre in Open Space<br>
<br>
Hi Stella,<br>
Good to hear you have used Open Space for writing.<br>
I also used it while writing a thesis recently.<br>
I tried to map part of the process that was going on inside my head<br>
in words and sketches.<br>
The thesis ended up being far too long and I had to cut it in half<br>
(several times over the many months of writing) and that section was<br>
left on the cutting room floor.<br>
But the process lifted me out of one of my 'sloughs of writing<br>
despond' and got me going again.<br>
How did you use OS for editing?<br>
Allison<br>
<br>
On 15/07/2010, at 7:37 PM, Stella Duffy wrote:<br>
<br>
> hi all,<br>
> I'm new to this list, having been at all of Improbable's 'Devoted &<br>
> Disgruntled' Open Spaces led by Phelim McDermott in London in the past<br>
> years. Some years ago, when I came to a major impasse in the<br>
> editing of my<br>
> eleventh novel, I tried editing in OS and was astonished at how<br>
> useful it<br>
> was for me, alone, with my manuscript. This year I have shared OS,<br>
> along<br>
> with other practitioners, with my buddhist practice here in the UK,<br>
> and most<br>
> recently I've been working on a new theatre project and (with Phelim's<br>
> encouragement!)I now - shyly - share with you the report I returned<br>
> to the<br>
> National Theatre Studio who generously gave 30+ of us the space to<br>
> work on<br>
> this new project in OS.<br>
> I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone else who has used OS for<br>
> writing or where it's been used for making/devising theatre work.<br>
> best wishes,<br>
> Stella Duffy<br>
> <a href="http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com" target="_blank">stelladuffy.wordpress.com</a><br>
><br>
><br>
> My report to the NTS :<br>
> I'm emailing to thank you all so much for your support for the<br>
> Chaosbaby<br>
> Project Open Spaces this weekend and last.<br>
><br>
> To give you some idea of what happened, and how valuable it was :<br>
> 36 people attended over both days (many of them came to both).<br>
> The age range was from 21 to mid-60's.<br>
> They were 11 actors, 2 actor-musicians, 4 actor-writers, 1<br>
> choreographer-dancer, 6 directors, 1 designer, 1 film-maker, 2<br>
> musicians, 2<br>
> playwrights, 5 writer-directors, 1 photographer.<br>
><br>
> In the two days, using the Open Space form, various groups &<br>
> individuals :<br>
> - wrote a 14-page traditional/'straight' narrative for the piece<br>
> - developed character breakdowns<br>
> - worked on the physicality/movement for a number of characters/spaces<br>
> - held many discussions about the nature of the piece<br>
> - discussed the nature of chaos (as a theatrical concept, as a<br>
> dance/movement concept, and in terms of chaos theory and mathematics)<br>
> - created/drew up initial design ideas<br>
> - wrote 3 new monologues<br>
> - worked on the (two, brief) pre-existing texts<br>
> - wrote and recorded a lullaby<br>
> - documented the work on camera and video<br>
> - made a puppet show, with live music accompaniment<br>
><br>
> Above all, I think, we showed ourselves it is not only possible,<br>
> but perhaps<br>
> preferable to work in Open Space, with a wide range of theatre-makers,<br>
> across many disciplines, which generated an enormous amount of<br>
> work/material, led not by a single director or writer, but by the<br>
> whole -<br>
> and that in doing so it is still possible to have a cohesive idea<br>
> of what<br>
> we are making and where best our skills might be used.<br>
><br>
> I'm really excited about taking this on further, I especially loved<br>
> that,<br>
> having met Slav (on the door, doing security) the first Saturday,<br>
> he took<br>
> (wonderful) photos for us on the 2nd Saturday.<br>
><br>
> We're looking at a full weekend/three day Open Space to further the<br>
> work<br>
> later in the year.<br>
><br>
> I've worked in made/devised/improvised theatre for the past twenty-<br>
> five<br>
> years, this was one of the few times I've felt that it was TRULY a<br>
> shared<br>
> group endeavour and not, at least in some ways, a director or<br>
> writer-led<br>
> experience. And happy though I am to work as both a director and a<br>
> writer, a<br>
> working form that uses ALL the skills in the room, to the utmost<br>
> that can be<br>
> offered, feels like a much better use of time, space, money and, most<br>
> importantly, the full range of all the artists' abilities.<br>
><br>
> *<br>
> *<br>
> ==========================================================<br>
> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
> ------------------------------<br>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
> view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<br>
> <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br>
><br>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>
> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br>
<br>
*<br>
*<br>
==========================================================<br>
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------------------------------<br>
<br>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:57:29 +0100<br>
From: Stella Duffy <<a href="mailto:stell@clara.co.uk">stell@clara.co.uk</a>><br>
Subject: Re: making theatre in Open Space<br>
<br>
Hi Allison,<br>
I have a brief mention of it here on my writing blog :<br>
<a href="http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/editing-a-novelediting-this-nove
l/" target="_blank">http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/editing-a-novelediting-this-nove<br>
l/</a><br>
<br>
Basically I was at a standstill, having completed the 4th draft of the<br>
novel, my publisher, agent and I all knew more work was needed, but none of<br>
us could quite get clear on what it was, and a deadline was looming, of<br>
course. I asked Lee Simpson of Improbable who had been part of the Devoted &<br>
Disgruntled Open Spaces to come and talk to me about it, I knew he would be<br>
able to hear my concerns and I trusted he'd probably have a suggestion of<br>
two that were of value - I think NOT asking a fellow novelist was useful<br>
here actually! We did some process work on what it was I was going through<br>
(my 11th novel! how could I be so 'stupid/inept' - my feelings - as to not<br>
know what to do next, etc etc), and Lee suggested it might not be so much a<br>
case of not knowing what to do, as not wanting to do it in the usual way.<br>
And that if I did actually know what to do, all I needed to do was come up<br>
with that agenda and then allow myself permission to work on it in OS - as<br>
and when I was drawn to/moved to, rather than ploughing through a list and<br>
grinding to a halt because it was so boring/difficult.<br>
So, the next day, I took some time, called about two dozen sessions - for<br>
myself, alone - made up my timetable and each day for the next few weeks I<br>
worked on what I was drawn to work on, for as long as I wanted to stay<br>
there. The final edit was a pleasure, the book my most successful at the<br>
time.<br>
It sounds incredibly obvious as I write it now, but at the time it felt like<br>
a huge liberation, trying a new process, one I had worked successfully for<br>
other forms, and giving it a go with my 'real' work.<br>
And a joy, of course, finding that OS had solo application!<br>
<br>
Hope that explains it a bit. As a non-planner for first drafts (I tend to<br>
improvise a first draft, though with some idea of beginning-middle-end) I'm<br>
not sure it's possible for a first draft, but I'm interested in finding out<br>
one day.<br>
All best<br>
Stella<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 15/7/10 1:40 pm, "Allison & Jim Baensch" <<a href="mailto:mbody@iinet.net.au">mbody@iinet.net.au</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Hi Stella,<br>
> Good to hear you have used Open Space for writing.<br>
> I also used it while writing a thesis recently.<br>
> I tried to map part of the process that was going on inside my head<br>
> in words and sketches.<br>
> The thesis ended up being far too long and I had to cut it in half<br>
> (several times over the many months of writing) and that section was<br>
> left on the cutting room floor.<br>
> But the process lifted me out of one of my 'sloughs of writing<br>
> despond' and got me going again.<br>
> How did you use OS for editing?<br>
> Allison<br>
><br>
> On 15/07/2010, at 7:37 PM, Stella Duffy wrote:<br>
><br>
>> hi all,<br>
>> I'm new to this list, having been at all of Improbable's 'Devoted &<br>
>> Disgruntled' Open Spaces led by Phelim McDermott in London in the past<br>
>> years. Some years ago, when I came to a major impasse in the<br>
>> editing of my<br>
>> eleventh novel, I tried editing in OS and was astonished at how<br>
>> useful it<br>
>> was for me, alone, with my manuscript. This year I have shared OS,<br>
>> along<br>
>> with other practitioners, with my buddhist practice here in the UK,<br>
>> and most<br>
>> recently I've been working on a new theatre project and (with Phelim's<br>
>> encouragement!)I now - shyly - share with you the report I returned<br>
>> to the<br>
>> National Theatre Studio who generously gave 30+ of us the space to<br>
>> work on<br>
>> this new project in OS.<br>
>> I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone else who has used OS for<br>
>> writing or where it's been used for making/devising theatre work.<br>
>> best wishes,<br>
>> Stella Duffy<br>
>> <a href="http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com" target="_blank">stelladuffy.wordpress.com</a><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> My report to the NTS :<br>
>> I'm emailing to thank you all so much for your support for the<br>
>> Chaosbaby<br>
>> Project Open Spaces this weekend and last.<br>
>><br>
>> To give you some idea of what happened, and how valuable it was :<br>
>> 36 people attended over both days (many of them came to both).<br>
>> The age range was from 21 to mid-60's.<br>
>> They were 11 actors, 2 actor-musicians, 4 actor-writers, 1<br>
>> choreographer-dancer, 6 directors, 1 designer, 1 film-maker, 2<br>
>> musicians, 2<br>
>> playwrights, 5 writer-directors, 1 photographer.<br>
>><br>
>> In the two days, using the Open Space form, various groups &<br>
>> individuals :<br>
>> - wrote a 14-page traditional/'straight' narrative for the piece<br>
>> - developed character breakdowns<br>
>> - worked on the physicality/movement for a number of characters/spaces<br>
>> - held many discussions about the nature of the piece<br>
>> - discussed the nature of chaos (as a theatrical concept, as a<br>
>> dance/movement concept, and in terms of chaos theory and mathematics)<br>
>> - created/drew up initial design ideas<br>
>> - wrote 3 new monologues<br>
>> - worked on the (two, brief) pre-existing texts<br>
>> - wrote and recorded a lullaby<br>
>> - documented the work on camera and video<br>
>> - made a puppet show, with live music accompaniment<br>
>><br>
>> Above all, I think, we showed ourselves it is not only possible,<br>
>> but perhaps<br>
>> preferable to work in Open Space, with a wide range of theatre-makers,<br>
>> across many disciplines, which generated an enormous amount of<br>
>> work/material, led not by a single director or writer, but by the<br>
>> whole -<br>
>> and that in doing so it is still possible to have a cohesive idea<br>
>> of what<br>
>> we are making and where best our skills might be used.<br>
>><br>
>> I'm really excited about taking this on further, I especially loved<br>
>> that,<br>
>> having met Slav (on the door, doing security) the first Saturday,<br>
>> he took<br>
>> (wonderful) photos for us on the 2nd Saturday.<br>
>><br>
>> We're looking at a full weekend/three day Open Space to further the<br>
>> work<br>
>> later in the year.<br>
>><br>
>> I've worked in made/devised/improvised theatre for the past twenty-<br>
>> five<br>
>> years, this was one of the few times I've felt that it was TRULY a<br>
>> shared<br>
>> group endeavour and not, at least in some ways, a director or<br>
>> writer-led<br>
>> experience. And happy though I am to work as both a director and a<br>
>> writer, a<br>
>> working form that uses ALL the skills in the room, to the utmost<br>
>> that can be<br>
>> offered, feels like a much better use of time, space, money and, most<br>
>> importantly, the full range of all the artists' abilities.<br>
>><br>
>> *<br>
>> *<br>
>> ==========================================================<br>
>> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
>> ------------------------------<br>
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
>> view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<br>
>> <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br>
>><br>
>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>
>> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br>
><br>
> *<br>
> *<br>
> ==========================================================<br>
> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
> ------------------------------<br>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
> view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<br>
> <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br>
><br>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>
> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br>
<br>
*<br>
*<br>
==========================================================<br>
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------------------------------<br>
<br>
End of OSLIST Digest - 14 Jul 2010 to 15 Jul 2010 (#2010-173)<br>
*************************************************************<br>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Ernest Godin<br>Producteur/Réalisateur<br><a href="http://www.kondolole.com">www.kondolole.com</a><br>514 992 7535<br>
*
*
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OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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