This is based on some thoughts floating through my head on the drive back to B-More (by the way, hope Thanksgiving was great, everyone!). So, attempt to follow my logic here.
Isn't ALL theatre experimental?
Before you grab the pitchforks, here's my line of thought-
In essence, any choice of production - even those that would be considered 'safe' - is an experiment. You are testing the idea that the script will communicate through the actors/design and will strike a note with the audience. You are testing that there even WILL be an audience. Every casting choice, every decision made on the production side... all of it is one part of a rather large equation.
So, in this light, we are all part of a test. And I say "we" in such a way that includes both audience and artists alike.
Sure, there are statements to be made, but no statement is ever 100% proven. We are, after all, putting everything on the line in the hope that our work will connect with someone in the audience. Every audience member has his/her own perception of the world, and his/her own opinions.
And we hope that there is a spark.
We can't replicate the original productions of any piece of theatre. We can only hope to try something new.
--And I don't think I even need to go off on the tangent of creating new work. The challenges in creating theatre are pretty much experimental from start to finish.--
So, that's where my mind is right now. Maybe it is because the word bugs me - "Experimental". There is such a strange connotation to it, almost similar to how the word "independent" can make or break the reputation of a film (at least for the average person on the street). I feel as though people can hear the word "experimental theatre" and immediately dismiss it for something that they don't feel they would understand.
So, why don't we change our vocabulary for how we categorize the way we create art?
((NOTE: I'm not trying to say I am for or against categorizing art. I simply pose this because, hey, we're humans. We like to be able to describe something in three words or less. ))
I like to use metaphors, so let me pose this one.
Look at theatre as if you were behind the wheel of a car. You have a destination, but you can get there one of two ways.
1) You can make a right turn.
Ah, the right turn. It is the welcome, easy choice - you don't have to fight traffic, you can just veer off and continue on your way. "Right Turn" Theatre is that which is simple, effective, and gets you, the artist, where you need to go. Everyone is on the same page, and the audience comes in with a much simpler understanding of what they have come to witness.
Does it make it any less interesting if you take this route? Of course not. Certain stories work for a reason, and people respond to simplicity.
2) You can make a left turn.
The trickier option. It'll take a little more work to get to your arrival - you may have to fight traffic or be patient, but the opportunity will come. It may seem like a challenge, but it is an obstacle you have to overcome.
"Left Turn" Theatre will take the extra effort in order to achieve its goal. Maybe this will mean trying to tinker with the languages we think we know, or flipping our perceptions upside-down. But no matter what method is used, the result is still meant to be the same - the artist is trying to tap into some kind of real feeling or reaction from the audience member.
Either route you take - the "right" or "left" turn - can lead you astray. Artists can get too carried away or get lost in an idea, and it can affect how the audience perceives the work. That is a risk that will be there no matter what.
So, what am I posing to you, exactly?
Well, first, don't oversimplify an artform like I have just now.
But I'd like to leave you with this. When you see a review or a snippet that talks about a piece of art - I'll take this sentiment beyond theatre - don't let the buzzwords fool you. Don't take "experimental" or "avant garde" or even "popular" work for granted. Use your own vocabulary, metaphors, or whatever you need.
Start viewing art in your own terms.
-Andrew Peters
Artistic Director
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