Terminologies


An explanation of the terms of reference used in Raw Theatre
(press the title to come back to the top)

MODE
class
workshop performed workshop  performance
TYPE
moment
event story  
ROLE
participant
player   facilitator  principal
TELLER
narrator
 author  actor  
TIME
past
 future    
CIRCUMSTANCES
real
 imagined    
IMAGERY
available
sensory    
CONFLICT
environment
 other self  
STIMULI
themes
interview questions questions
STAGES
set up
play observe new setup
PROCESS
stimulus
response
framing
casting question preparation enactment intervention
DIALECTIC discuss/feedback decide debrief  
INTERVENTIONS
what if
re-cast  tilt  comedy/drama
RISK
low
moderate low  
UNIVERSE
personal
community global  
BODY STORY
strong feelings
 conscious mind  subconscious mind  
ENACTMENT        


 

MODE
Class examines the practices and processes of raw theatre and does not distinguish between a player or participant – more time may be spent in the focus stage (creating a collective creative state)– working towards the potential of ensemble – which can be described as the change from a ‘group of individuals’ to an ‘individual group’. The protective nature if the social self is diminished in this process (see methods below) facilitating greater creative potential.
Workshop occurs for a target or specific group. This group may have a specific need such as; team building or putting the play into the professional ( both are themes already served by past Raw Theatre events. Workshops are theme specific and task oriented see(ref)
Performance Workshop uses Raw Theatre in an instructional sense - for example a lecture or masterclass of actors, animators or screenwriters.
Performance may occur with observers (audience) seated in a wider concentric circle eg; theatre in the round or in front of a semi-circle of players and participants. Raw Theatre Performance is dependant on the team-work and proficiency of the Raw Theatre Ensemble – practiced and rehearsed approaches.
[Performance has three subsets: I – Live Theatre (entertainment). II – Live Theatre (education) III – Television.]

:

TYPE
Story – generally a story is constructed, has a beginning middle and end and seeks to include some form of conflict to propel the dramatic or comic tension and there bye the interest of the observers and participants.
Event – is a sequence of moments that may not have the same sense of construction of a story and may not carry any particular form of tension, neither must it have a beginning , middle and end.
Moment – a moment is just as it sounds; a singular moment - current enactments are less concerned with constructing moments


ROLE
Player is someone who has trained in the different processes of selecting, shaping and telling a story, event or moment. This person has an expertise which is necessary in Raw Theatre as a performance and corporate workshop, but is less important for Raw Theatre Class as all players and participants are seen to be on an equal footing.
Participant is someone who sits with the players in the first circle and may be called on to offer suggestions for story material. The more a person becomes a participant it is expected that a proficiency level increases in RT
Observer is someone who sits outside the first circle and observes the processes taking place.
Facilitator* (may also be a player) shapes and moulds proceedings. A facilitator is responsible for setting the context, interviewing the player or participant and framing the story enactment.
Principal is the player or participant who has provided the material for the enactment

TELLER
Narration. A story or event may be narrated by either a player or a participant.
Authorship. A story or event may be authored by either player or participant.
Acting. A story or event may be acted by a player or participant.
(modes or methods of telling through either of the above is discussed below)

TIME
Past. Events based in the real may come from the past.
Present. Events based in the real and imagined may come from the present.
Future. Events based in the imagined come from the future but can be based in presently known fact.

CIRCUMSTANCES: (includes characters)
Real given circumstances are interpreted as those which the participant offers as fact.
Blended given circumstances are those where either the player or the participant merges given facts with imagined circumstances.
Imagined given circumstances are entirely fictional - these are less likely to occur in Raw Theatre's present form.



IMAGERY
All modes/methods of enactment acknowledge inherent techniques:
Sense Memory a players or participants ability to recall images using sense memory.
Available Stimulus a players or participants ability to acknowledge and use the offers* being made by others in the enactments.
Imaginary Stimulus a players or participants ability to use and express imaginary circumstance and situations.

TOP

CONFLICT
The three types of conflict in a story-telling/dramatic context are recognised and inherent in story and event enactments – but are less conspicuous or necessary in moments.
Environment A character’s conflict with the world in which the story occurs – eg; the heat of an unventilated room in summer.
Inner A character’s conflict with their inner landscape– eg; to marry or not to marry her second cousin.
Inter-personal (other/s) A character’s conflict with the other or others in the story– eg; to tell mom and dad that she wants to marry her second cousin
(And/or combinations of the above)Stimuli: may be elicited in various forms by the facilitator. \

STIMULI
Themes a theme may be presented to a group and from this theme suggestions emerge to become the stimuli for enactments; eg, the parent-child relationship.
Interview. An individual participant may be interviewed and as the interview continues, elements of the participants life story are used as stimuli for either; moments, events or stories.
Questions may be asked directly by the facilitator of specific participants; eg, can you tell us about an impacting moment you have experienced in the last few weeks
Reports may be solicited by the facilitator; eg, can you please give us a progress report of your period of employment with this company. (specific to the corporate workshop)

 

STAGES
First stage - (SET UP phase is concerned with establishing material for each theatre event.)
Second stage – (PLAYING phase focuses on the action and the actors bringing the material to life.)
Third stage –(OBSERVATION phase gives participants a chance to reflect on the action and its impact)

PROCESSES

1– stimulus: the initial question or theme explored by the facilitator with the group or with the individual
2 – response: the emergent theme or context provoded by an individual (usually a participant)
3 – framing: the given circumstances and context connected to, or about the material shared in the response
4 – casting: the selection of the player to enact the framed events

5– question: players ask questions of the story provider to assist their portrayal ofevents and relationships
6– preparation: time is given to the players to connect to one another and dispense withunwanted energies or distractions by naming and exposing them
7– enactment: the playing out of the material - the improvisation
8– intervention: facilitator and others may intervene and re-cast, change the direction, suggest a 'what if' etc

1. stimulus
2. response
3. framing
4. casting 5. question 6. preparation 7. enactment 8. intervention 9. discuss/decide/debrief

 

DIALECTIC
- discuss, decide, debrief: discussion occurs wheneverthe group feels the need to debate or feedback.. Decision occurs
when the group needs to decide on where to go next, do they re-work the previous scene? change to a new scenario? etc
debrief occurs at the end of the raw theatre or whenever a subject has been introduced that is of particular impact.

 

INTERVENTION
what if: the participant, facilitator or player might suggest a 'what if' to the scene to take it a new direction
re-cast: the facilitator may suggest players swap roles or the participant play themselves in the enactment
tilt: the facilitator may introduce a greater degree of difficulty to raise the stakes of the material
comedy/drama: players might be asked to replay the scene in the opposite context of its first interpretation

RISK
low: low stakes - material is non-challenging and non confronting
moderate: moderate stakes - material is moderately challenging - subject matter may be slightly charged -
high: high stakes - the material eally matters to the players and participants - confronting and challenging

UNIVERSE
personal: story set within the personal life and personal universe - material that is specific to the individual
community: story material that is common to the community - be it a corporate group or class group - material is common to the group
global: universaly recognisable - affecting the global community - the universal reflectionof the personal story

BODY STORY
The ‘body-story’ refers to the current focal energies of the conscious and/or subconscious mind, or put another way, the stuff we are feeling most about, right now. The interviewer/facilitator will initiate a series of questions that will promote the participant to identify an aspect of his or her body story they are willing to share. - the acting class may also refer to the body story in terms of the energy of the actor, eg do they appear nervous, relaxed etc

ENACTMENT
the acting out or role play or improvisation (see enactments for full beakdown)

The next page details the enactments of a Raw Theatre workshop event.

TOP