The future of Theatre/ old writings.

Dating back into mans earliest forays into the dramatic arts, the primary function of performance has been to transport the audience, and the performers into a sustained reality away from the reality of the world beyond the stage or the theatre. Creating a dreamland per say, a space for them to dwell in briefly, juxtaposed to their mundane lives. The original formations of theatre were seen in the Greek “Rites of Dionysus” where participants played roles of salutation to the god “Dionysus”, the god of Food, fertility and entertainment, hence the dramatic arts. Theatre is a founding element of all established societies, regardless of its form or the location of the society. Theatre was, until the industrial revolution, the pinnacle of social outings; this precedes even Greece and dates back into the Depths of Africa through Asia, Europe and the America’s. The main element attributing to this cross-section is the fact that theatre transports the psyche into the realm of the script or the story being retold. It is the most visual way to tell a story that we had, until the advent of moving images, followed by Television and the Film industry. However, the advent of this technology is not in itself what has brought around the fall of theatre from youth and much of the population that makes up popular culture today. What has brought this about is theatre’s lack of utilization when it comes to the tools they have at their availability, hence by not staying abreast of the technological revolution they have lost the interest of a vast majority of our youth. Many plays still follow the same old Edicts, making it impossible to pique the interest of anyone further than your average theatre goers or thespians. Those few performances that do scorch our memories are the ones that display outstanding acting, scripts, or remind us of a time past through their use of strong physically based characters, less reliant on text. Much of this rises from the fact that no- where in the public sector are we invited to enter a social environment (Similar to a club or restaurant) where we are invited to not only observe but also participate entirely in its pure, undeveloped, improvised forms. There is not a space for people to enjoy the arts at their leisure (without exorbitant prices and or the structure of lessons that have to be paid for in advance.). If such a venue or space was available then theatre as we know it would undoubtedly evolve into a hybrid, yet immensely more powerful and far reaching form. (For as we know only experimentation breeds developmental change. It seems somewhat preposterous that within all this hype that has been developed in regards to electronic music, film and recently the circus. (Cirque de Solei). As entertainment artists, we are failing to utilize three of the most influential elements when dealing with our audience. Firstly, the stimulation of the intellect could be introduced through complex weavings of multimedia throughout the performance. This could be introduced as both reflections of the music or performance as well as Brechtian offsets, contrasting the performance. Secondly, many dance parties, plays and live music acts neglect the strongest form of communication, touch. What if this space or performance developed the concept of deep physically characterized characters, which interacted completely with the audience, whilst adorned in fantasy inspired costumes? (Remember, they can do anything for films these days.) A Performance resembling and utilizing elements of Film, Electronic a, Music, the Theatre and The Circus. Thirdly, what is to stop us, as performers from enabling the audience to experience our performances through all of their senses, not just two of them?
The most feasible conglomeration, would be to turn a music act into a multi sensory piece of theatre. Something that here to forth has not been explored effectively. Even Cirque de Soleil although highly successful have still let themselves down by neglecting to satisfy the senses.

 An “Electronic Orchestra of the Senses”
 “Dance Party to Delight”
 “Theatre of the Evolved”
Ideally all of this could be developed within a defined space which could also be used as an Entertainment Club, an area with rooms or space for live music, theatre, painting, improvisation, set/ costume design and Mask designing, film studios, edit suites, Jam rooms, philosophy spaces (With incredibly comfortable furniture). The potential in regards to décor within such a space is limitless. The lighting essential.

The final evolution would be to remove all of the musicians from the orchestra pit to spaces which instead, surrounded the audience. Musicians in grated over holes in the ground, in Gallows nests hanging over the heads of the audience. This would also mean that interactions between the musicians and the audience would be able to interact, the musicians heckling the audience.
Seemingly the only real setback arises from the fact that at the moment, it is all still the beginnings of an idea, in order for it to be successful there needs to be quality. Quality music, quality storylines and images and characters. Essentially it is a strong plan even if it means years of work.

Elena Kaye Morton October 1st 2003

Thursday

So I've been doing a bit of reading... (those of you who know me will be like: 'Elena, reading, never...' (little bit of sarcasm for you. I've been reading about and researching the idea of sacred geometry and spontaneous DNA, WOW, what interesting stuff there is in the world.... Did you know; Silica (otherwise known as sand) when heated to ridiculous tempuratures, will spontaneously form single cell and multi cell DNA or organisms. SOOOO.... When something enters our atmosphere, it heats up to similar temperatures, one could surmise that, just by entering our atmosphere life could be created. WIld huh..... Sooo cool, another awesome thing that I've been getting excited about for a while, is the idea of Sacred geometry, seriously people, check it. The fibonacci sequence, otherwise known as the Nautilous shell, is possibly the most important geometric form in our knowledge, all things are based on this form of growth, don't believe me... check out davinci's man. Our entire physique is based on the concept of the fibonacci sequence... and..... Phi. Lovin it!!!. Now I do understand that for many of you this is completely unimportant, but for just one second cast your mind over the phenomenal aspect of life, that it is all connected and intertwined, completely related to one another. All things are related in one way or another. Next blog I promise I will try to be less Deep. Be well peoples.

Docs

I gotta wonder, when every doctor you go to tells a different story from the other. Soo, I end up arriving at work later than usual. I come for my drama students, the work piles up around me, but my senior students do keep me on track, purely by keeping my spirits up. I'm constantly amazed at how brilliant these kids are from one day to the next, don't get me wrong, I'm not some bullshit idealist teacher who believes that all students are amazing. But many of them are, it seems as though as soon as I lose faith in them they blow me away. However, here is where I get lost... I am constantly providing creative thoughts and problem solving for my students. so much so that my own work gets put by the wayside and left behind. Maybe, just maybe this is why I am feeling so bereft of ideas, becuase I give them all away. But if I was to live with my art and be a designer or come what may... isn't this what I would be doing.... giving my ideas away again and again. On another note, I must be honest with myself that I am a bit nervous with the current trend of environmental fractions that have been occuring, so just this year we have ahd over 5 eaerthquakes/ major ones, cyclones, floods, mudslides, mega snow and many others. Is it just me or is it getting more and more likely that we are falling into an iceage? VEry excited to hear that with the deepest core samples that they have taken, they have discovered that the poles were once tropical. HAH!!! another thing to support the theory that the poles shift before every ice age that we as a world have fallen into.. Think about it peoples, think about it. I'm getting my super warm gear together, lol, cause I have so much these days..... Fuckin fires. My final point for the day, I want to come back to and explore further in future is relating to Doidges, "The brain that Changes itself" do something good for yourselves, read this book, it'l change your mind. Faith.... that is what I need more faith in myself, I create things and then have to find the flaws, I create myself and have to find the flaws, but I can change, and I need to start with appreciating my own abilities a bit more. I am talented, not a boor and not useless.... trust yourself Elena, trust yourself.

Marking

Work, why do we do it? is it really for the money? do the homeless people have something really? I'm not sure if I myself would have the courage to be homeless, there is definitely something to say for having comfort and a roof... But I have to ask myself as I drag my sorry arse into work everyday, if this is it? Day in day out, same thing... and then there are people who sit in front of computers all day.. how do you do it people? I have ALOT of variety in my job and yet I still feel as though it gets too repetitive. Is this it, surely there would be more in the spiritual realm for us to explore, maybe something to keep us interested. Is it that I am consistently being creative for other people. My mojo getting sucked out of me day after day after day. I hope that people don't feel as directionless as myself at times... I hope that they can find what it is that they r looking for. I hope I do too, maybe it is something as simple as changing careers, hahah, simple.

What if

What if we were all just a little bit nicer to each other. We tried just that little bit harder each day to help another out. What has become of us when our next generation of people are a beautiful example of pure and simple narcissists. Each day more and more of them arrive, you know the type, the ones to whom everything is owed to, but who does not believe that any of it is worth working for. The media allows for and in fact encourages this, through their constant pursuit of the lives of 'famous' people. People who seemingly do not have to do anything for their meal ticket beyond existing. Television appears to be a breeding ground for this sort of behaviour, television as both a viewing console, counterpart gaming console, and these days, probably Internet console as well. This television device allows for and in fact provides continuous depictions of 'famous' people, all of whom perpetuate the delusion of not having to WORK for your money. Maybe, they're masochists all of the media, every last one of them or is it we that are truly the masochists, grinding away at work while our dreams fester and boil inside you. Maybe, I am envious, being a dramatist/ wishful actor, I must admit that given the opportunity to live in this fashion I would lunge at the chance. the fact is that we all wish to be these people, in some way or another, what we do not really do is look at the big picture. We are consumed by our jobs so that the majority of us can labour our lives away to merely stay afloat, only to be kept interested by the lure of fame or some other achievement that would bring financial security. This is all well and good, but what have we as a society really achieved that is worthwhile, a working world? If not creative or using some form of creative facility, what really do we have to show culturally or societally that is worth a damn? Our houses, where we destroy thousands of acres of land to house a few, not thinking to work with the land to house our selves. No we must dominate mother nature, that is what makes us feel powerful and successful. No, we have to show, how to work your life away, never really getting the time to achieve those personal dreams and goals that you have nurtured from when you were young. I believe that if we were nicer to each other, then we would be nicer to our natural world, maybe then we could have some longevity as a species. Anyhow, serious thoughts to have after one in the morning.

the truth of happiness.

I spend alot of my time wondering about things, like what's going on with my life, what my direction is. What I want to achieve, it seems though, that as soon as I become happier or content with my musings, things change around me. It seems as though I achieved things too early, and now I wonder if I chose right. I am unusually happy, at times though this gets mashed in with tinges of depression. Is this malais, intrinsically linked with being human? are those people that I observe, who are interminably happy, really content with everything in their lives or do they just appear that way. So the question is this; is happiness truly real, or a figment of our perception?

Many will say of course it's real, just look at all of the happy people out there. But more and more I'm beginning to feel that true happiness is only a transient thing that occurs for periods of time. For instance; even when you are really depressed, there is still the opportunity for smiling and cheer, though when you are happy, it is so so easy to fall into the opposing side. Is it that we let ourselves fall into this so easily? do we have the psychological tools to cope with this? apparently some people are more predisposed to depression than others, am I one of those people? would genetics tell us this or is our depression created from extenuating circumstances... I am a rock in water... with all thigns flowing past me, not affecting, just passing

commune

We live in a society where communication is a necessity, so, why is it that many of the human populace finds communication so difficult? Admittedly sometimes it is hard to tell someone what you really feel, but not what you think. We as a race can voice our opinions with ease and yet when it comes to expressing certain emotions we cannot find the words. Our race is constructed on a basis of communication from cave drawings to the present. We have developed intricate writing systems and language forms, in order to further voice our thoughts. We use garb and attire to communicate different cultures or status. The only true forms of emotional communication spurn from the arts, it seems that only here are we able to honestly communicate our true selves. Perhaps, even, using a higher form of communication than we have ever, previously been aware of. The only other method where we may catch a glimpse of person’s true emotions is through body language, which, because it is subconscious, tends not to lie. Unfortunately, we continually fail to take heed of these “deeper” forms of expression. We must try not to put our thirst for knowledge before our ability to communicate our needs and fears.
On Chaos

Perhaps our only really positive societal development or evolution could arise only through the complete relinquishment of control. Hence uprooting the monopolization of resources. The resourceful gains earned through use and control of the monopoly, could be divvied up equally. Admittedly, the initial response to this new elemental freedom of mind, body and spirit would be bound to exacerbate a degree of societal chaos. It is our fatal flaw, embedded in our seeming need for control over our environment and those surrounding us, which would initially confuse or decompose the situation. It must be understood however, that chaos is a natural happening. With the balance that Chaos ensures, society could feasibly have the propensity to evolve into our stronger and wiser counterparts. After all Chaos is never an entirely negative thing when it occurs in nature, and whether we like it or not. We are a constituent of that natural order.
On Life and Living

Eventually we find that it is our innocence which is still the most important thing for us. When we forget our ability to marvel, we become cynical and jaded. Only through acceptance can wisdom and innocence co-exist harmoniously. Acceptance of change, acceptance of others and acceptance of ones self and ones situation, but, acceptance does not imply idleness. We must still grow, for essentially, aren’t we intrinsically the same as any other living being, or living creature, in the respect that; we are born, we grow, we die. All the while gaining knowledge, and, if we are wise, keeping our innocence. If we are lucky knowledge can lead us on the path to wisdom. Wisdom alone will give us the answers to the lessons untold and the knowledge to set ourselves free.