I'm finding that I am getting less and less upset when things don't go my way. Maybe it's because things haven't been going my way for a while now, I'm not sure, but I have found that the key is in thinking about "MY" way as just one of many ways that things can go. I'm starting to feel that if things don't go my way, it's cool, because that means things have to be going someone else's way right? Don't get me wrong, I'd love for things to go my way every time, but then I have to remember that some of the best things that have ever happened to me were a result of things not going my way!
When I improvise, I'd like to believe that I have an idea as to how I'd like things to go, but mostly, I'm just pulling a feeling or a thought from the opening of a Harold and hoping it will infuse my first action with my scene partner. If the idea I got is a question that I want to explore, then my first line will more than likely let my partner know that I would like them to "straight man" my absurd offer as a way to explore my question. I used to have great big ideas and complete scenes played out in my mind, but things never end up going the way you want them to, and trying to steer a scene looks bad on stage and no one likes it when you do that, so why bother. Here's the deal though. Even if my idea was a question to explore, and my offer to my scene partner is specific in what I want, is it ok for my scene partner to also have an idea from the opening and to also use it in our scene? I mean, is it our scene? Or is it my scene?
What do you think? I know sometimes we're told that we should let the first person that speaks get their idea out before we start adding information. Once we have the information, can't we add from a perspective of our own idea as well? I know what's easier to do, and I know I can form myself into the perfect puzzle piece to fit with your idea but are we really looking to be easy with long form? Why don't we just play "Bad Poet" and get some laughs and call it a night? Or are we collectively trying to create a piece of art based on a suggestion from the audience right before their very eyes? Is this piece of art a result of a group mind that works together with varied brush strokes and perspectives or is it a few players drawing out a coloring book picture and everyone else has to color between the lines? I'm sorry, but that's boring and I'm much too creative for that.
"I am open to the guidance of synchronicity,and do not let expectations hinder my path" The Dalai Lama
Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently casually unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance and that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner.
"The idea of synchronicity is that the conceptual relationship of minds, defined as the relationship between ideas, is intricately structured in its own logical way and gives rise to relationships that are not causal in nature. These relationships can manifest themselves as simultaneous occurrences that are meaningfully related."
Some of the most satisfying work I've ever left on stage has come from this place of pure wonderment from myself and my team. How did we just do that? I didn't see that coming and yet, you made a move that gave me this idea and then it was supported in a way that got us there! What? Crazy? The connections and patterns and then later the realization of symbolism even...isn't that what we geek out about? I long for that 3 seconds of black-out after a show like! I want to just live in that moment for a little while when I know I just did something beyond my own limitations as a single mind. I feel greater than myself and so does the rest of my team...it's like we're all carrying each other on our shoulders!
If you geek out about having an idea, having it go your way, having that idea get you laughs and knowing it was all because of you, then maybe you should try stand-up.
I could totally be wrong about all of this...
No comments:
Post a Comment