Session 3 Recap: Beginning the Playbuilding Process
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 Filed in: Session Recaps
by Kevin Ray
There are many ways to create an original show in tandem with ensemble members. As facilitators of Bridging the Gap, Tim Connell, Sherry Teitelbaum and I use a process that is sometimes called devised theater and other times called playbuilding. Through playbuilding, we use theater games and activities to generate ideas from group members. We watch the group to see which ideas are exciting them and then we support the group in developing those ideas into a show through improvisation and reflection.
As a starting point, the facilitation team presents a central idea that we hope will spark the group’s interest. In the past, we used an overarching theme as our point of departure. We worked with group members to make plays that explored themes such as the generation gap, love, and food.
This year, we began the process with a new kind of starting point to offer returning group members a fresh change of pace and to give ourselves as facilitators a new challenge. Rather than starting with a theme, we started with a
There are many ways to create an original show in tandem with ensemble members. As facilitators of Bridging the Gap, Tim Connell, Sherry Teitelbaum and I use a process that is sometimes called devised theater and other times called playbuilding. Through playbuilding, we use theater games and activities to generate ideas from group members. We watch the group to see which ideas are exciting them and then we support the group in developing those ideas into a show through improvisation and reflection.
As a starting point, the facilitation team presents a central idea that we hope will spark the group’s interest. In the past, we used an overarching theme as our point of departure. We worked with group members to make plays that explored themes such as the generation gap, love, and food.
This year, we began the process with a new kind of starting point to offer returning group members a fresh change of pace and to give ourselves as facilitators a new challenge. Rather than starting with a theme, we started with a
place. In our latest session, group members dipped their toes in the playbuilding water and began to generate material inspired by a location. They brainstormed ideas about the characters they might see in this place, the activities and events that might happen there, and the variety of places contained within the place.
Group members used the brainstorm as inspiration for creating short scenes. They broke into small groups and devised scenes that were presented back to the whole group near the end of the session. After the scenes were shared, we asked group members to reflect on what excited them about their scenes and the place. Sherry, Tim and I were delighted to hear a range of group responses that expressed interest in a rich variety of ways that they could develop their ideas. The facilitation team and the group members collectively decided that this place would be the basis for our 2014 show and we are looking forward to uncovering what this play might turn out to be over the course of our next few meetings.
You may be wondering, "What is the place?" Since we have just embarked on our creative process, we're keeping the place under wraps for now. We’ll post more about our progress as we continue to put this play together, so follow our blog to find out more. We may even drop a few hints along the way!
SAVE THE DATE!
Our upcoming free performance will be on Sunday, December 7, 2014. More details to follow.
Group members used the brainstorm as inspiration for creating short scenes. They broke into small groups and devised scenes that were presented back to the whole group near the end of the session. After the scenes were shared, we asked group members to reflect on what excited them about their scenes and the place. Sherry, Tim and I were delighted to hear a range of group responses that expressed interest in a rich variety of ways that they could develop their ideas. The facilitation team and the group members collectively decided that this place would be the basis for our 2014 show and we are looking forward to uncovering what this play might turn out to be over the course of our next few meetings.
You may be wondering, "What is the place?" Since we have just embarked on our creative process, we're keeping the place under wraps for now. We’ll post more about our progress as we continue to put this play together, so follow our blog to find out more. We may even drop a few hints along the way!
SAVE THE DATE!
Our upcoming free performance will be on Sunday, December 7, 2014. More details to follow.
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