DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Benjamin Waugh

Integrated Thesis Performance Component

MFA Contemporary Performance Naropa University

23 April 2015

 

            Performance and Presence: The Practice of Finding Now

     Headlong Performance Institute recently shared a quote on their Facebook page by one of its founders David Brick, which I believe helps explain my continued exploration and work as a performer. He said, "Presence is intrinsic to the body of the performer, it's specific to the person, that's what makes live performance beautiful." The cultivation of presence and being a human being in space is performance, and art. The powerful statement of, "I am here" uttered by allowing one’s self to be vulnerable and in the moment with every breath and thought. The work is to align this with movement, voice work, performance, installation art, visual art, and the everyday. This is where the contemplative education and Buddhist philosophy meet with Contemporary Performance. My path of the last two years has been a shedding of a pre-conception of "performance" and finding presence in every action, be it through the understanding of the body through a somatic lens, or realizing the equality of sound and extended voice in Roy Hart. All have been to cultivate presence as I am.

     This summary will speak about three separate performances times, organized chronologically and how my work and growth was shaped by them. The first is my work with Frequent Flyers Productions in Theatre of the Vampires. The second is my installation WIP entitled Art as ExperienceThe last is my work in the 2015 Thesis Productions of three of my cohort members, Katie Jones, Bobbi Kupfner, and Stephen Geering.

 

Theatre of the Vampires

     I was offered an apprentice position with Frequent Flyers Productions for their show Theatre of the Vampires in August for the October production.  This was a chance to work with a company with an established history in the aerial dance world, as well as a chance to use the year of training under my belt in a company outside of Naropa. I joined half way through the rehearsal process, which consisted of learning previously choreographed pieces from a filmed production in 2007, and then adapting it and revitalizing it. Theatre of the Vampires is a 24 year old piece, originally performed in 1990. Having this history, and the mass cultural information and mythos about vampires allowed for a wonderful investigation to begin the work.

      This was my first production as a performer outside of Naropa since the beginning of my involvement in the program. I began the rehearsal process wondering how I was to integrate my unique training into this more traditional modern dance based rehearsal process. I struggled with this at the beginning and most of the integration was in the form of an individual warm up, which I based off of somatic warm-ups and lessons from somatic and developmental technique classes. I also took personal studio time to work on the choreography and learned it through a somatic lens, the movements were sequenced through the body and colored with different systems. This allowed for my education to be part of the process but in a very superficial and simple way.

     I was later provided with the opportunity to create a short piece of choreography (less than fifteen seconds) in which to create spin for two other performers on a Lyra (a hoop like aerial apparatus) This allowed me to work with a partner to make this transitional moment of action, as well as use my training methods of experiential and subjective understanding of the body in this already choreographed work. The movement was simple, but derived from developmental patterns such as spinal, and homologous movement and again tapping into different systems for style and color, in this instance it was that of the adrenal and thymus glands and the support of the knees up to the shoulders. The endocrine system was directly tapped because of the explosive and crystalline nature of this movement. I went from laying as still as a corpse, as a sleeping vampire, to rolling a fellow performer across my back, leaping and walking on my hands towards her, and then lifting her from a supine position with her elbows aligned under her shoulders, up to my back and then flinging her away from me, all while I kept my attention on the apparatus and performers who needed spun for the next segment of their choreography. The understanding of the endocrine system as chain that "expresses the crystallization of energy in clear movement and feeling state... they provide strength, clarity, and grace." (Berland 31) allowed for me to move from a stationary held position into quick precise, goal-oriented movement (other systems were of course in play, but this was the one I consciously tapped into).

     This was a great opportunity to begin finding how I integrate what I had learned in the previous year and identifying the gaps of knowledge and where more effort was necessary to solidify the work. My body had begun to integrate the work, but finding the language to explain the movement to others, who did not have a shared vocabulary with me, was difficult. I am also not a professionally trained modern dancer, so language was the most obvious division between the company and myself. This was one of the first steps that led to my later research of somatic integration into aerial arts. Things such as my use of the body systems helped me to cultivate my presence without my mind placing the knowledge on it, the body was forcing the mind to be in the now. I also had yet to identify my personal work as a cultivation of presence, (this began to happen in Leeny Sack’s Thesis Practicum class). 

 

Art as Experience

     This was an exploration into presence and art as experience. Using the container of math, namely the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio or Phi, and John Dewey’s philosophy of Art as Experience to create an installation that provided the viewer/doer (my term for a viewer participant) with experiences in “The Golden Black Box.” (Pictures in the link) The final product is an installation with no “performance” involvement on my part. It was a stand-alone art piece with the viewer/doer at the center. The piece was embodied in small performance studio for the  Works-In-Progress  (WIPS) in a completely contained, roughly 14 feet wide, 22 feet long, and 8 feet high, black box. The box was constructed using basic materials of black paper, string, small boards, screws, and tape. The specific work took place over the three weeks prior to the WIPS showing in December.  The container was filled with 180 hand constructed red envelopes, also in a golden ratio of 3.5 inches wide by 5.663 inches long. They were hung from the ceiling with black thread in an approximated constant rotation out, in what is called the Golden Spiral. In each envelope was an “experience”. What I consider an experience is still being explored, but ranged from quotes to simply the words for different colors, to actual instructions. 

     This is not the end of this project, but my perfect vision for it is much bigger, and I hope to continue a more finished product in the next five years. I believe the ideal project is a large completely built stand alone building that will eventually contain 1800 possible experiences in separate envelopes hung from the ceiling in a golden spiral for the viewer/doer to take part or not. I see this as a long-term exploration (lifetime, ten year, two year, or never to be touched again.) I also have begun exploring the idea of this as "elaborate graffiti" placed in an abandoned building in a secluded space, to be stumbled upon at a later date or never again, much like the work of Andy Goldsworthy.

     As a performer I am working with the idea of extreme presence and focus on the task as it is being done. A skill that is extremely applicable to a more traditional performance. The questions of “What is performance?” and “What is experience?” are at the center of this exploration. As I worked on this project the idea of being present with each action as it is done began as a hypothetical exercise in Leeny Sack's class, particularly with the work on Paper Floor and the extreme embodiment that was required to drop into the states required for the hypnagogic states in which that work occurs. I wondered what would occur if that same presence was fostered in the creation of an installation? I decided to explore this and began this journey into the question of "What is an experience?" As I worked on the project, be it reading from John Dewey's book or unrolling paper and fastening it to the wall. I worked on being present, beginning with breath and moving to other actions. This practice evolved and changed through out the process and from day to day. Some days I would work directly after class and felt present, but others I did not, so I would practice sitting meditation as a way to find the moment, before moving onto more complex work. When I was working with paper my focus was always drawn to my fingertips and the texture of the paper underneath them. This embodiment helped me to notice and work with minute details and arrange the container to the strict structure I had devised to hold these experiences. 

     The practice of working with presence allowed for a variant but consistent aim to be the focus of each day of work. This work grew from an exploration into concept and became a meditative and performative practice of deep listening and being, much like Suzuki and other training methods, this is a mode of practice to grow. There is never perfect presence there is just an attempt to stay in the now and a return back to it when you slip from it. The practice is in the growth of these moments and the ability to return quickly without judgment.

     The feedback from the faculty was one of encouragement and growth and move further into the exploration. If presence and embodiment is required for each step, to make sure it happens before continuing on. That is the wonderful nature of installation or visual art; in which time may be taken on each step and a constant return to square one is possible, and evident in the work. In performance this is still a possibility, but must be cultivated constantly and continually as a piece unfolds, this is the work and practice of a performer and actor. The ability to be present in not only creation but in each word, each step, and with each other person on stage. The great thing about performance versus visual art is the ability to learn and find new presence in the next performance.

This piece was a further exploration into conceptual art, as well as cultivation of a practice that combined performance training with contemplative practices and the beginning designs of my own practice to cultivate presence.

 

Thesis Performances

      I decided early in the first semester to not pursue the creation of my own thesis production. I had previously created my own work and was not worried about doing that again in an educational setting, but wanted to explore my integration and understanding of the program in others processes. Ensemble creation is one of my favorite devising processes, so for two of the projects I chose to work with this was a central theme, but still followed the main idea and direction of the leader. These were Katie Jones and Stephen Geering's thesis projects. (Links lead to their individual eportfolios) The other project I was in support of was that of Bobbi Kupfner, due to our shared love of Shakespeare, this was a truly supporting role and I had very little activity in the beginning creation of the piece.

     One of my focuses, especially after my WIP was the cultivation of presence in the creation aspect of the work, not only in my own scenes and moments, but how to hold this while supporting others, on and off stage, as well. This is easily done when moments are being created and everyone is active in the creation, but I was investigating how to keep myself present and alive through all aspects.

      I quickly found that this is much easier when you support and enjoy the process. I completely supported Katie Jones view and was able to modify my creations with her gentle direction and was able to make suggestions where I saw fit. The beginning of the show is a slow cross towards Katie. We meet in the center and in unison turn towards the audience, first with just our heads, then our body. This began as a slow cross towards each other, but through the rehearsal process, grew through both my suggestions and Katie’s directorial vision. The cross became a completely unison action with steps, stops, head and body turns, all in time with each other. This grew from my suggestion into a strong structure that required (and fostered) presence for the show and moment.  This forced me into ease and presence in the creation, the joy of working with others whom I agree with and who allow for the show to change and evolve through the process.  The opposite side of this was in work where I did not necessarily support the over-arching theme, or had very little creative license. This required me to constantly return to breath as my support and find comfort in the struggle to be present. This uneasiness, though helped provide a different energy in support of the work. For example, with my work within Stephen's piece.

     I did not completely agree with the direction the work was going, after it had formerly been an equal group created piece, (2014 Moment Work with Greg Pierotti) yielding control to a single figure was a continual struggle. This struggle allowed me to bring in moments that presented different aspects of the story, while trying to support the principle and mission of Stephen's vision. From this, arose questions of how to hold your own aesthetic and style while supporting the mission and style of another? I found I could do this in my performance choices and movement. If my aesthetic was not obvious I could at least have the presence and ability to display it through myself as an individual. (This is not a critique of the individuals or processes but a reflection on my own feelings and exploration of self.)

     I also found that within a process where I do not feel valued, I begin to mentally leave the space. This occurred occasionally within Bobbi Kupfner's piece where extra rehearsal's were added to clean up the piece. Though I was physically there, and my effort as the man was given, it was not fully invested and embodied through out, I skirted by and did enough to get through the process. This passed and the focus of remaining as still as possible to provide the support to Bobbi was again paramount. Bobbi and I have different artistic creation styles, I like to explore options in the space and see as many possibilities before making a choice. In other words, I like to create a bunch of junk to find the one piece that is necessary. Bobbi does a lot of work in her head and outside of the space. Mediating these two styles was interesting where I would need to physically try something to see if it worked, and she just needed to think about it. My job in this performance was in theory easy, to lie in a tub as a dead body, in practice this was extremely difficult. To be in a slightly flexed supine position for more than 25 minutes was, as Bobbi said in her evaluation, a practice in “Somatic Meditation.” The performance of this was probably the easiest to track my presence throughout the piece. The role required me to have very tight attention on my breath, which in hand led to a presence with the in and out motion of the breath and when my thoughts were not on it they were on my body, and only occasionally drifted to other aspects, but quickly returned to the breath and body.

I found through the thesis performance process that the cultivation of presence at all times created a better performance. If I was present back stage, and directly before the show the work felt like it was stronger and more impactful, I was able to connect with my scene partners more aptly and could react to new situations and differences in performance more naturally. This idea of doing what is needed to fulfill the work is the same, all acting trainings aim to bring the actor or performer to what they are doing to have the form fit the contents and the contents fill the form, be it through Grotowski training, Roy Hart, or Meisner, all aim for the performer to be present.

 

Conclusion

     The practice of presence is a continuous work, with no end. There is something you can always be better at and continuously a new skill to learn. You never leave square one. I am a staunch believer in the idea that no form is ever perfected. Presence is an ever-changing entity and the moment you believe you have found it, it adapts, one must be constantly vigilant. You are relentlessly growing and adapting to the moment and circumstances of the day and the work. I aim to continue my investigation into presence as the basis of creation, and practices to aid the mindful awareness that is inherent in the state. These include the long held traditions of meditation and somatics, but I believe can also be fostered through more technical practices and languages, these include the concentrated (present) states of Viewpoints and Suzuki. Presence in every action and performance is inherent in good art, and the ability to understand when one is present both subjectively as an individual and objectively about others is the basis of all acting trainings. I will distill this down to find the basic presence intrinsic in all and find practices to grow the work in myself as well as others. My next large exploration is how to directly foster the presence and active participation of audience members in performer based productions.

 

“In Tibetan, authentic presence is wangthang, which literally means, 'field of power'... The cause or the virtue that brings about authentic presence is emptying out and letting go. You have to be without clinging.” – Chogyam Trungpa

 

     The power of presence is the power of letting go of concept and idea, without losing the wisdom of the past. The power of presence is in understanding one’s body is no different than the billions of sentient beings before you, while concurrently being able to embody it to the fullest extent. Presence is not easy, it is the hardest thing in the world, but it is the only practice that matters and the fostering of it is the aim of all work, be it voice work, dance, or acting, all ask you to be where you are right now to your fullest extent. 

 

Works Cited

Berland, Erika. Somatic Techniques: A Curriculum Source Book for MFA Theater; Contemporary Performance. 2nd ed. eberland@naropa.edu, 2013. Print

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.