The tenets | of the rules for | what is the Theatre of Disruption.
A performance that adheres to the tenets of the Theatre of Disruption will offer an experience that reaches to the instinctual core of its audience. The Theatre of Disruption stimulates the fabric of our consciousness that is uncerebral, nonanalytical, but completely biological in its authenticity.
When the leader of a wolf pack yawns, the yawn provides a higher level of oxygen to its brain, making the pack leader more alert and nimble. After the pack leader yawns, the rest of their pack follow and also yawn, so as to feed their brains more oxygen too, which heightens the collective-consciousness of the entire pack.
The Theatre of Disruption ignites dormant biological functions like yawning, so as to concentrate the audience’s collective consciousness. Instead of a yawn, we will provide a shared anxiety through a series of extraordinary events, where the Theatre of Disruption engages its audience in a non-rational manner, in which the “think” of the performance is not as important as the “feel” of the event, shared by performer and audience-member alike.
The Intent of the Theatre of Disruption:
A performance that properly employs the methods of the Theatre of Disruption should delightedly pull the audience from its seat, tantalized with genuine surprise and raw uncertainty within each moment.
The Theatre of Disruption does not allow for placation, and never begs the audience’s pardon. We intentionally disrupt the event. Without remorse, the Theatre of Disruption embraces the aside, extols the break, and directly addresses its audience, never, however, to make the performance “easier” to comprehend. The intent of Theatre of Disruption is to have multiple levels of engagement for the viewer.
A common complaint about modern audiences, is that they no longer have the attention span required for great works of art; which implies our mental capacity has diminished. The Theatre of Disruption argues that our capacity for attention has not diminished, only our patience. Modern technology has enculturated human beings into depending on strict unbridled immediacy and expecting multifarious stimulation.
The Theatre of Disruption celebrates that reduced attention span of the evolving audience by employing techniques of experiencing performance that rivals the interwoven and disjointed interface of modern media.
As humans interact less and less interpersonally, we are ever-more frequently connected through cellular devices and digital signals. Moments when we share a communal space and time will mature into greater significance.
By cherishing the experience of the live event, the Theatre of Disruption enriches its audience by providing an experience that is:
1.) Immediate and biological, offering authentic danger, genuine concern and wonder for the very real physiologically-present performers before us.
2.) Segmented and Quickly recognizable, our performances emulate the culture of gaming, blogs, video postings, and twittering comments.
3.) Self-aware and self-reflexive, inspired by social networking sites and “personal profiles.” The positively self-aware provides avenues for truth, authenticity, and humor. If we can’t laugh at ourselves why are we sharing our experiences with others?
Narrative in the Theatre of Disruption:
By no means does the Theatre of Disruption not tell a story. The Theatre of Disruption hinges on story telling, but maintains that a story is nothing more than a “beginning, middle, and end.” As thus:
1.) The Beginning = literally the moment the audience enters the space, or is engaged by a peformative element. Simply purchasing admission can, and should, be the beginning of the performance.
2.) The Middle = everything that happens when the performers and audience are vulnerable to an experience that is shared, disrupted, and reengaged by all.
3.) The End = the unspoken moment where the performance has finished and individuals return to the singular experience of their own lives.
Chronology has nothing to do with narrative. The “time” of the events is irrelevant.
Methods of the Theatre of Disruption:
If the methods of the Theatre of Disruption are employed in the staging of a normative, linear-text, the “story” of that text should still be told. The intent is not “not to tell the story,” but instead to tell the story in a disrupted fashion that engages the audience more fully; investing them to a greater extent to the message of the playwright or author. Often, a strong(er) investment is the result from a shared anxiety, or crisis that is crafted by the Theatre of Disruption.
The disruptions employed by the Theatre of Disruption are respites for the mind, recesses for the imagination. It is understood that it is difficult to engage a mind fully for an hour without the audiences’ analytic efforts wandering, so instead, we will embrace the wandering thoughts by introducing intentional breaks, or disruptions, in the storytelling to surprise and make the experience more enjoyable.
The cannon of western drama is rife with plots and subplots that break up the narrative through-line. The Theatre of Disruption, however, breaks up its narrative by offering the audience focal points or keys into the manner of viewing its performance. Such as:
1.) The Story. In Hamlet, we know we’re going to see Hamlet, as he questions to act, or not to act. At some point, we expect to see him hold a skull.
2.) The Immediate Space and Beings existing before us. Should the stage be made of sand, we understand that the sand will tell [1.) the Story] of Hamlet, but also the we are aware of the realness of the sand, its malleability, its resistance to force, its sinking off stage; we are also aware of the realness of the performer. The man with the ascot and troubled demeanor represents Hamlet, but should he be sweating profusely, the audience is conscious that is the performer, not Hamlet, that is over weight, over wrought, under going torturous temperatures from the elaborate and scorching light design.
3. The Ego of the performers [which may be considered a sub-section of {2.) The Immediate Space and Beings existing before us.}]. It is a common occurrence that the level of adrenaline fluctuates for the performer from show to show. Some days the performers do their dance, but perhaps with little heart. Yet, the next evening there may be a casting agent, or some such important personage in the audience, which causes the performers' levels of acting to inflate, or “ham it up.” Instead of ignoring this very common emotional/physiological phenomenon of “hamming,” the Theatre of Disruption can, and does, employ this level of behavioral experience as another tool in its methods of disrupting performance.
We should never underestimate the personal will of each individual as a living sentient entity. Each individual has their own motives, and acknowledging them, or teasing them out, offers the audience another level on which to view the performance and identify with the story, or the performers.
Tools of the Theatre of Disruption:
As stated above the performer’s ego is a wonderful tool for disrupting the performance. Why would someone be willing to violently die night after night, or take a painful prat-fall repeatedly bruising themselves “for their Art”? Why would someone willingly play a small role under stifling conditions for little or no pay? In the Theatre of Disruption, it is encouraged to embrace these circumstances and very real conditions of life for the performers and use these factors as possible motivations for the performer to disrupt the performance. When brought to light honestly, the audience will delight at what is revealed to them, in the way of sympathy or shared human plight.
Malfunction, as tool, in the Theatre of Disruption:
In the Theatre of Disruption the most effective and enjoyable tool for creating anxiety through performance is Malfunction. However it is employed, Malfunction causes immediate “nowness” within the performance. Technical Malfunction is the easiest to achieve. We can not hide the click of a trigger and silence of a gun as it fails to fire. Sharing this silent malfunction with the audience is a way of disrupting the story that brings the focus of the performance back to 2.) The Setting and Performers.
There are countless ways objects, devices, or technical elements may malfunction within a performance, which need not be enumerated here.
Performers may also Malfunction (Ego). It is most enjoyable to see people and characters not do what is intended. An extension of 2.), a performer behaving badly, or not at all, provides countless paths of disruption to better engross the audience into the immediacy of the performance.
Malfunction however, demands authenticity. It has been noted by esteemed critics that it takes “a very very good performer, to convincingly be a bad actor.” Regardless of the quality of the “performance” of 1.) The Story, we desire to witness talented virtuosity and refined skill in craft. Not just anyone can go up and “not act” what is expected of them and make it entertaining. Only through great expertise may a Malfunctioning performer or device be rendered believable and engrossing.
Malfunction begins with a seed. Within the performance, the seed of malfunction must be planted with a specific expectation or desired result. An acorn will grow into a tree. A visible gun will grow into a gun shot.
The seed will pledge a specific outcome, that “this will happen.” The seed of disruption promises a believable and logical event or action, and if done correctly, the expectation will be authentic and desired, so that when the seed does not grow as intended, we witness expert malfunction, that ultimately gives the Theatre of Disruption is most ripe fruits and immediate experiences.
What should happen if the seeds of the Malfunction grow, yet the audience is not aware that its malfuntcion/failure is intentional? And that is the greatest risk of the Theatre of Disruption. If we fail too well, the audience may believe they are witnessing an authentic failure, which may not be pleasurable at all. In the end, if the audience is ignorant that the malfunction is/was intentional, one risks making the Theatre of Disruption masturbatory; which is not the aim at all.
A masterful production in the mode of the Theatre of Disruption will artfully keep its audience suspended within its cultivated anxiety for as long as bearably possible, with the intention of eventually alleviating the shared anxiety. The greatest pleasure in the Theatre of Disruption, is relief; a collective relief that provides the pleasurable sensation of “ah, it was all just a joke.” If one creates a performance where the audience is never allowed into the world of the Disruption, nor understands that the Anxiety was crafted, one is not properly employing the techniques and intentions of the Theatre of Disruption.
copyright - Jeremey Catterton 2009
click here to return to the top of the page
When the leader of a wolf pack yawns, the yawn provides a higher level of oxygen to its brain, making the pack leader more alert and nimble. After the pack leader yawns, the rest of their pack follow and also yawn, so as to feed their brains more oxygen too, which heightens the collective-consciousness of the entire pack.
The Theatre of Disruption ignites dormant biological functions like yawning, so as to concentrate the audience’s collective consciousness. Instead of a yawn, we will provide a shared anxiety through a series of extraordinary events, where the Theatre of Disruption engages its audience in a non-rational manner, in which the “think” of the performance is not as important as the “feel” of the event, shared by performer and audience-member alike.
The Intent of the Theatre of Disruption:
A performance that properly employs the methods of the Theatre of Disruption should delightedly pull the audience from its seat, tantalized with genuine surprise and raw uncertainty within each moment.
The Theatre of Disruption does not allow for placation, and never begs the audience’s pardon. We intentionally disrupt the event. Without remorse, the Theatre of Disruption embraces the aside, extols the break, and directly addresses its audience, never, however, to make the performance “easier” to comprehend. The intent of Theatre of Disruption is to have multiple levels of engagement for the viewer.
A common complaint about modern audiences, is that they no longer have the attention span required for great works of art; which implies our mental capacity has diminished. The Theatre of Disruption argues that our capacity for attention has not diminished, only our patience. Modern technology has enculturated human beings into depending on strict unbridled immediacy and expecting multifarious stimulation.
The Theatre of Disruption celebrates that reduced attention span of the evolving audience by employing techniques of experiencing performance that rivals the interwoven and disjointed interface of modern media.
As humans interact less and less interpersonally, we are ever-more frequently connected through cellular devices and digital signals. Moments when we share a communal space and time will mature into greater significance.
By cherishing the experience of the live event, the Theatre of Disruption enriches its audience by providing an experience that is:
1.) Immediate and biological, offering authentic danger, genuine concern and wonder for the very real physiologically-present performers before us.
2.) Segmented and Quickly recognizable, our performances emulate the culture of gaming, blogs, video postings, and twittering comments.
3.) Self-aware and self-reflexive, inspired by social networking sites and “personal profiles.” The positively self-aware provides avenues for truth, authenticity, and humor. If we can’t laugh at ourselves why are we sharing our experiences with others?
Narrative in the Theatre of Disruption:
By no means does the Theatre of Disruption not tell a story. The Theatre of Disruption hinges on story telling, but maintains that a story is nothing more than a “beginning, middle, and end.” As thus:
1.) The Beginning = literally the moment the audience enters the space, or is engaged by a peformative element. Simply purchasing admission can, and should, be the beginning of the performance.
2.) The Middle = everything that happens when the performers and audience are vulnerable to an experience that is shared, disrupted, and reengaged by all.
3.) The End = the unspoken moment where the performance has finished and individuals return to the singular experience of their own lives.
Chronology has nothing to do with narrative. The “time” of the events is irrelevant.
Methods of the Theatre of Disruption:
If the methods of the Theatre of Disruption are employed in the staging of a normative, linear-text, the “story” of that text should still be told. The intent is not “not to tell the story,” but instead to tell the story in a disrupted fashion that engages the audience more fully; investing them to a greater extent to the message of the playwright or author. Often, a strong(er) investment is the result from a shared anxiety, or crisis that is crafted by the Theatre of Disruption.
The disruptions employed by the Theatre of Disruption are respites for the mind, recesses for the imagination. It is understood that it is difficult to engage a mind fully for an hour without the audiences’ analytic efforts wandering, so instead, we will embrace the wandering thoughts by introducing intentional breaks, or disruptions, in the storytelling to surprise and make the experience more enjoyable.
The cannon of western drama is rife with plots and subplots that break up the narrative through-line. The Theatre of Disruption, however, breaks up its narrative by offering the audience focal points or keys into the manner of viewing its performance. Such as:
1.) The Story. In Hamlet, we know we’re going to see Hamlet, as he questions to act, or not to act. At some point, we expect to see him hold a skull.
2.) The Immediate Space and Beings existing before us. Should the stage be made of sand, we understand that the sand will tell [1.) the Story] of Hamlet, but also the we are aware of the realness of the sand, its malleability, its resistance to force, its sinking off stage; we are also aware of the realness of the performer. The man with the ascot and troubled demeanor represents Hamlet, but should he be sweating profusely, the audience is conscious that is the performer, not Hamlet, that is over weight, over wrought, under going torturous temperatures from the elaborate and scorching light design.
3. The Ego of the performers [which may be considered a sub-section of {2.) The Immediate Space and Beings existing before us.}]. It is a common occurrence that the level of adrenaline fluctuates for the performer from show to show. Some days the performers do their dance, but perhaps with little heart. Yet, the next evening there may be a casting agent, or some such important personage in the audience, which causes the performers' levels of acting to inflate, or “ham it up.” Instead of ignoring this very common emotional/physiological phenomenon of “hamming,” the Theatre of Disruption can, and does, employ this level of behavioral experience as another tool in its methods of disrupting performance.
We should never underestimate the personal will of each individual as a living sentient entity. Each individual has their own motives, and acknowledging them, or teasing them out, offers the audience another level on which to view the performance and identify with the story, or the performers.
Tools of the Theatre of Disruption:
As stated above the performer’s ego is a wonderful tool for disrupting the performance. Why would someone be willing to violently die night after night, or take a painful prat-fall repeatedly bruising themselves “for their Art”? Why would someone willingly play a small role under stifling conditions for little or no pay? In the Theatre of Disruption, it is encouraged to embrace these circumstances and very real conditions of life for the performers and use these factors as possible motivations for the performer to disrupt the performance. When brought to light honestly, the audience will delight at what is revealed to them, in the way of sympathy or shared human plight.
Malfunction, as tool, in the Theatre of Disruption:
In the Theatre of Disruption the most effective and enjoyable tool for creating anxiety through performance is Malfunction. However it is employed, Malfunction causes immediate “nowness” within the performance. Technical Malfunction is the easiest to achieve. We can not hide the click of a trigger and silence of a gun as it fails to fire. Sharing this silent malfunction with the audience is a way of disrupting the story that brings the focus of the performance back to 2.) The Setting and Performers.
There are countless ways objects, devices, or technical elements may malfunction within a performance, which need not be enumerated here.
Performers may also Malfunction (Ego). It is most enjoyable to see people and characters not do what is intended. An extension of 2.), a performer behaving badly, or not at all, provides countless paths of disruption to better engross the audience into the immediacy of the performance.
Malfunction however, demands authenticity. It has been noted by esteemed critics that it takes “a very very good performer, to convincingly be a bad actor.” Regardless of the quality of the “performance” of 1.) The Story, we desire to witness talented virtuosity and refined skill in craft. Not just anyone can go up and “not act” what is expected of them and make it entertaining. Only through great expertise may a Malfunctioning performer or device be rendered believable and engrossing.
Malfunction begins with a seed. Within the performance, the seed of malfunction must be planted with a specific expectation or desired result. An acorn will grow into a tree. A visible gun will grow into a gun shot.
The seed will pledge a specific outcome, that “this will happen.” The seed of disruption promises a believable and logical event or action, and if done correctly, the expectation will be authentic and desired, so that when the seed does not grow as intended, we witness expert malfunction, that ultimately gives the Theatre of Disruption is most ripe fruits and immediate experiences.
What should happen if the seeds of the Malfunction grow, yet the audience is not aware that its malfuntcion/failure is intentional? And that is the greatest risk of the Theatre of Disruption. If we fail too well, the audience may believe they are witnessing an authentic failure, which may not be pleasurable at all. In the end, if the audience is ignorant that the malfunction is/was intentional, one risks making the Theatre of Disruption masturbatory; which is not the aim at all.
A masterful production in the mode of the Theatre of Disruption will artfully keep its audience suspended within its cultivated anxiety for as long as bearably possible, with the intention of eventually alleviating the shared anxiety. The greatest pleasure in the Theatre of Disruption, is relief; a collective relief that provides the pleasurable sensation of “ah, it was all just a joke.” If one creates a performance where the audience is never allowed into the world of the Disruption, nor understands that the Anxiety was crafted, one is not properly employing the techniques and intentions of the Theatre of Disruption.
copyright - Jeremey Catterton 2009
click here to return to the top of the page
