I'm participating in an ongoing re-structuring of a college theater program. At the same time an administrative "division" is being created to organize all the departments called 'arts & humanities'. There is of course a blog about this, but it's closed. However, I want to share what I recently posted there, here:
I did a little exercise a while back. I had been noticing that the hierarchy of rehearsals oriented folks toward analytical conversations, more talking than doing, and more self-censored individual action than open-ended ensemble... Eventually this orientation becomes an obstacle that must itself be overcome, usually simply because of the pressure of performance...
So I thought how do I change this? Delay analysis and de-emphasize the hierarchy of director/lead actor/subordinate actors.
How to delay analysis? Make only very broad observations. Do not encourage discussion but do not inhibit it -- do not validate or invalidate anyone's words or actions. Do not assign roles. Do not intervene in anyone else's action while they are at work, but rather participate. Know the distinction between intervention and participation. Do not act on the expectation of what has happened before. Stay quiet.
Understand that you may reintroduce an analytical or heirarchical component at anytime and people will respond if they know it's not a power play -- so see how fruitful it is to delay it as long as possible. Don't "make" choices. Let choices adhere to the emerging endeavor as those choices re-emerge.
Got excellent "results." The group clarifies the goal as they go along, and I am part of the group, even though I'm sitting in the leader position. Just being in a different position is enough.
I wonder now if approaches that create innovation and community in the creative space of a rehearsal can be applied in areas that are more oriented toward management and evaluation....? In other words, is there room for open creativity in a shared administration? Could this be way for the "meaning" of arts & humanities endeavors to emerge?
Not top-down or bottom-up, but from the middle outward, and the center is always shifting...
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