02 October 2005
Heather Pennington
2.10.05
About Peter Sellars
Looking ahead in the readings, I see we’ve got one by Peter Sellars. No, not Peter Sellers, of Pink Panther fame, but Peter Sellars, born in 1957, a Harvard graduate, who became director of the American National Theatre at the age of 26, is currently a professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and came to speak at my home University, the University of Southern California (USC) last year.
His attitude is viewed as radical within the theatre: he creates dynamic works by completely re-visioning classics or making his shows forums for discussion, combining politics and art. He said he cares not if people like his work, only if it changes things.
He had some very interesting things to say about theatre when he spoke to us: a bunch of young actors gathered in a small room to hear this amazing and accomplished director speak. He entered with a quiet calm and presence, which facilitated his hour long talk. I transcribed some of his speech:
His theme: There is an [American] space of openness in theatre, which enables change.
Sellars started by saying, “Each generation has its own theatre. Within this, the question is, ‘what can you say?’ Do not wait. You see the world clearly now. The present is the space.” In the case of theatre, he said, the present is the space to create in and the space to create for, not the future nor the past. The present has the ability to affect change.
“Theatre has the ability to create the world we want to live in, and allows us to live in it. We can define struggle and pleasure on stage to incite change. But, we must also make change beautiful, irresistible, shocking, and amazing in order to touch people.” If change is not made interesting, if, since it is being presented as theatre, it will not hold the attention of the audience, nor will it look appealing enough to gather a following.
“The artist has responsibility for doing things well, which is missing in other spheres.” Here Sellars hinted at the state of American politics, but I won’t go into that.
“As artists, we must see what isn’t there yet and put it there. Being an artist is pure activism – what is missing in the picture is what you are here to put there, so enjoy life, even the struggles and pain. Search for that zone of pain, for it is there that learning occurs, when we are not comfortable, when we must define ourselves.”
“The open place is a space of not knowing, a space of learning. You must bring people to this space of not knowing, this open space.” Bringing people into the open space of not knowing, activism begins, for change is also not knowing. Change is heading in a direction unknown from a place known.
Sellars speculated on where we are, and the way that theatre can and is influencing the structure of feelings of this era. Ha said, “It is spectacular where we are now. There is no going back. Women are the theme of the 21st century, and the change has started. The reversal has started. Reversal is integral to re-visioning, and we have started the change to women. Theatre is creating the world we want.” Sellars earlier directed actress Fiona Shaw of Harry Potter fame in the title role of Richard III, the first major production with a woman as the lead. He touched on the issue of the changing opinion of women, but also of the changing opinion of theatre as an instrument of change, not only a mirror of change already instigated.
“The only thing that matters is courage,” he said. “It can’t be bought or sold. Just stand on stage.” The artist must have the courage to be the one fighting for and giving agency to the audience.
Artists must also hold themselves to a standard. “Live the life you want to live. Never compromise.”
Sellars pointed out that the co-dependence of self. “The self is everyone” he commented. This interdependent sense of self is the reason, Sellars said, that everything is made of everything it is not, and the reason that we should give those opposing us the very best, the most beautiful things that we have. He was not talking in material terms, of course, but in terms of strength and vision.
He finished on a note to us actors. “Look into people’s hearts,” he told us.
*Read an transcription of a speech about Austrailia, America, and working class theatre.
In this talk, he comments on the Los Angeles Poverty Department, a theatre company taking the initials of the fameous LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. “The Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD) was founded seventeen years ago in acknowledgement of the inherently social process of theater. The organization has historically used theater with other means of public education, organizing, partnering and activism to call attention to the plight of the poor.” (http://www.nathancummings.org/AG_details_2003/000616.html)
Sellars says, “There's one important theatre company called 'Los Angeles Poverty Department' - LAPD and it's a theatre of and by homeless people on skid row in Los Angeles. Those of you who have visited skid row in Los Angeles know it's not a very pretty sight, mostly only visited because you got lost downtown where every two blocks turns into a fresh nightmare.”
*Read about this company, look out this more detailed report about one of their shows:
2.10.05
About Peter Sellars
Looking ahead in the readings, I see we’ve got one by Peter Sellars. No, not Peter Sellers, of Pink Panther fame, but Peter Sellars, born in 1957, a Harvard graduate, who became director of the American National Theatre at the age of 26, is currently a professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and came to speak at my home University, the University of Southern California (USC) last year.
His attitude is viewed as radical within the theatre: he creates dynamic works by completely re-visioning classics or making his shows forums for discussion, combining politics and art. He said he cares not if people like his work, only if it changes things.
He had some very interesting things to say about theatre when he spoke to us: a bunch of young actors gathered in a small room to hear this amazing and accomplished director speak. He entered with a quiet calm and presence, which facilitated his hour long talk. I transcribed some of his speech:
His theme: There is an [American] space of openness in theatre, which enables change.
Sellars started by saying, “Each generation has its own theatre. Within this, the question is, ‘what can you say?’ Do not wait. You see the world clearly now. The present is the space.” In the case of theatre, he said, the present is the space to create in and the space to create for, not the future nor the past. The present has the ability to affect change.
“Theatre has the ability to create the world we want to live in, and allows us to live in it. We can define struggle and pleasure on stage to incite change. But, we must also make change beautiful, irresistible, shocking, and amazing in order to touch people.” If change is not made interesting, if, since it is being presented as theatre, it will not hold the attention of the audience, nor will it look appealing enough to gather a following.
“The artist has responsibility for doing things well, which is missing in other spheres.” Here Sellars hinted at the state of American politics, but I won’t go into that.
“As artists, we must see what isn’t there yet and put it there. Being an artist is pure activism – what is missing in the picture is what you are here to put there, so enjoy life, even the struggles and pain. Search for that zone of pain, for it is there that learning occurs, when we are not comfortable, when we must define ourselves.”
“The open place is a space of not knowing, a space of learning. You must bring people to this space of not knowing, this open space.” Bringing people into the open space of not knowing, activism begins, for change is also not knowing. Change is heading in a direction unknown from a place known.
Sellars speculated on where we are, and the way that theatre can and is influencing the structure of feelings of this era. Ha said, “It is spectacular where we are now. There is no going back. Women are the theme of the 21st century, and the change has started. The reversal has started. Reversal is integral to re-visioning, and we have started the change to women. Theatre is creating the world we want.” Sellars earlier directed actress Fiona Shaw of Harry Potter fame in the title role of Richard III, the first major production with a woman as the lead. He touched on the issue of the changing opinion of women, but also of the changing opinion of theatre as an instrument of change, not only a mirror of change already instigated.
“The only thing that matters is courage,” he said. “It can’t be bought or sold. Just stand on stage.” The artist must have the courage to be the one fighting for and giving agency to the audience.
Artists must also hold themselves to a standard. “Live the life you want to live. Never compromise.”
Sellars pointed out that the co-dependence of self. “The self is everyone” he commented. This interdependent sense of self is the reason, Sellars said, that everything is made of everything it is not, and the reason that we should give those opposing us the very best, the most beautiful things that we have. He was not talking in material terms, of course, but in terms of strength and vision.
He finished on a note to us actors. “Look into people’s hearts,” he told us.
*Read an transcription of a speech about Austrailia, America, and working class theatre.
In this talk, he comments on the Los Angeles Poverty Department, a theatre company taking the initials of the fameous LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. “The Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD) was founded seventeen years ago in acknowledgement of the inherently social process of theater. The organization has historically used theater with other means of public education, organizing, partnering and activism to call attention to the plight of the poor.” (http://www.nathancummings.org/AG_details_2003/000616.html)
Sellars says, “There's one important theatre company called 'Los Angeles Poverty Department' - LAPD and it's a theatre of and by homeless people on skid row in Los Angeles. Those of you who have visited skid row in Los Angeles know it's not a very pretty sight, mostly only visited because you got lost downtown where every two blocks turns into a fresh nightmare.”
*Read about this company, look out this more detailed report about one of their shows:
# posted by Theatre for a change? @ 20:12 
Comments:
<< Home
I've started looking at these links. A bit radical for my taste, but definitely useful for this class. Thanks! (s) Emmanuel
Post a Comment
<< Home
