Community Within the Ensemble

As my education in theatre continues to grow and my ideas expand on exactly what theatre is, I have learned that often the process of a play is far more beneficial than the product. As I taught and directed children's theatre camps this summer with The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, this idea grew ten-fold. When it comes to kids and Shakespeare, it's more important to spark their interest during the process rather then depend on a flawless production. And I'm not sure why I never applied this to my own experiences in theatre. Ensemble theatre lies heavily upon the process. Ensemble theatre IS the process. It amazes me that a group of people can come together, use and respect each other's artistic differences and egos, and create a piece of brand new work. I am excited to be a part of A Perfect Wedding project to experience the ups and downs of ensemble work. Having said that, I recently listened to NPR's report on the Actors Theatre of Louisville's ensemble presentations in the Humana Festival this past year. What I found most intriguing was the statement from Anne Bogart at the very end, describing the audiences benefits from ensemble work:

"...they (the audience) are actually simultaneously experiencing the play, and the story in the play, but the are also experiencing a kind of society on the stage that is purposing in a sense a model of society of about how social systems might function otherwise..."

Ensemble work is not just about putting together a good piece of theatre. It is a community in itself representing the larger community in which it thrives. If art mirrors life, then ensemble work is the most accurate mirror in the theatre thus far. This project is based no on just the director's view, or just the playwright's, or actor's, but rather the view of a group of people coming together with one goal in mind. We are all simultaneously the directors, playwrights, actors, and even the audience members. And at the same time, ensemble work doesn't need people with any particular theatrical background. Just people with an interest, people with something to say. And that is how ensemble work can imitate and present our society the best. Communities and societies are all in a constant state of process, and we (in our mini-community) are adding a stimulus that may alter the process and therefore alter the product. And we are all a part of that product, so this is a wonderful opportunity to add to the process!