The Collaboration and Art of the Siti Company Dissertation
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LEARNING TO LISTEN: THE COLLABORATION AND ART OF THE SITI COMPANY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre at The Ohio State University By Jason Briggs Cormier, M.F.A., B.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2005 Dissertation Committee: Lesley K. Ferris, Ph.D., Advisor Jeanine Thompson, M.F.A. M. Candace Feck, Ph.D. Approved by _____________________________ Advisor Theatre Graduate Program Copyright © 2005 Jason Briggs Cormier ABSTRACT This dissertation focuses on the SITI Company, and its place within American theatre history, using the company's mission—creating new work, training young theatre artists, and international collaboration—as a basis for exploring multiple historical contexts within which SITI can be situated. This dissertation looks at Artaud, Brecht, and Copeau as early 20th Century examples of theatre artists significantly influenced by Asian performance techniques. Artaud, Brecht, and Copeau helped establish the use of movement as a communicative device, de-emphasizing the written/spoken. The Wooster Group, Théâtre du Soleil, and Complicité are presented as late 20th Century examples of collaborative theatre companies which create new works. These three companies draw on the theories and practices of Artaud, Brecht, and/or Copeau, creating performances where the actors' movement assumes as important a place in performance as text. When addressing SITI's unique actor- training (the Viewpoints Training and the Suzuki Method) ii this dissertation not only offers an overview of the actor- training and their underlying philosophies, emphasizing those techniques that support their collaborative process, but also provides a context for physical actor-training by looking at Meyerhold, Decroux, and Grotowski. All three developed their own system for training actors that stresses physical training. This dissertation provides biographical background on the Company's founders, Bogart and Suzuki, looking at the key events that influenced their careers and development as artists. This dissertation also reviews the principle published writings by Bogart and Suzuki, identifying key ideas that shape SITI. Finally, this dissertation examines the SITI Company's creative process that eschews the hierarchies found in traditional theatre, by looking at four performances and how they were created (Bob, Room, Score, and Death and the Ploughman) and providing examples of how SITI's training lends itself towards developing choreographic movement. While there are other examples of theatre companies that take a collective approach to their work, SITI's process makes a unique contribution to the theatre world because SITI's work is grounded in its unique actor-training. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this labor of blood, sweat, and tears to my Mimi, my maternal grandmother, Laurence Leger Hanks, a fierce Cajun woman whom I admire, respect, and love more than mere words can ever express. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS If I tried to thank everyone who deserves recognition for contributing to my success, the acknowledgments would be as long as the rest of my dissertation. That I can say this in all sincerity means that I have friends, family, and colleagues in abundance. This dissertation would never have been possible were it not for the generosity of the SITI Company. I would like to particularly thank Anne Bogart for giving me permission to write about her company. I also want to thank Barney O’Hanlon for the time he spent running workshops at Ohio State and for answering my many questions during breaks. I thank each and every individual who has served on my graduate committees. In Memphis, this includes Lesley Ferris, Gloria Baxter, Holly Lau, Susan Chrietzburg, Anita Jo Lenhart, and Robert Hetherington. Here at Ohio State, this includes Lesley Ferris, Jeanine Thompson, Esther Beth Sullivan, Tom Postlewait, and Candace Feck. v To Jeanine Thompson, I offer special thanks for being a fabulous teacher and an incredible mentor. Without the many hours in her class spent stomping, responding to kinesthetic impulses, and shifting in and out of triple designs, this dissertation would not have been possible. I would like to thank the many individuals throughout the university administration and shared governance who repeatedly asked, “how’s your dissertation coming?” Few students are fortunate enough to have two deans; thanks to Susan Huntington and Karen Bell, both of whom always had words of wisdom and smiles of encouragement. Where would any of us be without our family? I am blessed with a large and loving one. Many thanks to my roommate and governance comrade-in- arms, Kerry Hodak, for her understanding, encouragement, and help in keeping a quiet house. Thanks to PantsCamp, USA for not calling when I needed to focus, for going out with me when I needed a break, for believing that I could finish, and for being the best group of a friends a guy could have. A special thanks to Ann Dillon Farrelly, Jamie Depelteau, and Kate Burdett for waiting in the hall with me while my examining committee made its final deliberations. vi I will forever owe a debt of gratitude to Bill Hall and Rich Hollingsworth. Providing me a GA position in my final years at Ohio State, not only allowed me to finish my dissertation, but also afforded me countless opportunities to learn and develop, both as a contributing member of the university community, and more importantly as a person. I am deeply indebted to Julia “Cookie” Ewing who introduced me to movement at Rhodes College. I not only got my first taste of physical actor-training, but also of teaching when she asked me to serve as her assistant. My journey into theatre, directing, and movement began with her course. Thanks to Candace Feck, who I first met when I took a course on postmodernism in the Department of Dance and then worked with teaching 161. She has my special thanks for agreeing to serve on my committee at the last minute and then staying on after my initial defense plans had to be shelved due to scheduling conflicts. My research would have never been possible if the Wexner Center for the Arts did not bring SITI to Columbus on a regular basis. My thanks to Chuck Helm, not only for vii commissioning SITI’s work, but also for sharing his thoughts on contemporary American theatre and for giving me access to materials archived at the Wexner Center. Finally, I must single out Lesley Ferris who took a risk when she admitted an international studies major to an M.F.A. directing program. Through the classes, the productions, the tutorials, and the luncheon meetings at La Chatelaine, she’s been a role model without equal. Ever since first meeting Lesley I have looked up to her as an exemplary artist, scholar, administrator, and world citizen. I can never thank her enough for all that she’s done for me. All of these individuals have played important roles in the comedy of my life in graduate school. I thank each and every one of you for being a part of my life and helping me complete my doctorate. viii VITA 10 January 1972..........Born—Bossier City, Louisiana 1990.....................Diploma Humanities, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts 1994.....................B.A. cum laude International Studies, Rhodes College 1998.....................M.F.A. Theatre, University of Memphis 1995 – 1998..............Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis 1998.....................Instructor, Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis 1998 – 2005..............Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University 2001 – 2003..............President, Council of Graduate Students, The Ohio State University 2003 – 2005..............Graduate Administrative Associate, Student Affairs, The Ohio State University 2005 – present...........Lecturer, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University ix FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Theatre x TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract..................................................ii Dedication................................................iv Acknowledgments............................................v Vita......................................................ix List of Photographs......................................xiv Chapters: 1. Introduction..........................................1 Rationale for study ................................2 Methodology.......................................15 Overview..........................................19 2. A Place in History...................................23 Asian Influences on European Artists ..............28 Balinese dance-theatre and Antonin Artaud.......29 Peking Opera and Bertolt Brecht.................34 Japanese Noh Theatre and Jacques Copeau.........39 Summary.........................................44 Building on early foundations .....................46 Théâtre du Soleil...............................47 Wooster Group...................................54 Complicité......................................58 Summary.........................................66 xi 3. History of the SITI Company..........................68 Anne Bogart.......................................69 Biography.......................................69 Bogart on the page..............................75 Suzuki Tadashi....................................81 Biography.......................................81 Suzuki on the page..............................89 SITI Company......................................98 Origin..........................................98