“Devoted & Disgruntled”: Improbable’s Devising, Eldership, and Open Space Technology DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Ian Bradford Ngongotaha Pugh Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Lesley Ferris, Adviser Beth Kattelman Joy Reilly Copyright by Ian Bradford Ngongotaha Pugh 2013 Abstract Improbable, a London based, international theatre company, after having achieved over a decade of critical acclaim found themselves in an excellent position in the industry to serve the theatre community. Through what the company terms ‘eldership,’ the company has stepped back and placed more and more of their energy helping others, particularly young and emerging artists. Beginning with creating mentoring programs, and evolving into studying, training, and developing alternative leadership methods, the theatre company created a theatre conference like no other. Borrowing heavily from the Open Space Technology principles of Harrison Owen and the influence of Process Work and World Work pioneered by Arnold Mindell, Improbable created the Devoted & Disgruntled conferences. The Devoted & Disgruntled conferences have worked so well for Improbable because they mirror the ways that the company works when creating their devised performances. Like the company’s work, the Devoted & Disgruntled conferences are a collaborative endeavor. There are no invited speakers, the conference agenda is not preplanned, but is developed by those attending during the initial hour of the event in a collaborative process where all of the participants are empowered to take charge of issues and concerns they feel passionate about, opening dialogues, pooling resources and knowledge, and seeking actionable plans and solutions. This participant-created ii conference of self-managed sessions (including discussion groups, experiential workshops, ideas sessions, and planning meetings) are all related to a central question of strategic importance: “What are we going to do about theatre and the performing arts?” Devoted & Disgruntled allows diverse, and often very large, groups of people to get together, discuss issues of heartfelt concern, share ideas, pool their knowledge and develop plans for collaborative action. There are no invited speakers, and just one facilitator to explain the procedure and facilitate the plenary session creation. This document explores the first six years of the annual Devoted & Disgruntled conference, mapping out the trends, concerns, practices, and passions of the greater London theatre community using a historiographical and documentarian lens to illuminate the efficacy and ability of Improbable’s eldership work to affect positive change in the theatre world. iii Dedication For my parents Ann Louise Mullard-Pugh and Robert William Pugh, whose enduring love and support has made all the difference. Thank you. iv Acknowledgments This project owes its existence to the many people at Improbable – thank you for your openness and generosity. I am also indebted to Dr. Lesley Ferris and Dr. Beth Kattelman for their mentorship and support in organizing and structuring the vast amounts of data in this document. Finally, I must thank Melissa Lee for all of her suggestions, questions, and the numerous walking discussions, and especially for her friendship that kept this project, and me, going through to the end. v Vita 1989................................................................Bonanza High School, Las Vegas 1995 ...............................................................B.A. Theatre, University of Nevada Las Vegas 2007................................................................M.A. Drama, San Francisco State University 2007 to 2013 .................................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Theatre vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: Improbable Eldership: Devoted & Disgruntled ................................................ 1 1.1 Improbable Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.2 What is Devising? ..................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Open Space Technology.......................................................................................... 12 1.4 Participant-Observer................................................................................................ 14 1.5 Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................................. 17 Chapter 2: Histories .......................................................................................................... 24 2.1 An Improbable Tale ................................................................................................ 24 2.2 Devoted, but Disgruntled ........................................................................................ 36 Chapter 3: Politics of the World – Politics of the Body ................................................... 45 vii 3.1 Global Conflict – Local Response .......................................................................... 45 3.2 Women(’s) Matter(s) ............................................................................................... 67 3.3 Politics of a Life Lived Theatrically ....................................................................... 83 Chapter 4: “Help!” .......................................................................................................... 101 4.1 “I Me Mine” - Personal Rants/Selfish Needs ........................................................ 101 4.2 Help Wanted (or to continue the Beatles theme: “Help! I need somebody!”) ...... 117 4.3 “Help! Not just anybody,” or “And I do appreciate you being around” – Non- Theatre Session ........................................................................................................... 135 Chapter 5: Making Theatre ............................................................................................. 157 5.1 ACE in the Hole .................................................................................................... 157 5.2 Hit the Road, Jack! (cause it’s understood: you ain’t got no money, you just ain’t no good) or Touring Troubles ..................................................................................... 182 5.3 Devising Dilemmas ............................................................................................... 198 Chapter 6: Conclusion – The Future of Devoted & Disgruntled .................................... 221 6.1 Bigger, Better, More.............................................................................................. 221 6.2 Change Is In the Air .............................................................................................. 224 Works Cited .................................................................................................................... 228 Appendix A: Improbable Production History ................................................................. 245 Appendix B: Devoted & Disgruntled - How It Works .................................................. 246 viii I. Intentions.................................................................................................................. 246 II. First Impressions..................................................................................................... 249 III. Spaces .................................................................................................................... 258 IV. Opening Space ...................................................................................................... 263 V. One Law, Four Principles, and Two Bugs ............................................................. 264 VI. (a)Typical Session(s)............................................................................................. 273 VII. “Close of a long day.” .......................................................................................... 278 VIII. Convergence and Action Plans........................................................................... 282 Appendix C: Session Stats .............................................................................................. 290 I. Devoted & Disgruntled 1 ......................................................................................... 292 II. Devoted & Disgruntled 2 ........................................................................................ 296 III. Devoted &