WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD A PERSONAL GUIDE TO OUTDOOR INTERACTIVE THEATRE by Vida Cerkvenik Bren WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD A PERSONAL GUIDE TO OUTDOOR INTERACTIVE THEATRE by Vida Cerkvenik Bren Chapter 3 co-written by Samo Oleami Illustrations by Robin Klengel CONTENTS Preface . 8 Acknowledgements . 10 Chapters 1 Stage vs . street . 13 2 Going out of the box . 33 3 The art of being together (co-written with Samo Oleami) . 47 4 The key . 57 5 Four steps to a street performance . .. 69 6 Becoming a street ninja . 79 7 Tom's advice . 87 8 Go home and practice, go out and play! . .. 97 9 Street theatre and beyond . 111 About the authors . 120 About LJUD . 121 About RIOTE . 121 PREFACE Why Don’t We Do It in the Road is a book for anyone: . who enjoys creating outdoor theatre performances, . who is interested in learning about it, . who is interested in the mechanisms behind it, . and for anyone who is . well . just generally interested in things . The book has emerged from personal experience of creating theatre in the streets, squares, parks, villages, buses, hospitals, churches and even mountains . Although a personal experience, it is one that is embedded in the firm belief that art should be created collectively . Over the last decade the author, Vida Cerkvenik Bren, has been at the core of numerous collective artistic processes . Following her graduation in theatre directing she, in 2006, co-founded Ljud – an international collective that explores the possibilities of artistic expression in public spaces through interactive performances and site-specific projects. Since then Vida has toured with Ljud around the world, directing, performing and teaching in more than 30 countries . During her travels she and her fellow “Ljuds” have crossed paths with many like- minded artists: performers, directors and pedagogues as well as theatre critics, festival directors and academics . Their ideas and advice have enriched her views on making and understanding theatre and some of them can be found in this book . So, what kind of theatre does Vida write about? There are many names for it: outdoor theatre, street theatre, theatre in public spaces, our friends in Italy call it “teatro negli spazi aperti”, in German it is “Theater im öffentlichen Raum”, in Slovene “gledališče v javnem prostoru”. And there are other labels you can give it: “interactive”, “participatory” or “immersive” . But rather than focusing on the labels, Vida writes about the theatre she strives for . It is a theatre that: 1 . takes place outside of spaces that have been built for theatre and 2 . comes to life in the interaction with the audience . Her aim is to write in favour of such theatre and not against any other . Why Don't We Do It in the Road is not intended as a comprehensive guide to outdoor theatre . It cannot and does not wish to cover all forms, practices and aspects of this type of theatre . Quite the opposite, it is a personal guide that sheds some light on the subject, but from a certain standpoint . Its aim is to inspire the reader and encourage his critical thinking . The idea to jot down the thoughts and practical exercises that have been gathered over the last decade came two years ago when Ljud was invited by the RIOTE (Rural Inclusive Outdoor Theatre Education) partnership to prepare a “practical guide to creating outdoor theatre” . “Ljuds” took this opportunity to share their knowledge and teaching methods with the RIOTE partners – fellow theatre groups from Hungary, Italy, Romania and UK who share their passion for performing outdoors . The result of this process is the book you are holding in your hands . Take it “on the road” with you and maybe we will meet you there . Jurij Bobič, editor ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS What you are about to read is the fruit of conversations and co-creative processes that took place over the last decade, so first of all I would like to extend a huge thank you to everybody – Mladen Baćić, Sanja Baćić Žmavc, Sebastien Fraboulet, Nika Gabrovšek, Jaša Jenull, David Kraševec, Majda Krivograd, Grega Močivnik, Matevž Pistotnik - Kuki, Jurij Torkar, Katarina Zalar, etc . - who was a part of this adventure . Why Don’t We Do It in the Road came to life as a collective working process – I am evermore grateful to Jurij Bobič, a first-rate editor and friend, and Mr. Robin, the illustrator, for all their inputs, proposals, ideas, encouragement, support and patience during the winter of 2019! Special thanks go to Sergi Estabanell, Tom Grader, Samo Oleami and Sonja Vilč who contributed a great deal to the book’s content . As well as to Géza Pintér and the RIOTE partnership for the opportunity . I would also like to thank Werner Schrempf who supported the Ljud collective at its very beginning . And thanks also go to the Beatles . Vida Cerkvenik Bren Warning: This book is full of second-hand knowledge . Don’t hesitate to pass it on . 1 STAGE VS. STREET Dear reader, I would like to begin our conversation by presenting two simple characters that will be appearing throughout this book: the square & the circle . I see squares as windows through which I view the world that I am not a part of . A square draws attention to what is inside but excludes everything else . A square can represent a frame through which we look at art – the frame of a painting, the screen of your laptop, a book, a cinema or the frame surrounding the theatre stage . Our civilisation invented elaborate frames, both analogue and digital . We are used to perceiving art as well as life itself through frames: photos, videos, selfies, social media. B u t this book should be about circles! However, before we start talking about circles there are a few more things that need to be said about squares . Squares can be useful for a number of things . If I want to draw a box, I draw a square . If I want to draw a robot, I draw a few squares. If I want to draw a fishing net, I draw a lot of squares . Any time I need to frame something, segregate things or establish a specific order I use squares. Squares are good for rooms, a square means I am inside . I see the square and the circle as two different ways of creating theatre: indoors & outdoors . They also stand for two different ways of perceiving the world around me . Two different ways of trying to understand it . The first way is through passive observation from a safe distance, analysing it and trying to comprehend it . The second is through active participation – through direct engagement which includes physical experience . So, trying to make sense of the world by letting myself go and becoming a part of it . It all boils down to two sets of keywords: , VOYEURISM, PARTICIPANT, identification, , engagement, monologue, presentation, dialogue, interaction, , plan, REPETITION, improvisation, HERE AND NOW!, intention, RESULT, spontaneity,PROCESS, INVOLVEMENT, PROMOTION, product, exchange, TEMPORARY INDIVIDUAL SPECTATOR. COMMUNITY. The first approach, illustrated by the square, represents the concept of theatre that originated in the 18th and 19th centuries and which is still alive today in contemporary national theatre houses . Performances take place in purpose-built buildings also referred to as picture frame stage theatres . These theatres are used by two sets of people: the actors and the spectators who come together in a slightly unusual way . Even though the spectators have come to watch the actors and the actors have come to perform for the spectators they do not want to meet eye to eye, specially not before the beginning of the performance . So everything in the theatre buildings comes in twos - identical pairs to be used by either the actors or the spectators, with visible and invisible walls in between . If you are a spectator, you walk into the theatre through the main entrance; if you are an actor, you go in through the service entrance . At the main entrance, the spectators are taken past the box office to the cloakrooms, while the service entrance takes the actors past the doorkeeper to their dressing rooms backstage . As a spectator, you are required to pay to visit the theatre; as an actor, you get a salary at the end of the month . Spectators drink wine in the visitors’ bar, while actors treat themselves to the same wine at half the price in the in-house bar . The signs “left”, “right”, “stalls”, “balcony”, etc . help spectators find their seats. To prevent actors from getting lost, the maze of corridors and staircases in the other part of the building is equipped with flashing arrows and signs like “stage” and “quiet, please” . A curtain separates the stage from the auditorium . Once everyone is in their place – at a predetermined time – the lights go out and the curtain is lifted to reveal a gaping hole . This is what is known as the fourth wall . The fourth wall is invisible and is emphasised by the surrounding frame known as the proscenium arch – the window into the world of the theatre performance .1 1 I find it interesting that the development of this type of theatre was fostered by the invention and expansion of gas lighting in the 19th century . Prior to this, the auditorium was illuminated throughout the performance. Spectators would flirt, talk, and even eat and drink during the play. All this is part of the dramatic convention . It allows the artist to have better control over the artwork . It allows the spectator to sink into the darkness, settle in a comfortable seat and forget that he is in an auditorium .