Technique v. Art

I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between technique and art this week…it’s something that has come up in a number of different guises both in rehearsals and workshops.

Probably the most obvious one was the stage fighting workshop at Gold…after outlining six very basic techniques Danny and I asked the participants to use them in a creative way…the results were varied and brilliant…of a much higher standard than I expected as I thought the task was going to prove pretty challenging.  What was really very clear though is that the best moments in all of them were those where both technique and art were in perfect balance…too much of the first and a performance comes across as empty, unengaging and ultimately pointless…too much of the latter and at best the performance lacks focus at worst in the case of stage fighting it is simply unsafe.

In acting and the making of performance technique allows us to stand on the shoulders of those that have come before us…who have identified that in order for a performance to reach an audience and be received in the way that the writer, director, performers intended…vocal, communication, physical, mental, emotional elements of acting need to be harnessed, developed, perfected and embedded.  Without projection for example the most exquisite interpretation of a scene is lost, without the realisation of character the best script in the world remains one dimensional…the list goes on…

This term for most companies is all about introducing and developing your technique, enriching your knowledge and broadening your experience.  Those of you who are prepared to really commit to the workshops and be open to what they might teach you have the chance to grow significantly as a performer and practitioner…and who knows where that might take you!