Collaboration is an essential aspect of most forms and practices of theatre, whether performers are collaborating with musicians or the lighting designer is collaborating with the director. Collaboration is also the most common approach taken by companies creating original work. In a collaborative project, each individual involved takes on responsibility for being the creator.
In one model, the individuals who make up the ensemble collectively take responsibility for all aspects of performance and production, performing in the piece as well as directing sections of it, designing and building the set, and having a say in the lighting and sound.
In another model, the ensemble is made up of specialists—director(s), performer(s) and designer(s) who collectively have a hand in creating the piece of theatre before adopting ultimate responsibility for their specialist areas. Specialist roles are activated once the piece has been developed and is being prepared for an audience.
It is up to you to choose the most appropriate model for particular projects. In assessed tasks one (HL only) and four you will have to take on the role of the creator.
“Devised work is a response and a reaction to the playwright-director relationship, to text-based theatre, and to naturalism, and challenges the prevailing ideology of one person’s text under another person’s direction. Devised theatre is concerned with the collective creation of art (not the single vision of the playwright) and it is here that the emphasis has shifted from the writer to the creative artist.”
Oddey, A. 1994. Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook. Oxon, UK. Routledge. P 4.
The role of the creator
During your IB Theatre course you should develop an understanding of the skill set and key responsibilities associated with the role of the creator, as outlined below.
Role | Key responsibilities | Skill set |
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Creator | The creator is responsible for the creation of an original piece of theatre or various pieces of material that will ultimately be shaped into a piece of theatre. |
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