every time i read a book on theater i am reminded of something new.
this time it's
A Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing
by William Ball
Here's his take on consciousness:
"The experience of consciousness is the awareness of self. The first human experience is "I am." Consciousness is the beginning. "I am" is the beginning. Now, after consciousness comes identity. When a word is placed after "I am," universal consciousness becomes individuated. Absolute becomes focused on relative. "I am a director." Suddenly my consciousness is limited and defined. The individual's belief in his identities gives a pattern to his reality and a definition to his activity. He limits his beliefs in order to maintain identities that are manageable, comfy, respectable.
"Now, the actor commits himself to a lifetime of beliefs in an endless series of identities. The actor spends his professional life completing the phrase "I am"; and every time he plays a different part, he completes that phrase differently. An actor is perpetually combining the primary statement of consciousness with identity, and that identity is constantly changing. The actor has an empty space after the phrase "I am"; the actor says, "I am anyone and I am everyone." That's what makes an actor different from a broker.
"The actor makes a profession of believing in many identities. Ask an actor if he would limit his potential identities or limit his power of belief. No. An actor claims the unlimited power of belief. He claims he right to unlimited identities. He considers that the very definition of his profession guarantees his right to an unlimited power of belief. "I am anyone, I am everyone, I am all, I am Universe." The actor claims the right to universal dominion.
"He may have holes in his socks, but he claims... that he is Universe walking in body. The awareness that he is talking to a person who is the demonstration of Universe revealing will change the way a director talks to an actor. There is no power on earth that can shake the actor's belief that he is, in fact, Universe revealing; but he never says it out loud. People would call him crazy. He doesn't brag about it, he doesn't fight about it, and he certainly doesn't articulate it, because he knows that a man who wears a top hat gets a brick thrown at it. The artist is conscious of a vision of the Universe; the condition of his socks is only material."
He also talks about art, belief and unity:
"There is a great deal of belief going on around a theater during a performance. Belief power is pervasive in a theater, belief power is tremendously compelling.
"When all of the actors believe in what they are doing and all the members of the audience believe in what they are witnessing, we have all component parts believing something at the same time. The actors believe one another, each actor believes himself, each spectator believes each actor, everyone is believing at the same time. All component parts are in harmony. When all component parts are in harmony, we have the possibility of a work of art--we have unity."
wow. philo101 yet again, my only class today, where we discussed heidegger and being in all Being and harmonia. it is beautiful to see beauty some place else and as beautiful
lisnin to Never Can Say Goodbye - Jackson 5
sortof readin mr and ms som files for promo
feelin kinda comfortable
