Working together on ACTING, for Ron Vawter (1948-1994)
13-21 July 2019
If I understand anything about something it is about acting. I consider myself a bad actor but not a bad performer. I worked in Holland and Belgium with what were considered the best actors.
Pretending and representing are the lubricants of commodified social modern life. In a way we are acting all the time. We notice this when we pretend the least, on the moments we feel not observed, being alone somewhere with the situation, like on a lonely walk in the woods or on the toilet. Ron Vawter, the American actor of the Woostergroup with whom I made a theatre performance, used to say: acting is about being private in public.
I would like to address what is considered good acting, the acting of which you don’t see it is acting, the one you can see in good American movies. It is the acting based on doing nothing, which is very difficult as it is still about doing something but not doing acting. It does not show itself as acting, this so called doing-nothing, but all the effort is put into a letting-go inside and embracing and being embraced by the outside. It is a way of acting that does not only give something but that gives it all. Whatever this all is.
I would like to work together on this, to address it, to try it, to copy it, to reflect on it, to make small scenes on film and in the now (theatre).
I do not teach. I do not teach a technique, I want to work together and each one on oneself, intensively trying and addressing this attitude of doing-nothing and applying and showing it.
The best is to participate from the beginning to the end, but you can join when it fits for you, although we do not start over and over again.
Practical information.
The working group will meet at MASSIA, from 13th of July in the evening until the evening of 21st.
We will see how we will cook and organise meals as a group or individually, but count on around 10 euro pp/pd.
MASSIA is an independent self-organised space: To stay you must become a member for 12 euros (valid for 12 months). Accommodation costs 10 euro/night per person, if staying more than 4 nights. If staying under 5 nights the price is 11 euro/night per person). If you’d like to join please send an email with your dates: infomassia@gmail.com.