THROW is a performance-development series at The Chocolate Factory Theater, which I curate and moderate. The series is currently on break for the summer and will return in the fall of 2013.
THROW’s format is simple:
1. Artist shows an excerpt of a performance-in-process.
2. Artist asks the audience three questions about the excerpt.
3. Audience answers each question as simply and directly as possible.
Coaching artists through the development of their questions for an audience always teaches me something – and always reinforces the feeling that making art is like drawing a map of the desert in a sandstorm. Even though it’s impossible to draw the map, our attempts bring us closer to understanding the desert, and that’s better than nothing. Plus, the more we compare maps, the better our collective understanding.
I think the most important thing we can do to ensure the health and longevity of live performance is to become better audience members. We must listen to each other (onstage and off) with real interest, rather than simply wait for a turn to speak.
If you’re interested in developing work through THROW, contact me at sarahmax[at]gmail[dot]com. Describe the project you’d like to workshop, focusing on the questions you’d like to explore with an audience. If possible, include links to video of your work (in performance and/or in process). Better still, come to a THROW event and talk to me in person!
