What is Creative Research?

Creative Research to me is the commitment to an open definition of what is and is not “theatre.”

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It is the idea that any piece of work has an intention to be served and fully serving that intention means letting go of the ideas we have about what is considered real theater and what's not comma in other words letting go of our ego. To understand creative research you must understand the relationship between the two greatest tools we have as theater makers and my favorite two tools and everything I do. Intention and vulnerability. Intention to figure out what a piece is trying to do and the vulnerability to serve that intention above my ego and everybody else's.

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Why is it that most theaters are built with the classic red theater chair? Could it be possible that within that opportunities for storytelling if we were to be intentional? For example my senior thesis Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune de Lune is a love story that inspires people to say the scary thing and connect with others in spite of how vulnerable that action may be. If the intention of the show is to inspire audiences to connect with others and be vulnerable would it not serve the intention to put people in loveseat couches rather than chairs with armrests? Is that not an opportunity to further the intention & create storytelling but also tangible change?

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Now we must investigate the idea of the perfect art and it's unfortunate enemy. To me the perfect art is the most intentional art. A piece in which every detail of every element includes the choice most aligned with the intention of said piece. The perfect art requires a depth of research and material that humans do not have access to. This brings us to the enemy of the perfect art, time & money. Time and money rob us the opportunity to be as intentional as possible. But fear not the perfect art can still be useful to us as a goal to strive for. As Tadashi Suzuki said "the goal of the actor is to attempt the impossible, knowing it is impossible." This applies for our directing as well. The attempt of the perfect art creates more intentional work and gets us as close as possible to the goal of the piece.

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To be an artist driving for the perfect art you must release of any ego that says there is a proper way of doing things. Everything can and should be questioned in the pursuit of intention. It's an exhausting way of working, but it is what creates new forms. It's how Gordon Craig raised the footlights to the catwalk. It's how Checkov & Stanislavski made away with melodrama & pathed the path for the realism playwrights do so well. It's how Thespis stepped out form the chorus, removed the mask, & created the actor so many of us love today. & it will be how every great discovery in our loving art is made down the line.

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I love this work because it's difficult, because it doesn't hold one idea over another rather leaving everything and everyone is equals, & perhaps most importantly because it makes me more present. This thing that is so elusive in the 21st century.

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I often speak about creating Transcendence in my work. That I want my audiences to feel a sense of transcendence. The truth is, it's a bit more selfish than that because Transcendence to me is actually a deep, open, and quiet presence. And that is the feeling I am gifted every time I'm deep in the work of creative research.

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So I will continue to investigate and I'll report back my findings. And hopefully together we can continue to feel deeper and deeper what real presence is.

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"Once we have decided what is & is not theatre, we have stopped doing creative research."