The time has come to announce an agenda I have been given.

For the past several years I have been engaged from time to time in the worlds of artistic performance. There are certain experiences I have had which have lead to the formation of a CONCEPT, which I would like to share. The concept entails an EVENT in which everyone attains a very high state of being.

The event I'd like to produce is aimed at elevating the human spirit
as much as possible with as little paraphenalia (stuff) as possible. In
my experience, all the cool STUFF often found at events with similar aims is very energy intensive (espescially for the producers) and creates stress which inhibits the flow of energy. Often times there is a lot of what is NOT needed and not enough of what is (namely, water, sustenance and a nice place to rest).

I'd like to facilitate an environment which is comfortable and conducive to spontaneous outpourings of innate creativity. Instead of a "performance troupe", I'm curious to see what a group of highly polished "creative instigators" could catalyze.

Some of my frustrations in working within performance troupes in the past is that I have often felt that only a miniscule amount of my creativity is being adequately utilized. I understand the value of refining performance through the crucibles of SCRIPTS, DIRECTORS, ROLES, CUES and such... but I feel
that there MUST be a way to tap MORE of the intrinsic creative spirit
of each of the particpants to result in a creation which is much MUCH more then the sum of it's parts.

Of course, there is improvisation, but this is only a small part of the solution as the loosness of improvisation does not often crystalize attention in quite the same razor sharp way that a thoroughly polished performance piece does. This is just my inexperienced observation.

Contemplating these feelings I have come up with the concept of
reverse engineering THE STORY. Instead of beginning with a story in mind, you first find performers who radiate energy which you resonate with. You grow this pool until you have ENOUGH members. You meet regularly to polish your performance, but not in the way it is traditionally (?) done through methods that are meant to be applied to a ROLE. Instead you acknowledge the ROLE you are already in! Imagine (as one example) you and your troupe are a pantheon of ancient gods. Who are you in relation to these other entities? What aspect(s) do you present?

Instead of a director to assign you a function, you look within to
find it! We then help one another to further polish our high character, creating sacred garments and objects which further extend our given personas. When this work reaches a high enough energy state, only THEN do we begin to see what kind of stories we tell when we stand together.The work continues by exploring these stories until we are comfortable enough in our relationships to present to an audience.

There is NO deadline for any of these processes. The application of the tool PATIENCE is utilized to allow everyone to grow until they are ready to move into another state.

Before an audience, we taste the present energy to determine the
appropriate timing and movements. It sounds difficult, but it is simply through the expression of your internal state in response to WHAT IS that a performance unfolds. It is this raw immediacy which I feel cultivates a very high state of being. Which brings me to another aspect of this kind of performance that I am envisioning.

When you witness a performance that is particularly powerful to you, it is more often then not because the performer is no longer filling a role but has transcended the ACT and is actually FEELING what the character is attempting to convey. When the performer FEELS in this way it creates a resonant response within the observer which remarkably parallels the feeling within the performer. This is why live theatre can be so compelling.

SO, if one is to concede that this is in fact a phenomena that occurs
within the realm of performance, I ask the question: What happens when a performer, commanding the attention of an entire gathering, actually experiences the feeling of entering his HIGHEST SELF?

Which leads to the question:

What happens when a gathering of people actually feel THEMSELVES
resonating with their highest sense of purpose and being?

I've been lucky enough to witness this happening on a few occasions, and I must tell you, it is AWESOME, in the true sense of the word. Curiously, the highest states I have witnessed a collective
consciousness reach have not been during a scheduled performance, but usually occur spontaneously and unexpectedly, often in response to an apparent break-down of the show (cops shutting it down, for example).

I am so enamoured with this phenomena that it has become my mission to understand what kind of environment cultivates this state of being. It is a great challenge. Too much structure seems to channel the energy in such a way that the group is never given access to move the energy in a way that they can own. thus preventing a true sense of collectivity from being born. Too little structure however, often results in dispersed and depleted energy, never focusing enough to create the feeling of connection.

Thus, the hypothetical performance I have suggested. Instead of
schedules, the facilitators/performers monitor the energy of the
attendance to determine the appropriate timing for changes. The
intention is to support the group with new, yet flexible structures for
energy as it rises to higher states. In general, I feel overt authority
("May I have your attention please") extinguishes the sensation of
collectivity. Ideally, I'd like to experience changes occuring so smoothly that there is never any need to make any kind of dissruptive announcement. Acts (or whatever you want to call them) would evolve in such a way that attention would draw to them in a natural and easy way, and dissipate or end abruptly (as the occasion merits) when attention begins to falter.

There is much that I am eager to try and experiment with in creating these environments and any help you can provide in the form of logistical knowledge is greatly appreciated.

If the suggestions I have presented remind of some other work or
writing you have seen or read, I would be very greatful for the leads. Any kind of documentation on group exercizes which draw out creativity and spontaneous action are of value.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!
If you find this exciting or would like to participate in some way, please contact me.
I appreciate your attention.