Reflecting on the solo aspect of the module is the first step in the process of devising performance.
Reading the preface to Extreme Exposure: an Anthology of Solo Performance Texts in the Twentieth Century by Jo Bonney, threw up interesting points of solo performance work. Reading the introduction to the anthology, gave an overall impression of what solo performance could be. Although solo performance is ‘not standup comedy, not cabaret, not one-character play, not lecture or reading or poetry’ (Bonney, 2000, p. xi) it can be an emulsion of all of these things, or not anything like these things at all.
The place in which the performance takes place is also important as this can vary from ‘mainstream theatres, alternative performance spaces, clubs, galleries and museums to abandoned storefronts and street corners.’ (Bonney, 2000, p. xii) This threw up more interesting ideas about where solo performances could take place. Although the final performances will be studio based, they could take place in other places. During the discussion about the text, the idea of making invisible theatre in a space such as a club would most likely go unnoticed due to the atmosphere of the venue and how others perceived the performance.
This discussion sparked ideas about performance style and areas in which we could research. Talking about our own lives also bought up points about the areas of our own lives that we could explore during the research and devising time.
Works Cited
Bonney, Jo (2000) Extreme Exposure: an Anthology of Solo Performance Texts in the Twentieth Century, New York: Theatre Communications Group
