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group ritual dynamics in theory & practice
Berkeley, California, USA. Founded in 1977. Antero Alli, director.

This website serves the ongoing development of a
paratheatre medium created by Antero Alli that combines
techniques of theatre, dance, song and Zazen meditation
to access, express and embody the internal landscape in
private ritual labs, live performance, video documents
and public lectures. All inquiries welcomed.

e-mail
noform (at) paratheatrical (dot) com
or call 510-464-4640. att: Antero Alli

F.A.Q.
infrequently asked questions about "paratheatre"

what's new??
updated 5/5/08

PARATHEATRICAL RESEARCH CORE GROUP
click images for bio/info

Antero Alli, Sylvi Alli, Nick Walker

Robin Coomer, Julian Simeon, JoJo Razor

who we are
Director Bio & Filmography, Past & Current Participants,
Participant Testimonials, Affiliated Talent & Crew List

what we do
Introductory Reading Material, Lab Participation Prerequisites,
Dreambody/Earthbody Lab (Spring 2008), Public Event History,
Previous Lab Themes and Ritual Journal Entries

Throughout three decades of active work in this paratheatre medium, I have come to notice a consistency of stages or phases through which the work seems to progress and evolve. These three stages might correspond (roughly) to Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced paratheatre work. As all three stages are intimately entwined, even the most advanced paratheatre workers still return to the initial stages over and over, again. These stages do not represent any hierarchy but reflect a kind of multi-tiered model for viewing the process of development in this medium.

The first stage involves cultivatating enough internal receptivity -- via a deepening of the No-Form experience -- to energy sources in the body itself and then, to give these forces direct expression without imposing any preconceived outcome or "look". This first phase is devoted to Self-initiation, to accessing and expressing the internal landscape with minimal manipulation, and tends to be chaotic, loud, convulsive and "messy".

The second stage involves gentle application of a benevolent control and precision to clarify the forms and patterns that emerge from the spontaneity of the first stage. The intent here is with serving the direction of the energy itself, rather than dominating it with any preconceived idea, plan or image of how it should look.

The third stage requires a sustaining care for tempering spontaneous expression with more precision. Too much spontaneity turns the work into self-indulgent soup but too much imposed structure kills its life. A delicate balance must be struck. There is a special kind of the stamina for maintaining this dynamic tension that constitutes the third stage of work; a stamina for serving the expression of a more conscientious convulsion.

excerpted from
STATE OF EMERGENCE, Part 3
A Paratheatre Manifesto by Antero Alli

workbook, video and audio documents
"Towards an Archeology of the Soul" (the workbook)
"Crux", "Archaic Community" and "Orphans of Delirium" (dvds)
"Songs as Vehicles" (CD)

director interviews
discussions on various aspects of paratheatre

essays and articles
on various facets of paratheatre

State of Emergence
a 5-part paratheatre manifesto by Antero Alli

inquiries welcome
Address correspondence to Antero Alli
P.O. Box 7518, Berkeley, CA 94707 USA
voicemail: (510) 464-4640
electronic mail link

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