On Participating in ParaTheatrical ReSearch Labs
©2008 Antero Alli (updated 1/25/2012)
THE OVERALL AIMS OF THIS WORK
-- to expand access to the internal landscape towards its full-bodied expression.
-- to increase flexibility of the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies
-- to interact with others from a place of heightened autonomy and integrity
FEELING THE BODY DEEPLY
This work is physically demanding. Each session begins with a 30-minute rigorous physical warm-up cycle aimed at meeting the overall objective of feeling the body deeply. Jogging is used to implement various internal techniques for sourcing energies in the body and for training the attention. If you have physical injuries that might inhibit jogging and movement, you will be discouraged from participating until you heal.
THIS PROCESS IS NONVERBAL
In the initial training of this work (the BASICS Labs), no text or verbal language is used. The processes and techniques innate to this medium are learned and applied in silence or through specific nonverbal vocalizations (text and language are sintegrated when a given group works towards public performance).
A NON-PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH
There is no audience and no "show and tell" in this work. The pressure to perform is released and replaced by the self-created pressures of increasing personal commitment to the actions at hand, and whatever conditions, energies, and states of being are accessed and expressed. This process also occurs free from any recorded music or live musical accompaniment.
THE ASOCIAL ELEMENT
This work occurs in an asocial climate. Asocial doesn't mean "anti-social"; this is not a socially hostile environment. However, the paratheatre workspace is no place to look for mates, friends, or a group to belong to. A unique quality of group unity can eventually emerge over time as each individual deepens their commitment to their internal sources as a basis for interacting with others from higher levels of individual integrity and autonomy - two core values in this paratheatre.
NOT GROUP THERAPY
This paratheatre work is not group therapy. Though this process can become cathartic and offer genuine therapeutic results, it would be a mistake to confuse it for group psychotherapy, or psychodrama, or the director as a therapist. To minimize this psychodrama trap, all participants are asked to take a pledge of responsibility for their own safety and well being while working in this medium. Those unwilling and/or unable to do so are discouraged from participating until they are ready to commit to their own safety.
WHY DO THIS WORK?
There are many motives for doing this work. Some do it to get high, to engage ecstatic and rapturous states. This hedonic motive tends to disperse after four or five sessions when development in this medium demands deeper motives than personal pleasure. Others do paratheatre as a vehicle for self-work, to expose and uproot unwanted behaviors and cultivate new patterns of response and expression. Many do paratheatre to expand access to creative states for their artistic projects. Some approach paratheatre as a spiritual practice, or yoga. Others want to learn new physical and internal techniques for their exisiting ritual practices and/or their public performances as singers, dancers, and actors. Some find value in the unique asocial nature of this group work as a novel way of relating with others and the world.
Reasons why not to do paratheatre:
romantic liaisons, looking for friends, seeking approval from others
or the director, fulfilling the need for family, friends, or community.
On the selection criteria for participation.
Preliminary prerequisites:
1) 24 years or older (some exceptions may apply)
2) physically fit and good overall health (no physical or internal organ injuries)
3) survival needs met (means of income, shelter, friends outside of Lab)
TALENT, SKILL, AND SELF-COMMITMENT
Each person is interviewed on their own merits and experience. Professional portfolios, resumes, and websites are not as important as commitment. Without a strong force of commitment, no work of any true value can result in this medium. Self-commitment expresses your decision to actively and fully apply yourself to whatever state you're in and to whatever you are doing. This paratheatre work demands a high level of commitment to being present first to yourself and then, to others.
Talent and skill are also noted. Talent conveys your depth and fluidity of access to creative states. Skill expresses the dexterity and precision demonstrated in articulating creative states. Our aim in this work is to nurture both talent and skill towards their dynamic balance. Though skill and talent are important, they are not as critical as commitment, without which no real development of skill or talent can occur.
More on this paratheatre process...
PARATHEATRE IS NOT IMPROVISATION
Paratheatre is not 'improvisation', as commonly defined and used in performance or the theatre. Unlike actors onstage, we do not feed off each other's cues or personal energy. The act of wanting energy from others includes any active process -- conscious and unconscious -- of fulfulling theatrical, performance, and social objectives to achieve personal ends or in theatre, the ends dictated by the character, the scene, the director, and/or the written script.
The first stage of paratheatre begins after these objectives are relaxed and replaced by an increasing commitment to an internal dependence on verticality. As vertical commitment reaches its apex, internal Presence develops a greater chance to organically blossom as an offering to others, while we are acted on by the unfolding Presence of others and the group as a whole. This unique asocial interaction initiates advanced paratheatre work and why little or no interaction occurs in the initial training processes of the BASICS Labs.
THE CRUX TECHNIQUE OF NO-FORM
A technique we call No-Form acts as the heart of this ritual technology. Without it, the quality of work can easily corrupt into play-acting and the pretentious posturing. No-Form refers to an awareness of our potential state and our capacity for relaxing our social persona to cultivate profound internal receptivity. Though certain conditions can be conducive to its direct experience, No-Form cannot really be taught but must be discovered for oneself. The first function of No-Form is to cultivate enough internal receptivity to detect and access vital currents of energy in the body itself as movement and vocal resources. The second function of No-Form is to discharge and disidentify with these energies after they're engaged and expressed. No-Form is used as a tool, not an end in itself, to engage and disengage forces of energy sourced in the body itself.
ENTRY TO ALL LABS BY INVITATION &/OR INTERVIEW
If you have never worked in this medium with Antero before,
requests for in-person interview appointments can be made at:
vertical [email protected] or [email protected]
or leave phone message @ 510-464-4640. All inquiries welcome.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN ACCEPTED INTO A LAB
You can expect to work. Though this work is physically and emotionally demanding, it does not engage confrontation with others but Self-confrontation. You can expect to confront your own limitations, movement cliches, internal resistances and rigidities, prejudices, and obsolete behaviors, beliefs, and other habits that drain your power and inhibit your capacity for direct experience and spontaneous response. You can also expect to celebrate your autonomy and integrity. Everyone moves at their own pace and chooses when, and when not, to interact with others. Interaction with others in this work is never forced.
After acceptance into a Lab, please click this.
LAB SCHEDULES AND FEES
There are three or four Labs conducted each year -- each one begins around the Equinox or Solstice points. Every Spring and Autumn, BASICS Labs allow newcomers to learn the fundamental techniques and training processes. Summer and winter labs are reserved for "vets only " (at least two prior Lab experiences; some exceptions may apply). Each Lab is limited to eight participants.
Lab fees vary. BASICS (newbie) Lab fees run between $160 and $200 for 6-8 weeks (meeting once a week for 3 hours each session). VETS Labs meet once or twice a week for 8-12 weeks; summer VETS labs meet once a week for 6-8 weeks. Since vets require less training, their Lab fees are always less than the BASICS "newbie" Labs. Development in this time-intensive medium requires consistent attendance. If you plan to miss more than two sessions per Lab, you are discouraged from applying (Lab fee can be applied as credit to future labs).
-- ANTERO ALLI, director/founder
ParaTheatrical ReSearch, Berkeley CA USA
relevant links
"Paratheatre: F.A.Q."
Infrequently Asked Questions
Impact Stories
Previous participants share their experiences
Paratheatre Video Clips
excerpts from three full-length video documents
Articles on Paratheatre
by Antero Alli and others