Playwrights' Manifesto

1. What do you bring to a collaboration?

In traditional processes) the central rallying point for everyone’s efforts, a.k.a. the script; the skeleton around which the flesh is hung; the blueprint for the play

An understanding of story, narrative and mechanics, and a rigorous sense of Aristotelian structure

The story, the action, the dialogue

Some words, on a piece of paper

An eye toward the bigger picture

The hope/desire that whatever results will communicate something

A desire for everyone involved to know what it is we’re collectively trying to do

A willingness to listen to others' input; an open mind

A willingness to revise aggressively

A willingness to dream and brainstorm and take risks

To push ourselves and others to try new things...and to be brutal about when they're not working

Commitment and Reliability... doing our part

A spirit of cooperation

A sense of humor

Curiosity

Respect

Enthusiasm

Patience

Good cookies

Big hugs

A round of beer

2. What do you expect/demand from your collaborators?

Attention/Effort/Conscientiousness

Full commitment to the work

Commitment to selling choices 100%, even if they weren’t your choices

Imagination; a wellspring of ideas to contribute

To have an opinion, to state that opinion, to fight for that opinion, and the willingness to sometimes abandon that opinion

Intellectual/artistic rigor

Respect for the work that has already been put in

Respect for what the work could and should be

The ability to listen

A spirit of cooperation

A sense of common purpose

A sense of humor… take the work, but not yourself, seriously

Ambition...that you want what we're doing to be good

Responsibility/Reliability/Punctuality

Guts/Bravery/Risk-taking

Full, committed play

Freely-voiced, honest, uncompromising critique and discussion; critical acuity

I expect that performers not sit down in the rehearsal room, unless they're watching someone else perform

A generous spirit

Light heartedness

A sense of fun

Try saying the words at least a few times. We work together to make them sing.

3. Write a one-sentence description of collaboration.

In an ideal collaboration, all contributing artists bring the totality of their skills to a process where conversation doesn’t close, but decisions are made.

Designer Manifesto

DESIGNER MANIFESTO:

COLLABORATION:

"To work together to achieve a common goal that reaches beyond what any individual could accomplish on their own."

CONTRIBUTION:

-Create the sensory world of the play: set, costume, lighting, sound
-Develop layers of visual information that contribute to the storytelling: time period, cultural, personal, emotional, conceptual, etc.
-Interrogate the questions of “why here” and “why now” and search for relevancy of the production.
-Dedication to creating a cohesive story.
-Commitment and passion for the production
RESPONSIBILITY:

-Clear communication and concise decision making through design artifacts, discussion and negotiation.
-Awareness of context and implications behind choices.
-Respect and hear the ideas, and feedback of fellow collaborators.
-Willingness to revise and make amendments in order to better the production as a whole.
-Provide clear and accurate documentation/explanation of design elements.
-Serve the production and help to tell the story

EXPECTATION:

-To be an integral part of the decision making process through out.
-To be heard, respected, trusted and valued.
-To be recognized and fairly compensated for our work.

Directors Manifesto

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DIRECTORS MANIFESTO

“COLLABORATION”

February 5, 2009

Marie Brown, Halena Kays, and Luke Leonard

AS DIRECTORS WE PROMISE TO BRING…

Passion,
preparation,
praise,
patience,
proposals,
respect,
questions,
laughter,
a beginner’s mind,
a lens (for focus/clarity and perspective),
protection (for the entire process),
and a thermometer (to gauge when the work is getting hot).

IN RETURN WE EXPECT OUR COLLABORATORS…

To acknowledge their expertise,
generously allow others to speak the language of their expertise,
and bring passion,
respect,
preparation,
patience,
proposals,
questions,
and laughter.

WE DEFINE collaboration: come together to work.

Welcome to the "Collaboration Class" Blog

Hi All,

Welcome to the Collaboration Class blog.  This will be a place to continue the discussions begun in class, and to post...well, I'm not exactly sure yet, but to post whatever we need to/decide to post.  More on this later.  For now, get yourself signed up as an AUTHOR -- this class, and this website, will be a forum for ALL of us.