if . . .

"The theatre moves, illuminates, disquiets, disturbs, lifts the spirit, reveals, provokes and violates conventions. It is a conversation shared with society. Theatre is the first art to confront emptiness, shadows and silence to make words, movement, lights and life surge forth." ( World Theatre Day International Message 2006 Víctor Hugo Rascón-Banda Playwright) - See: Theater :: note :: ... each year the rhetoric seems more & more forced ...

- See: Image :: note :: ... at the Kenderdine Gallery (U of S) ... filling&floating all things blown ... a slow release emptying&bursting into nothingness ... rise&fall from form into formless invisibility ... shapeless shapes ... wonderful paradox ...

Saskatchewan Uncommon Views Photographer John Conway - See: Artists :: note :: ... seeing place with freshness and clarity ...

"Stage director whose passion launched a worldwide movement for educational theatre in schools" ... (Guardian Unlimited. Brian Way ) - See: Memorium :: note :: ... the grandfather of drama as education ... had the pleasure of working with Brian ever so briefly during his stay in Regina, SK Canada ... a wise elder, at the time, youthful in presence & energy ... an infectious passion ... share his writings with my students of today ... thank you for your gifts & peace be with you ...

"For Love makes his assaults so suddenly Most vital spirits desert and, as they do Only one spirit remains alive in me, One spirit left because it speaks of you." (Dante Alighieri. New Life . translation J.G. Nichols) - See: Quotes :: note :: ... oh the divine comedy ...

My EFL students are repeat victims of institutional violence. When given the opportunity to take control of their learning, they get nervous, confused, and irritable; and like sailors on a sinking ship, they look desperately for rescue . . . (APCAMPBELL | Violence in the Classroom ) - See: Education :: note :: ... loaded words ... this post has been bookmarked for months waiting for release ... deleting a bookmark might free a certain emotional frustration ... doubt it though ... thoughtful & deliberate consideration may follow emotional pollution ... communication may follow provocation ... hope follows cynicism ... to truly liberate a bookmark, an emotion, a concept, a ... vigil ... attention ...

oh this wandering this gathering of tools to prepare oneself & recognize to leave what is known and walk vulnerable into the void climbing, listening, observing, being still humbly - See: Writing

. . . the power of youth in performance . . . a vitality to enter with a fullness & abandon . . . paradise regained . . . a carefully studied & deeply trained actor working his craft on the words of Shakespeare . . . a rough uncut diamond testing her limits moving beyond imitation through interpretation . . . dancers enraptured with the tradition of pure exuberent movement by sharing self . . .  share lent - share the arts . . . the experience of participation . . . education as the practice of freedom . . . knowing oneself & the dialogue . . . to all the students a huge hug and to the educators who create this critical consciousness an even greater heartfelt thanks . . . - See: Education

. . . the power of youth in performance . . . a vitality to enter with a fullness & abandon . . . paradise regained . . . a carefully studied & deeply trained actor working his craft on the words of Shakespeare . . . a rough uncut diamond testing her limits moving beyond imitation through interpretation . . . dancers enraptured with the tradition of pure exuberent movement by sharing self . . . share lent - share the arts . . . the experience of participation . . . education as the practice of freedom . . . knowing oneself & the dialogue . . . to all the students a huge hug and to the educators who create this critical consciousness an even greater heartfelt thanks . . . - See: Education

- See: Politics

. . . the open lesson . . . acting students open their 'work' to an interested public . . . the question "what is the lesson?" hung in the air as the students bravely, though for the most part, presented ill-prepared material around the theme Hospitals . . . what is the actor's research? . . . the actor's processes? . . . what is theater? . . . questions which circulated as the action began . . . two hours later very little remained but shallow wallowing in pools of dissipated energy . . . . . . most of the material hinted at the compellingly humane which unfortunately resolved into the hopelessly mundane . . . there was movement but no developed study of the movement . . . no attempt to test limits or boundaries of space & time whether physical, imaginary or theatrically . . . . . . the students exercised a presentational stance - posturing and playing for an audience who might catch much of their 'in-joke' humour and pathos . . . the overlong imp...

snowflower solitude in a heartbreakbeat love at last sight - See: Poetry :: note :: ... the question does time heal ...

Short Talk On His Draughtmanship He would encourage me to move about the studio. Would not give me a pose. Drew without looking at the paper. Drew on the floor. Follow the lines, he would say, watch the surroundings. A thin arm makes a face sadder. Describing shadows he grew small, rascally. (Anne Carson. Short Talks . Short Talk On His Draughtmanship. 18) - See: Artists Short Talk on His Theatricality Strong, bold movements in space create the will. Quality would instill desire. Just do, the silent voice encouraged. Follow the impulses, the associations and always look outside yourself. A slow breath creates tension. Sinking back into the wall he dissolved into a laugh. (Raymon Montalbetti. Short Talks . Short Talk Theatricality.) :: note :: ... for Zygmunt  ... 

Short Talk on Gertrude Stein about 9.30 How curious. I had no idea! Today has ended. (Anne Carson. Short Talks . Short Talk on  Gertrude Stein. 17) - See: Artists Short Talk on Jerzy Grotowski about 1.30 Revelation.  See it! Everyday is a holiday. (Raymon Montalbetti. Short Talks . Short Talk on Jerzy Grotowski.) :: note :: ... why 1.30? ... my knowledge on the work of theater master Jerzy Grotowski, after a lifetime of study, is only in the early afternoon ... 

Short Talk on Geisha The question of geisha and sex has always been complex. Some do, some don't. In fact, as you know, the first geisha were men (jesters and drummers). There risky patter made the guests laugh. But by 1780 'geisha' meant woman and the glamorous business of the tea houses had been brought under government contol. Some geisha were artists and called themselves 'white'. Others with nicknames like 'cat' or 'tumbler' set up shacks every night on the wide riverbed, to vanish by dawn. The important thing was, someone to yearn for. Whether the quilt was long, or the night was too long, or you were given this place to sleep or that place to sleep, someone to wait for until she is coming along and the grass is stirring, a tomato in her palm. (Anne Carson. Short Talks . Short Talk on  Geisha. 16) - See: Artists Short Talk on Transvestite The question of transvestite and gender has always been complex. Who does and doesn't. Even though it i...

Short Talk on Chromo-luminarism Sunlight slows down Europeans. Look at all those spellbound people in Seurat. Look at Monsieur, sitting deeply. Where does a European go when he is 'lost in thought'? Seurat - they old dazzler - has painted that place. It lies on the other side of attention, long lazy boatride from here. It is a Sunday rather than a Saturday afternoon there. Seurat has made this clear by a special method. Ma Methode, he called it, rather testily, when we asked him. He caught us hurrying through the chill green shadows like adulterers. The river was opening and closing its stone lips. The river was pressing Seurat to its lips. (Anne Carson. Short Talks . Short Talk on  Chromo-luminarism. 15) - See: Artists Short Talk on Aura Drippings cause chaos. Ask Pollack before he crashed into catastrophe. Where does an artist go before facing death? Pollack moved to the rhythm of dark places. He splashed and dripped with obsessive precision marking timeless patterns that com...

Short Talk on Hopes Soon I hope to live in a totally rubber house. Think how quickly I will be able to get from room to room! One good bounce and you're there. I have a friend whose hands were melted off by a fire bomb during the war. Now, once again, he will learn to pass the bread at the dinner table. Leaning is life. I hope to invite him over this evening in fact. Learning is the same colour as life. He says things like that. (Anne Carson. Short Talks. Short Talk on Hopes. 14) - See: Artists Short Talk on Longing I long to walk the bottom of the river. Think about holding your breath for days. Or gills instead of ears. I have a friend whose teeth fell out because of a rare gum disease. He was Utnapishtim, the keeper of immortality. He taught the art of vodka drinking. I long to stay sober. Wisdom needs youth. Does that mean anarchy is a rule? what else can be expected from holding your breath. (Raymon Montalbetti. Short Talks. Short Talk on Longing.) :: note :: ... for Oleg ...

Short Talk on Homo Sapiens With small cuts Cro-Magnon man recorded the moon's phases on the handles of his tools, thinking about her as he worked. Animals. Horizon. Face in a pan of water. In every story I tell comes a point where I can see no further. i hate that point. It is why they call storytellers blind - a taunt. (Anne Carson. Short Talks. Short Talk on Homo Sapiens. 13) - See: Artists Short Talk on Imitation With short breaths the speaker recorded vowel patterns on the ocean sands dreaming about the other. Monologue. Dialogue. Echo. A singing bowl in a pail of water. In every scene there comes a point where action silences. I listen for that point. It is why Plato called actors fools - imitators. (Raymon Montalbetti. Short Talks. Short Talk on Imitation.) :: note :: ... learn through following forms ... see how far it goes ...

Early one morning the words were missing. Before that, words were not. Facts were, faces were. In a good story, Aristotle tells us, everything that happens is pushed by something else. One day someone noticed there were stars but no words, why? I've asked a lot of people, I think it is a good question. Three old women were bending in the fields. What use is it to question us? they said. Well it shortly became clear they knew everything there is to know about the snowy fields and the bluegreen shoots and the plant called 'audacity' that poets mistake for violets. I began to copy out everything that was said. The marks construct an instant of nature gradually, without the boredom of a story. I emphasize this. I will do anything to avoid boredom. It is the task of a lifetime. You can never know enough, never work enough, never use the infinitives and participles oddly enough, never impede the movement harshly enough, never leave the mind quickly enough. In 53 fascicles I copie...

... performance of Grass Jelly & A Ble Wail ... - See: Theater Work