I think improv does change some of the expert/novice dynamic because its
a not-knowing activity--as Ana says no one "knows" where it is going. I
do think I think for me the prerequisite to listening and responding is
not knowing. It is impossible, not to mention not necessary, to listen
to people if we already "know" what they mean--it stops the process of
making meaning together.
I see this as different than equalizing people or making people
equal--in my experience when people improvise together all of the power
relationships are still there, but they are played with or used in the
process of creating the performance.
For example, there was one man and seven women in the group of teachers
that participated in the improv trainings. During the first couple of
weeks some of the women had reactions to the more his "more male"
performances--more vulgar or lifting up his shirt... In addition he was
the only one in the group with any theatre training so his performances
tended to be a little more polished. Over the course of the eight weeks
the group began to use his offers to create interesting scenes--they
began to use their more "honest" reactions to him to create playful
scenes about sex roles.
Carrie
> I loved the idea of improv leveling power differentials. That is a
major
> goal of various customs in the 5thD. It is, however, very threatening
to
> teachers who are working in regimes where they must appear to be in
> control all the time!
> mike
>
>
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