Devising Theatre Performance: Curious Methods [Paperback]

A hands-on guide for artists, students, and teachers of devised theater, at any stage of their practice.

This book is packed with thoughtful exercises distilled from twenty-five years of interdisciplinary artist workshops and teaching devising and performance making at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Created and curated by Leslie Hill and Helen Paris, artists who work internationally at the interface of academia and professional practice, this collection provides exercises for devising, composing, and editing original works. The exercises are clear and accessible, enhanced with vivid examples from contemporary performance practice and relevant political contexts. Moreover, the authors offer tools for giving and receiving feedback, fostering critical reflection, and framing artistic work within academic research contexts. Hill and Paris’s compelling approach does more than merely provide performance recipes; it highlights the vital cultural relevance and potential personal impact of the creative explorations that the authors invite us to undertake.Helen Paris and Leslie Hill are the codirectors and founders of Curious, a theater company based in the United Kingdom. They are the coauthors ofPerforming Proximity: Curious Intimacies.