Jeff Jones
A practicum on making an assembly play
November 2008 (dates TBA)

Deadline for application: Sept 15.

The search for an alternative to conventional, sentimental theatre has always boiled down to finding a robust and flexible alternative to the traditional play form. The solution which has emerged in recent years is a structure I've labeled the "assembly," which can be simply defined as a montage of at least two distinct source texts separated by obvious edits or "joins." However, works as different as Jason Grote's 1001, Complicite's Mnemonic, Anne Washburn's “I Have Loved Strangers” and Kirk Lynn's “Lipstick Traces” (as well as films such as Haynes's “I'm Not There” and Kaufman's “Adaptation”) suggest not only the form's plasticity, but the range of discourses and performance styles it will support.

This class will be a practical, "hands-on" lab on the techniques and processes of assembly construction. Through exercises and demonstrations, the course will cover:

• Selecting source texts (what works, what doesn't; what to look for, what to avoid);
• Shaping source texts (getting down to the "good stuff")
• Building up text threads (where to cut; where to space)
• Weaving threads into assemblies (establishing interconnections, through-lines and macrostructures)

The course will also include a brief theoretical overview, and analysis and discussions of representative examples. NOTE: Because this course involves hands-on, in-class editing and construction, the use of laptop computers will be essential for full participation.

Class fee: $275

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