Re: RAT Re: Betty Jane's Kitchen

[gaby <gaby@ratconference.com>]

>Conversation is an action. Learning (remebering and sharing the fruits of
conversatinon) is an action. Performing is an action.  We're doing plenty.
As a feature of a national culture (de facto; in some way; whether we like
it or not) are we acting with effective focus? Meeting in the flesh focus
conversation... how do we move on to a collective focus on learning from one
another (in detail) and performing in a common context?<
-----------------------------------
We're not likely to get where we're
>going through rational argument and mental adventurism. Rat will become what
>it is through the experience of hospitality. We will become something new,
>distinct from immediately available models, when our polity centers on the
>exact action of breaking bread.
>
>Heard this morning:
>
>"Every celeb-
>rat-
>ion
>
>contains a
>RAT...
>
>Radience
>And
>Transfiguration"
>
>- e
>

Ultimately, the reason I continue to wearily slog through the rat shit is
because when I get to the other side, the experience of Radience and
Transfiguration, Room and Transportation, celebRATion is the closest thing
to 'belonging' that I've been able to find on the (inter)national ART
landscape.  Breaking bread face to face in the atmosphere of hospitality in
someone else's home is a powerful thing.  And so I'm also constantly
occupied with the idea of gathering and trying to "move on to a collective
focus on learning from one another (in detail) and performing in a common
context."  I'm in the fourth of eight weeks here at Annex in Seattle.  As
we rehearse the play and live our lives, we're also consciously trying to
develop a model of how a Rat theatre artist can collaborate in another town
with another theatre:  jobs have been ferreted out, rooms have been
generously vacated and lovingly proffered, invitations to the inner
planning circle have been extended.  Like I said, it's a powerful thing.
And all along I'm witnessing an amazing model in action - Annex.  And I
keep thinking about how to bottle it and let others take a swig.  And I
know this is happening all over.  So all I can come up with for now is to
keep meeting, to plan another conference and share the information we've
all gathered and collectively refine and develop the next step.  Keep
plugging away.