On this page you will see an Interview for the Australian Circus & Physical Theatre Association, and, a Review of the FrankenKlown show Chaplin's Eye.
THE BIG INTERVIEW
From The Peripheral to The Mainstream - an interview with Ira Seidenstein, Performer, Academic and out-of-the-box thinker.
How esoteric art and popular culture collide
Abi: How did you become interested in the academic side of performance?
Ira: Although I had some particular performance influences as a child, I fell into theatre at the beginning of my university study in Liberal Arts (Sociology, Political Science, Literature, French, Psychology). Performance at the time had three points of interest or thrill: a) fun and adventure b) physicality and social interaction c) as a phenomenon, that is, something ‘strange’ in a zone different than my everyday pursuits. Our theatre ensemble was semi-professional in that some of the members were from outside of the university and were professionals.
One professional actor was a clown, juggler, magician and comedian. That was Art Jennings, Jr. whose father Art Jennings, Sr. was a clown and a founder of the International Jugglers Association. Another professional actor, Tony Yenias was a teacher of languages (English, French, Greek, Latin, and Italian). Tony trained as an opera singer, and when we rocked up to our first reading/rehearsal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he had the play, the WHOLE play memorized. He had been in five productions of Dream. Our director and teacher was Trudy Scott. She had been a professional dancer and was also my first dance teacher. In Dream, I had these ideas to put in acrobatics and she always let me. I had never done acrobatics but I had some ideas and was allowed to do them.
For a variety show, I had an idea about two cats and started to choreograph that. The more I choreographed I realized how every movement actually had a movement or impulse before I could actually move. My brain had a bit of an explosion. In the same show I did a solo called “George, The Amazing Maniac”. I don’t know what I did, but I went nuts and was physically extreme in improvisation. Performance took over and led me to the circus and clown. Trudy and Art were direct influences in that shift, but Trudy always said that at some point I should finish my degree and go on to a doctorate since I was already developing many theoretical ideas and was also testing each one on stage and in productions.
I kept enrolling in university courses as I landed somewhere new. Some of these courses I completed and some I didn’t. I also over time pursued four alternative courses that were not university courses. Those four courses were the Dell’ Arte School in the USA, graduate of the Berkeley Psychic Institute’s Advanced Program, trained as an Iyengar Yoga teacher with Martyn Jackson in Bondi Junction, and trained in the Tipheres program at the Rabinical College of America. Apparently I like variety and learning. I had a gut feeling to return to Australia after years of touring overseas. So in 2000 I was offered a 2-year fixed contract at CSU-Wagga Wagga as a lecturer in acting and theatre. I completed my M.A. in that time, the thesis was “The Actors Body in the Space of the Theatre” and the project was a documentary-play “And Then They Came For Me” the story of Eva Geiringer-Schloss, Eva was Anne Frank’s stepsister. Eva came to Sydney for our production at the Powerhouse and during her stay spoke with the audience afterwards and answered their questions.
Some projects later (incl. theatre, knockabout acrobatics, and circus) I moved to Brisbane s-t-o-p and pursue my Ph.D., that thesis is “From the Liminal to the Visceral: What is the nature of Embodied Practices, Creativity and Integral Learning?”
Abi: So then how does your research relate to the practical side of circus and physical theatre?
Ira: By coincidence, my move to Brisbane (2002) coincided with the performance of Frank Theatre’s new direction with Doll Seventeen. Due to my positive response to the show and research, the company director’s asked me to see and try their training. I began to train and they asked me to become a company member. In January 2005 following the Frank directors’ request for me to direct a short piece, I created FrankenKlowns to test my view that the Frank-Suzuki (Suzuki Tadashi) methods, and my own Quantum Theatre methods could meet with clown. The gist of my theory is that different methods and theories can meet amicably: this is called The Quantum Point. Theorist Ken Wilber writes of such integral synergy.
During my stint as artistic director of Sweden’s national circus high school (students 16-20yrs old) I realigned the program according to Quantum Theatre and gave the students academic assignments for them to attack creatively and physically in ANY way they chose. The 4 year B.A. in circus at the Moscow school meant that the students had a vast influence of ideas in discussion and they got to see continuous productions in opera, dance, theatre. They had to read 10 (TEN!!!) plays a week! Through this pursuit of reading so many plays, they were exposed to great range of ideas and ‘theories’.
Ultimately the circus needs theory. Dance, modern dance, as established in universities in the USA (the key notable program was at the University of Salt Lake!) had a very rich theoretical drive. Rather than the circus today reinventing the ‘wheel’ it would be good to look at the successful programs in dance that combine theory, strong techniques such as classical ballet (that is scientific, and has its own theoretical history), combined with softer techniques such as yoga (that is also scientific and has the most advanced theoretical treasure chest). The movie “What the bleep do we know” reminds as that the body IS almost a theoretical laboratory. We ARE in outer space, we are constantly spinning in orbit. We are on the move. The body is alive with a continuous electro-chemical transformation. Quantum Theatre for example can be applied directly to circus or dance it simply shows the principles of any functioning technique in performance. It locates the research palate as the body and the individual’s own intellectual interests.
So, circus and physical theatre meet in the anatomy, physiology and theory, but not necessarily in physical techniques, styles, art forms or aesthetics. One can readily refer to the pursuits of the Bauhaus as a good point of reference, or maybe some obscure peeking into Goethe’s time of the Weimar, or the work of Max Reinhardt, Meyerhold and of course Copeau, all of who were activists in ‘body meets brains’.
Abi: And how do you view the future of the industry?
Ira: The future of the circus and physical theatre industry desperately needs theory. There are OF COURSE many practitioners that r-e-a-d and study theories of all sorts. There is one theory though that dominates practice and that is ‘post-modernism’ and a non-historical perspective. Some people in Australia, for example, that teach clown, for example never knew who “Mo” was (he also had a partner!). Beyond being ‘a’ clown, “Mo” was perhaps the most popular entertainer in Australia’s history and George Wallace was right up there with him. George had a partner (who was still performing, or last performed more accurately in 2002).
Wendy Blacklock was the main actress when a new kid on the block was just having a go. The new kid was Barrie Humphries. I seriously wonder how many clown teachers here have ever seen Barrie perform live. Barrie could be described in many ways. But having seen Barrie aka Dame Edna, Les Patterson, Sandy Stone, Lance Boil l-i-v-e, one can say Barrie may be one of the finest physical theatre performers. Judging by the audience reactions in the dozen or so live performances of his I have witnessed then he may be the inheritor of “Mo” and George (Wallace) mantel as most popular. Of course Barrie and “Mo” had perhaps different politics. “Mo” may have been the first president or activist of Equity?
History has much to explain about the future. I believe though any national(ist) agenda hampers the ‘Australian’ development of circus and physical theatre. It is great to see ‘others’ performing as core members of Circus Oz! It is great to see so many ‘others’ as teachers at NICA. The future of circus and physical theatre needs to recognize more multi and more cultures. I also believe that dance, and particular classical ballet has an extreme wealth of knowledge, history and wisdom to offer circus and physical theatre. It is hard to say that Sydney Dance and Bangara are not physical theatre. As an extreme example Sydney Dance’s Tivoli was certainly physical theatre as was The Producers. That does not mean that you have to like either. But understanding more about dance (particularly ballet) and its influence on many ‘physical theatre’ and ‘circus’ performers is essential to get the future brighter.
Abi: Do you ever envision a time when circus and physical theatre will have as much artistic kudos as the ballet or the opera, and/or as much mainstream appeal as commercial film and television?
Ira: Love ‘em or not, Cirque du Soleil has placed circus and physical theatre directly up there with the others’ artistic kudos. Also, one should recognize that in Europe, circus and clown have been up there with the highest kudos of the times. Clowns such as Grock, Charlie Rivel, Pio Nock, Dimitri, Yuri Nikulin, Cantinflas etc were up there in their own time. Some such as Chaplin, Keaton were at the top of artistic kudos, and may not have the direct kudos but they do have the artistic merit. Slava is opening the dimension again.
Abi: So if this mainstreaming occurs (or has occurred) will we need to find a more dynamic polemic to replace circus and physical theatre as a viable, challenging and accessible alternative to mainstream culture and highbrow art?
Ira: I am not sure that I understand the question, but I think that this is occurring via Cirque du Soleil and Slava and via theatre pursuits such as: Robert Lepage, Japanese dance-theatre, Leni-Bosso(!!!!), puppeteer-actor Ronnie Burket, and as was shown recently Stephen Berkoff is perhaps the Prince of Polemic.
Abi: How do we bridge the gap between academia and live circus and physical theatre performance? How can we improve the dialogue between academia and circus and physical theatre practitioners?
Ira: I know that many of our top circus and physical theatre artists have a lively intellectual reality that may be private. I believe they/we need to offer their brains as much as their brawn. Without shifting into victim mode, much of their brain is used in the pursuit of grants. And that is gross drain on their actual intellectual vitality. Again, staying o-u-t of victim mode, this choice to pursue the grant thing is part of a social culture within the actual arts community. Again, “What the bleep do we know” hints clearly that the mind is an amazing tool. It is actually a choice to use ones intellectual vitality to pursue grants when in fact, the universe may have other options. This is understandably a touchy subject (never discuss money, politics or religion), but you asked the question and I am trying to see if I can find an answer that adds to a shift (“…do we know”) rather than reinforce a belief (we do know).
Abi: Where does your own work fit into this picture, from theory to practical application?
Ira: Oy vey Maria! “Well!” (that’s a quote from Jack Benny). I have enjoyed retreating periodically from the theatre (theatre to me includes circus, dance, performing arts) to pursue some other aspect of my soul or spirit and this has always been to pursue some theory or idea or ideal. I found that if I pursued my academic or intellectual work with my heart and my body it has, so far, magically connected me deeper to the practical i.e. to the theatre. Max Wall (England’s famed clown) was asked his philosophy of life and his reply was “One thing leads to another”.
Recently my years with Frank Theatre and their use of Suzuki Actor Training Method, combined collaborating with their off shoot women’s group Brides of Frank, and combined with my doctoral thesis has somehow brought me back to one of my deepest passions, clown. Thanks to colleagues’ offerings and encouragement and with a great team, five of us created a new show “Chaplin’s Eye”. On stage it is anti-thesis of intellectual, yet it is completely informed by theory of Suzuki Tadashi as applied in Frank and Brides of Frank, as well as “Quantum Theatre: Slapstick to Shakespeare”.
If you didn’t ask the right questions, I couldn’t delve into my thoughts deep enough. Abi, your pursuit of theory has practical application by learning to ask and keep asking and that will in time provide better applications in the future. Thanks for the questions!
Abi: My pleasure!
 | Jane Barber, Kristen Duffus, Chaplin’s Eye photo Simon Stahn |
Beamingly clutching a small brown suitcase, Femmla (Kristen Duffus) innocently enters the bright sunlight of the sensual world and ingenuously invites the audience to participate in her attempts at positioning this sole prop on a bare stage. The action resembles changing household furniture, but Duffus finely indicates that, beneath Femmla’s emulation of the questionable ‘good taste’ of a home-decorator, an effervescent re-assembly and adjustment of self is in constant motion in relation to the changing sites of the object of desire. Femmla’s tentative coquettishness is the first flowering of a genuinely tender heart. After she departs, leaving the suitcase, the ultra feminine is troped by the attention-grabbing, determinedly lumpen and kleptomaniacal Zophtie (Jane Barber in thrall to a toe-tapping, banjo-plucking version of The Hills of Connemara). More crony than Crone, Barber wickedly succeeds in convulsively embodying uncontrollable natural forces, and celebrating wild desire. Zophtie is no softy either—or is she? She has no qualms about stealing the suitcase.
Femmla returns with a bigger green suitcase denoting different, burgeoning qualities. From this Zophtie appropriates stockings and stole by sleight of hand, and, in a scene reminiscent of a classic confrontation between Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, Femmla joyously discovers her aggression and bumps Zophtie off the case. Zophtie cries and cries. Innocence and Experience converge when Femmla consoles Zophtie with a rainbow umbrella. Cue for the entrance of Lanky (Andrew Cory). If Femmla is heart and Zophtie libido, Lanky crankily depicts the vagaries of the mind by adopting the Commedia fly lazzi as his stock in trade (the fly does not exist). In fact, he is a walking compendium of traditional Commedia character traits: Pantalone’s paranoia; Dottore’s illusions about himself; and Harlequin’s imagining objects that aren’t there. Cory blends these elements of his performance masterfully. By contrast to the women, Lanky is always suspicious and controlling in relationship to objects, but is easily controlled in turn by Zophtie who literally mesmerises him with her umbrella.
Clever lighting design, recalling the opening sequence of Les Enfants du Paradis, signals the appearance of Pirouette (Kayt Douglas). The shift is from the quotidian sensual realm to the sensuous, sublunar regions ruled by Dionysus and the imagination. As if blown about in high atmospherics, Douglas introduces a delectably light tone which helps reconfigure the overall spatial composition and brightens the pace. Everything becomes possible, and the descent of Charlie Chaplin (Ira Seidenstein) from the gods is just such an epiphany. This advent is a bitter-sweet return of the proletarian Everyman that Chaplin once represented in the iconography of the arts. In Seidenstein’s hands, it is uncanny. After a life time of clowning, he provides a meticulous metronome to the ensuing slapstick choreography which becomes more intricate and labyrinthine, more democratic than antagonistic, as the clown characters (who somehow maintain their individual poise and rhythm) dissolve into shamanic ‘bags of bones’ and reconstitute themselves in a continuous recycling of the death and resurrection game. Charlie presents Femmla with a flower, and the mechanism begins to wind down. There is a moment of psychic (or social) integration when the rest of the cast proffer flowers from offstage, then a series of dissolving group snapshots with the double photographic message: ‘I am/was here.’
It is not disparaging to call this work light. It is full of light.
Chaplin’s Eye, producer/performer Andrew Cory, devisor/director/performer Ira Seidenstein, performers Jane Barber, Kayt Douglas, Kristen Duffus, lighting David Lee, costume design Tiffany Beckwith Skinner; Sue Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, Nov 24-Dec 3, 2005
*Chaplin’s Eye will appear in the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival
RealTime issue #71 Feb-March 2006 pg. 31 © Doug Leonard