Working in an Ensemble

I think you need a few good ingredients in your recipe to make good quality performance as an ensemble.

Here are some thoughts…

First, you must be drawn together by a common idea. Not just desperate to make art or wishing to show the art in you to the world, but some basic premise that you are starting from. My own is around telling stories, I am a lover of the good story and that idea makes me make theatre for an audience. Work with people that share your idea.

Second, you should share passion. It’s immediately noticeable when someone doesn’t have the same passion as you, it’s immediately obvious when they do. Work with people with a shares passion.

Third, you should have a technique, some over-arching aesthetic holding it all together demonstrated through a way of working together. Derive a technique from the group or train the group in a technique. Share the technique, don’t hide it, show others.

Lastly, you must have the strength of character to see out problems in the dynamics of the group, be unafraid to walk away if necessary.

Working with an ensemble of like minds, is thrilling, stimulating, possibly the most creative time you can experience. It is when we are part of an ensemble, that belonging to the collective reminds us of our individualism.