Had another awesome class today at Urban Ministries.  For anyone who is unaware of our partnership with the good people at Urban Ministries' Artworks 945- check out our Outreach Page.  

Dear Machines, 

All this snow is turning me into a 50s era middle class house wife.  I spend lots of time baking, cleaning, and discreetly working through the bottle of Powers in the cupboard.  Matt, my intrepid brofriend, roommate, and collaborator, has gone to DC to visit his girlfriend- a voyage I understand and respect- yet it only heightens the housewife factor. "I hope Matt has the sense to pull over at a filling station if the weather becomes too treacherous.  I hope he eats those sandwiches I made him instead of wasting money at a root beer stand. I hope he hasn't fallen in with those older boys I've seen smoking cigarettes behind the drug store." 

Before I totally destroy my reputation as the Ultimate Badass Pirate Undead Gangsta Ninja Cowboy Outlaw Playboy of the Charlotte Theatre scene, I should say that while the snow might be turning me into a Stepford Wife, the inclement weather has also brought about great productivity for the old Machine.  We've got MUM'S THE WORD coming up at the Patchwerk Playhaus, Starting in March we will be offering acting classes in the Mosaic Technique with the lovely and brilliant Laurelei Ballard (more info coming soon), our work with the neighbors at Urban Ministries continues to flourish, the prospects of merchandise linger on the horizon,and finally, it gives me great pleasure to present you with an excerpt from what it is tentatively titled "Cornelius and Bartholomew", a new original work I'm developing with the beautiful and tenacious Barbi Van Schaik.  So, without further ado, I leave you with this draft of the opening song from C+B.


Cornelius and Bartholomew
Bartholomew and Cornelius

love is love, 
barney

Today was a little terrifying for me because Barney couldn't be at Urban Ministries so I had to (got to?) lead the session.

It started off a little scattered as we had quite a few new folks with us today and it took a little while to get everybody on the same page...and also because I am a scattered human being 85% of the time. The other 15% of the time I am a certified ninja.

After check in and housekeeping we played a favorite game of mine: "Yes/No/Maybe"...
 Basically the players improvise a scene with each other (in groups of two or three) in which the only words to use are "Yes" "No" and "Maybe".  Hilarity ensues and you usually end up getting some pretty good scenes.  It's a great way to open discussions about interpretation, as while every scene has the exact same words, they are inevitably very different in tenor and tone depending on the actors.

After "Yes/No/Maybe" we took turns reading a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and shared our interpretations, deciding that the piece (Constantly Risking Absurdity) had a lot to say about the danger inherent in self expression...in daring to share a piece of yourself through art. 

One of the Neighbors, Dukes, spoke eloquently of the power of silence and tension in communicating with an audience, and a new comer to the group, Lashonda talked about poetry/art as a way of seeing the world: "When God was on Earth there was nothing but Poetry" she said, which is in fact itself a poem!


In Other News:
There is a lot of Art happening in the community and you oughta see it!

*Children's Theatre of Charlotte opens Tales of a fourth grade nothing this week.  I loved the book when I was a kid and the team at work on this production is a top notch squad of inspired wierdos, including Machine Theatre's own Barbi Van Schaik.


*C.A.S.T has Our Lady of 121st Street up and running until February 5th.  There are some seriously rad performances happening in this foul mouthed and soulful production including Robert Haulbrook as a swishy drama empress with the largest wristwatch ever made. check it out at C.A.S.T's supercool space on Clement Avenue.


*Thursday night(Jan. 21) kicks off a 24hour performance art event at StorySlam called Platonic Voyage.  It's hosted by our friends at DuggDugg, a radical contemporary art collective based in Charlotte who host awesome parties while bringing forward thinking performance and installation art to Charlotte. They are also bad-ass painters.  for more info about Platonic Voyage and all things DuggDugg go to www.duggdugg.com


*Biniam Tekola is appearing in My First Time at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte and yes it is about that. I won't say anything else about this filthy filthy pornographic play but that it is up through January 23rd.


alright...I gotta run...there's things to do!
xoxo
matt

For Christmas this year, one of my fellow company members was kind enough to give me a copy of Finite and Infinite Games; A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility by James P. Carse.  The gift could not be more appropriate as my principles of performance center largely on the various aspects of game and play and how they translate to the stage.


This being the case, reading Carse's poignant and succinct manifesto has not only been both exciting and affirming, but has also resulted in the strangest of looks from my fellow bus riders when they see me openly weeping at Carse's beatific revelations in the midst of our morning adventures in public transit.


Firstly, I am not a simpering ninny who starts crying every time the buses are late.  On the contrary, I am a stoic veteran of the Charlotte Area Transit System, having been dependent on the bus and my bicycle ever since I moved back in the summer of '09. While I wouldn't call the experience especially fulfilling, there is a peculiar sort of pride that possesses me on the bus.  Or maybe it's just an aggressive front I put on in attempts to keep people from sitting next to me so I can sprawl out all over the back seat.  In any case- I am not regularly moved to tears by the experience of route 23.


Anyway, Carse begins his argument by establishing that all forms of play fall into one of two categories: finite games or infinite games.  While the former is played for the purpose of winning, the latter is played for the purpose of continuing the play.  The Superbowl makes an excellent example of a Finite game.  There are rules agreed upon by both teams, a regulated field of play, and a given time period for the game to take place.  On the other hand, Bill Watterson provides a classic example of the Infinite Game with the iconic Calvin and his trusty sidekick Hobbes in a joyous engagement of Calvinball.  No boundaries, no rules, no refs- the game is solely manifested through the delight of its' players. 
 

There are a host of criteria that distinguish the two types of game, but this essential definition is the cornerstone of his argument.


So what's all the fuss about?  Why do I get all misty over the intricacies of these games? Because Carse has been able to articulate the greater implications of these games in a way that is nothing less than profound.  Carse has illuminated what I already knew to be there yet could not identify,  and this illumination is exactly what leads me to tears.  


Since infinite games are played with flexible boundaries and constantly changing rules and solely for the purpose of the play itself, infinite players are only impeded from play by their own death.  However, according to Carse death is only an element of continuing the play: 


"...[infinite players]  do not play for their own life; they live for their own play...the infinite play of life is joyous.  Infinite play resounds throughout with a kind of laughter.  It is not laughter at others who have come to an unexpected end...it is laughter with others with whom we have discovered that the end we thought we were coming to has unexpectedly opened.  We laugh not at what has surprisingly come to be impossible for others, but over what has surprisingly come to be possible with others."  


...and cue excessive weeping during morning rush hour.  


As an artist, I am constantly seeking some sort of affirmation that what I do is meaningful.  The creative process is often frustrating beyond belief, making ends meet is hard work, and the real rewards of the profession do not lie in the fiscal success or failure of my ventures anyway.  When the stress hits a certain level,  I have to ask myself "Why am I doing this?  Why didn't I become a dentist? Or an engineer?  Or a Ninja/Necromancer for hire? Why am I spending all this time and energy playing with ropes and balls and other toys? " I always feel as if I have to answer this question for myself, or else my life's work up to this point has been for nothing.  This being the case, Carse's arguments provide a compelling and simple answer: Create play for the continuation of the game. Create play with others. Create play with joy. 


Best of luck in 2010, 
Barney

Getting ready to go have dinner at the Lindsay residence to discuss songs for Act II of ThomThom...

Greetings!  Bless you, dear reader and loyal Machine. 
Allow me to introduce myself - I'm Robert Haulbrook, Machine Theatre's go-to actor for oddball characterizations and fruitcake portrayals.  

I'm also Treasurer of the Company, and I'm writing to let you know how grateful I am for donor generosity.  You've made it possible for us to work with a lawyer and file our 1023 for non-profit status with the federal government!  We'll keep you posted on what Uncle Sam has to say about Machine Theatre, Inc.

You've also made it possible for us to maintain our office space at StorySlam in Plaza-Midwood right off Central (near Cafe Central) and enable our resident theatre guru Barney Baggett and Guest Artists to conduct Workshops there!  Speaking of which, Deepal Doshi is leading "The Singing Skeleton" at StorySlam this Tuesday, Dec. 1st @ 7pm!

You've also made it possible for us to proceed with a soon-to-be-announced winter production and complete presentation of Matt Cosper's "ThomThom" in the spring, after which we will be touring the Southeast.

And I haven't even mentioned Urban Ministries and a myriad of other projects already underway.

Sincerely wishing You much Love this holiday season and always,
-Robert Haulbrook,
Machine Theatre

p.s.  Here's an alternate poster for ThomThom featuring Robert Lee Simmons and created by Carlisle Kellam (this is my personal favorite, but we eventually went with the less-arresting version below it):  
 Merry Christmas!

It has been far too long my dear Machines, and something must be said.  I know this particular blog gets very little traffic unless we post something super snazzy like a video- but don't let the recent lack of minidocs up here make you think we've been asleep at the wheel.  On the contrary, we've been kickin' ass and taking names.  Last week we had two nights of the Mosaic Technique with Laurelei Ballard.  This week we have the return of the Art of Play, and next week we have a new workshop titled Talking Bodies.  We're in the process of laying out more workshops for November, and we've also begun our partnership with Urban Ministries.  


The most challenging (and most boring) task we face now is fundraising.  We have ambitious plans which could seriously blow some minds all over the Southeast (...and the east coast?...and europe?) but they require funds.  Anyway, if you're wondering where the hell we've been and what the hell we've been up to- for the most part we've been chucking things around the office and debating the merits of various pyramid schemes that could generate cash.  


OK We're not talking about pyramid schemes- just the best way to convince folks we deserve to cash mad checks.  Anyway, keep checking back here for more information on how you can donate.


So that's the news.  


Back to the grind.


-b