Devising Processes
Welcome to this exciting exploration of devising processes in drama, students! š This lesson will equip you with the essential frameworks and techniques for collaborative theatrical creation. By the end of this lesson, you'll understand how to transform initial ideas into polished performances through systematic research, improvisation, selection, and refinement. Get ready to discover how professional theatre makers work together to create original, compelling drama from scratch!
Understanding Devising in Theatre
Devising is a collaborative method of creating theatre where the performance emerges from the creative process of the ensemble rather than from a pre-existing script. Unlike traditional theatre where actors interpret a playwright's words, devised theatre puts you and your collaborators in the driver's seat as both creators and performers š
The devising process typically involves a group of theatre makers - actors, directors, designers, and sometimes writers - working together to generate material through experimentation, discussion, and improvisation. This approach has gained tremendous popularity in contemporary theatre, with companies like Forced Entertainment in the UK and The Wooster Group in the US becoming internationally renowned for their innovative devised works.
What makes devising particularly valuable for AS-level drama students is that it develops multiple skills simultaneously. You're not just acting - you're researching, creating, problem-solving, and collaborating. Studies show that students engaged in devising processes demonstrate improved critical thinking skills, enhanced creativity, and stronger collaborative abilities compared to those working exclusively with scripted material.
The Research Phase: Building Your Foundation
Every successful devised piece begins with thorough research š This isn't just academic research - it's detective work that feeds your creative imagination. Your research phase should explore multiple dimensions of your chosen theme or stimulus.
Primary Research involves gathering firsthand information through interviews, observations, and personal experiences. If you're creating a piece about climate change, you might interview local environmental scientists, visit recycling centers, or document changes in your local environment. This type of research provides authentic material that audiences can connect with because it's rooted in real experience.
Secondary Research includes books, articles, documentaries, existing plays, films, and online resources. For a piece about mental health, you might study statistics from the World Health Organization, read memoirs by people with lived experience, or analyze how other theatre companies have approached similar themes.
Practical Research involves exploring your theme through your body and voice. This might include movement workshops, vocal exercises, or experimenting with different performance styles. If your piece explores the theme of imprisonment, you might research how restricted movement affects emotional expression, or how different vocal qualities convey feelings of confinement.
The key is to cast a wide net during research. Professional devising companies often spend weeks or months in research phases, gathering far more material than they'll eventually use. This abundance gives you choices during the creation process and ensures your work has depth and authenticity.
Improvisation: The Heart of Discovery
Improvisation transforms your research into living, breathing theatre šŖ This is where the magic happens - where facts become feelings, statistics become stories, and ideas become embodied experiences.
Structured Improvisation uses specific exercises and frameworks to generate material. You might use techniques like "hot-seating" where one person stays in character while others ask questions, or "thought-tracking" where performers speak their character's inner thoughts aloud. These techniques help you explore different perspectives on your theme and discover unexpected connections.
Free Improvisation allows for more organic exploration. You might simply enter a space with your research in mind and see what emerges through movement, sound, and interaction. Many breakthrough moments in devising come from these unstructured sessions where performers follow their instincts and respond authentically to each other.
Stimulus-Based Improvisation uses external triggers like images, music, objects, or text to spark creative responses. A single photograph might generate ten different scenes, each exploring a different aspect of your theme. Professional companies often use this technique to ensure their work remains fresh and surprising.
The improvisation phase requires a specific mindset. You must be willing to fail, to look silly, to try things that don't work. Research from drama education specialists shows that students who embrace "productive failure" during improvisation create more original and emotionally resonant work than those who play it safe.
Selection: Choosing Your Gems
Not everything you create during improvisation will make it into your final piece - and that's perfectly fine! š The selection process is where you become editors of your own work, choosing the most powerful, relevant, and theatrically effective material.
Criteria-Based Selection involves establishing clear standards for what makes material worth keeping. These might include: Does it serve our central theme? Is it theatrically engaging? Does it offer something unique? Can it be developed further? Having agreed criteria helps groups make objective decisions rather than keeping material simply because someone likes it.
Audience Perspective requires you to step outside your creative process and consider how material will land with viewers. Sometimes improvisation that feels meaningful to performers doesn't translate effectively to audiences. Try showing rough material to trusted friends or teachers for feedback before making final selections.
Practical Considerations also influence selection. Do you have the technical resources to realize this idea? Does it fit within your time constraints? Can all group members contribute meaningfully to this material? These practical questions ensure your ambitions align with your capabilities.
Professional devising companies often video record their improvisation sessions, allowing them to review material objectively and notice moments they might have missed in the heat of creation. This documentation becomes invaluable during the selection process.
Refinement: Polishing Your Creation
The refinement phase transforms selected material into cohesive, polished performance š§ This is where your rough diamonds become sparkling gems through careful crafting and repeated practice.
Structural Refinement involves organizing your selected material into a coherent dramatic journey. You'll consider pacing, transitions, climaxes, and resolution. How does each scene connect to the next? What's the overall arc of your piece? Professional dramatists often create detailed scene breakdowns and flow charts to visualize their structure.
Character Refinement deepens and clarifies the people in your piece. Even if you're not playing traditional characters, you'll need to make choices about voice, movement, relationships, and objectives. This process often reveals gaps in your material that require additional improvisation or research.
Technical Refinement integrates design elements like lighting, sound, costume, and set. In devised work, these elements often emerge from the creative process rather than being imposed from outside. A movement pattern discovered in improvisation might inspire a lighting design, or a vocal exercise might suggest a soundscape.
Performance Refinement involves repeated rehearsal with attention to precision, timing, and emotional truth. Each run-through should deepen your understanding of the material and reveal new possibilities for expression. Research shows that performers in devised work often continue discovering new layers of meaning well into the performance run.
Collaboration: The Essential Ingredient
Throughout every phase of devising, collaboration remains the essential ingredient that makes the process work š¤ Successful devising requires specific collaborative skills that extend far beyond simply "getting along."
Active Listening means truly hearing and building upon others' ideas rather than waiting for your turn to speak. In devising, the best ideas often emerge from combining multiple perspectives, so your ability to listen and synthesize becomes crucial.
Constructive Feedback involves offering specific, actionable suggestions rather than vague praise or criticism. Instead of saying "that was good," try "the moment when you hesitated before speaking really showed your character's uncertainty - could you explore that hesitation more?"
Shared Leadership recognizes that different group members may lead different aspects of the process. Someone might excel at research, another at improvisation, another at structural organization. Successful devising groups learn to recognize and utilize each member's strengths.
Conflict Resolution skills become essential when creative differences arise. Professional devising companies develop protocols for handling disagreements, often involving neutral facilitation or structured decision-making processes.
Conclusion
Devising processes offer you a powerful framework for collaborative theatrical creation that combines research, improvisation, selection, and refinement into cohesive performances. Through systematic exploration of themes, careful selection of material, and thoughtful refinement, you can create original drama that speaks authentically to contemporary audiences. The collaborative nature of devising develops not only your theatrical skills but also essential life skills in communication, problem-solving, and creative thinking. As you embark on your own devising journey, remember that the process is as valuable as the product - each phase offers opportunities for discovery, growth, and artistic expression.
Study Notes
ā¢ Devising Definition: Collaborative method of creating original theatre where performance emerges from the creative process rather than pre-existing scripts
ā¢ Research Phase Components: Primary research (interviews, observations), Secondary research (books, articles, media), Practical research (physical and vocal exploration)
ā¢ Improvisation Types: Structured (using specific exercises), Free (organic exploration), Stimulus-based (triggered by external materials)
ā¢ Selection Criteria: Serves central theme, theatrically engaging, offers uniqueness, can be developed further
ā¢ Refinement Areas: Structural (organization and flow), Character (depth and clarity), Technical (design integration), Performance (precision and truth)
ā¢ Collaboration Skills: Active listening, constructive feedback, shared leadership, conflict resolution
ā¢ Key Principle: Cast wide net during research and improvisation, then carefully select and refine the strongest material
ā¢ Documentation: Video record improvisation sessions for objective review during selection process
ā¢ Success Factors: Embrace productive failure, maintain audience perspective, balance ambition with practical capabilities