ULTERIDADES: SER E NÃO SER UMA ENCENAÇÃO TESE

Abstract

Ulterities is a practical-theoretical research project linked to the Poetics and Processes of Performance research cluster. The objective of the enquiry is the creation of a PerformanceThesis in which the relationship between the actress on stage and her personas, characters and audience members is the Dominant Principal. Throughout the four years of research, eight Creative Immersions took place; four in Salvador (Brazil), three in Northampton and one in London (UK). Drawing on improvisational procedures, the actress explores the paradoxes inherent to both theatrical devising and her own artistic-academic practice, in which the theme of alterity in the theatre comes to the fore. The methodological focus, which the author has developed since her MA (which focused on vocal research in the theatre and also culminated in a performance, Umbigüidades), is here further elaborated. From a philosophical perspective, following the proposed Comprehensive Approach adopted by Rangel (2012), and in consonnance with Pareyson (2001), the “method” of work on the PerformanceThesis derives from the creative process itself, with its specific Principles and Procedures, such as the actress on stage in dialogue with her spectators. The image of the fragmented mirror became an effective trope that has guided the way in which references were appropriated over the course of the development of this PerformanceThesis. Obeying the logic deriving from the performance context, these references serve to construct a conceptualisation of alterity garnered from the devising process and the writing of the thesis. The stage is thus explored in order to collect and edit artistic and philosophical material and stimulate debate with the public, involving them in the development of the performance as active participants. In this way a non-hierarchical dialogue is established with theoreticians and artists such as: Arthur Schopenhauer, Carl Jung, Constantin Stanislavski, Emanuel Lévinas, Friedrich Nietzsche, Gaston Bachelard, Guimarães Rosa, Luigi Pareyson, Machado de Assis, Robin Nelson, Simon Jones and William Shakespeare, to name but a few. The two characters developed over the course of the process - Filosofeu and Babel- occupy a central place on stage, interweaving tragi-comic situations, mediating the actress’ existential questionings - her doubles, enabling her to explore whether to be or not to be personas and characters. An important aspect of the thesis is the accompanying video recording of the eight Creative Immersions and rehearsals, as well as the complete recording of one of the eight performances of Ulterities, which are all available on DVD. The results of the research affirm the centrality of practice in knowledge production, and open up perspectives for artistic expression within academia.