Letter to various respected theatre-makers sent Friday July 30th 2010 at 11:30pm

(or: "Why use a blog to make theatre?" or alternatively, "Meta-theatre blogging")

Hello Friend and Respected Theatre-maker,

As some may know, I am directing a play called 'Smudged'. The play is by Megan Twycross (her first full length play!) and is being performed in Brisbane as part of the Brisbane Festival's Under the Radar Program in September, with Melbourne previews at La Mama in late August (and full season coming in February 2011).

As part of the process of building this play, which is about putting our private lives on display through Social Networking and Clowning, a blog has 'emerged' at http://smudgedbrisbane.blogspot.com/.

The blog began as a criteria for the application process for the Brisbane Festival. (To my surprise?), I have kept using it during the rehearsal process, posting various thoughts about issues that have arisen as we play. These discussions would normally be held privately, (with the role of defining the relationship between performer and audience let to publicity images such as flyers or other invasive marketing). However, in order to follow Megan's lead, I have been pushing new ways to develop the logic behind this new work, and to more accurately interregate its conceit.

This has been met with some resistance amongst the collaborators, and there has been heated debate about whether or not running a blog that discusses (and by nature exposes) a theatre-making process is a valid thing to do. The rehearsal room is a sacred space and the bond between performers is private and, in some ways, this methodology is in violation of the trust assumed by an ensemble. I admit the reason is unclear to myself. However, if I had to justify it, I would say it was "what the play was about". But I also admit it is a risk and that, in a way, I have no idea what territory we are moving into.

And so...

As a trusted collegue, and because I have benefited from your ideas in the past, I am writing to ask your assistance by participating in the blog through comments - to share your thoughts, feelings and impressions, and to offer criticism on the ideas aired therein. Some of them I think are worthy of attention on a broader scale than just this particular show. But you would be helping us develop this show via a new means that I have not really tried before.

I am hoping that I will also at some stage be able to coax the other collaborators into posting, because at the moment it feels like some sounding off on my part, and I hope you will forgive the neccessary indulgence.

Obviously it cannot be a success without the participation of great responses from a myriad of perspectives, but especially theatre-makers, which is why I have written to you.

I hope you can help me with this experiment!

Kind regards,

Richard Pettifer

:) / :(