Think Outside the 'Performance' Box and Dig Deep

Many academics/ practitioners writing about documentation in the devising process draw links with other disciplines; forensic science, archaeology (Pearson 1994) and pathology (Etchells 1999). Approaching the documentation of the devising process as a historical/scientific act enables new methods and understanding of documentation to be developed.

Mike Pearson employs the term theatre archaeology as the ‘retrieval and reconstitution of performance. The term ‘theatre archaeology’ is a paradox: The application or archaeological techniques to an ephemeral (temporary) event. However, while performance may leave limited material traces, it does generate narratives’ (Pearson 1994:134)

It is how you chose to creatively document and play with these narratives that surround the creation of your practical work, that makes the process exciting and challenging. Narratives can be from the performer’s experience, the texts you worked with, an audience response, the techniques, the music, the lecture, the questions raised, personal anecdote, all form narratives that can be included in your documentation.