Mabou Mines: How We Work

Author(s): Lee Breuer

Source: Performing Arts Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Spring, 1976), pp. 29-32
Published by: Performing Arts Journal, Inc
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3245184
Accessed: 06-09-2017 14:07 UTC

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 HOW WE WORK

Mabou Mines

Lee Breuer

RECENTLY SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED US HOW WE WORK.

WELL. HERE'S HOW WE DO IT. USUALLY TWO OR THREE
PEOPLE ARRIVE AROUND ELEVEN THIRTY. THOSE. USUALLY.
WHOSE KEYS DON'T WORK IN THE STUDIO LOCK. OR IF THEY
WORK IN THE STUDIO LOCK THEY DON'T WORK IN THE FRONT
DOOR. THESE ARE BAD DUPLICATE PEOPLE AND THEY GET
PISSED OFF AND GO HAVE COFFEE AT THE BINI BON.

THE WORK HAS BEGUN.

CHOOSING THE BINI BON WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A

TELEPHONE OFFERS THE REHEARSAL EFFECTIVELY INTO
THE HANDS OF GOD. WHEREAS. HAD THEY CHOSEN THE
HEBREW NATIONAL ACROSS THE STREET. AND. SPIGOTING
DIMES INTO SLOTS. TRIED TO FORCE THE ISSUE. THE ENTRY.
THE MOMENT. WHICHEVER WAS MOST FORCIBLE. ALL WOULD
BE BLOWN.

THAT TACK WOULD HAVE CONDEMNED FUTURE

INTERCOURSE TO THE COOLER OF REMORSE RECRIMINATION
AND THE GENERALLY SNOTTY REMARK.

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ACCESS IS GAINED. AS A RULE. NOW. EVENTUALLY. BUT
BACK WHEN WE WERE AT 22 READE. BEFORE THE IDEA
WAREHOUSE BURNED DOWN. SOME OF US WOULD GET IN.
AND THEN SOME MORE OF US WOULD GET LOCKED IN THE
FREIGHT ELEVATOR. IN THOSE DAYS WE'D WORK TOWARD
EACH OTHER FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ELEVATOR DOOR.

AND FOR COUNTERPOINT. CALL OUT THE WINDOW TO THE

LAST OF US STILL ON THE STREET. WHO. THEMSELVES.
WOULD SHOUT INTO THE SUB BASEMENT FOR GENE THE
SUPER. WHO. HIMSELF. WAS PLAYING HIS FENDER BASE WITH
THE VOLUME UP.

THAT WAS NICE. THAT WAS SHOW BIZ. A KITE CORD OF

INTERACTION UP ELEVATOR SHAFTS. DOWN DRAINPIPES. IN-
TO THE SUB BASEMENT. THAT WAS WORK.

ENOUGH NOSTALGIA. BACK. NOW. IN THE STUDIO WE SEE TO

OUR PERSONAL COMFORTS. DAVID DRINKS THE FIRST OF TWO
COFFEES HE HAS IN A PAPER BAG. AND DOESN'T TAKE OFF HIS
COAT. BILL READS THE ENQUIRER. I STAND BY THE
RADIATOR. IF THERE'S NO STEAM I MOVE OVER TO THE
HEATER. I STAND THERE TILL IT BURNS MY PANT LEG. THEN I
SQUAT DOWN TILL IT BURNS MY BUTT.

THIS IS TENSE. THIS IS ABOUT FINDING IT. "IT" BEING ALMOST

THE SAME "IT" AS THE "IT" IN "LOSING IT." THOUGH NOT
IDENTICAL DUE TO "ITS" EVOLUTION IN THE TIME OF
"HAVING IT."

JOANNE RUTH AND TERRY DRIFT INTO THE BABYSITTING

BUDGET. ONCE RESOLVED. CASH FLOW IS EXPEDITED BY
SIGNING OVER TERRY'S WELFARE TO FRED WHO PAYS HIS
UNEMPLOYMENT TO THE ORDER OF JOANNE. (WE ARE A
STATE SUPPORTED THEATRE).WHO THEREUPON DISTRIBUTES
BY PERSONAL CHECK. APPROPRIATIONS. WHICH. IF BEFORE
FIVE O'CLOCK AND AFTER THREE. CAN BE FUNNELED
THROUGH JOE'S CHECK CASHING ACROSS FROM THE 14TH
PRECINCT. AND WILL BE EVEN MONEY NOT TO BOUNCE

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WHILE THE DOLE CHECKS CLEAR. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT
THIS ENTIRE TRANSACTION HINGES UPON JOANNE
REMEMBERING HER CHECKBOOK. FAILING THAT. RUTH
USUALLY TRIES TO BORROW FIVE BUCKS FROM LINDA TO
COOL OUT LESLIE.

THOM SITS VERY STILL FOR UPWARDS OF THIRTY MINUTES

STARING AT THE WALL. NO. STARING. ACTUALLY. AT THE
LIGHT SWITCH ON THE WALL. THEN WITH NO CHANGE OF
EXPRESSION HE GETS UP AND TURNS THE LIGHTS ON.

WE LOOK AT EACH OTHER. VERY BRIEFLY. THEN FRED PUTS

ON HIS HAT AND LEAVES. IT'S ABOUT THE PARKING METER.
FRED USUALLY PARKS TEN OR ELEVEN BLOCKS AWAY
WHERE THERE'S AN INCLINE. IN CASE OF A DEAD BATTERY.
WHEN HE BRINGS IN HIS CAR. AND EVEN WHEN HE DOESN'T
HE STILL SEEMS TO ENJOY THE WALK TO THE PARKING
METER. AND BACK. AND TAKES IT OFTEN.

THIS IS HOW WE WORK. WE WORK WITH A LOT OF DOUBT. AND

SOME FEAR. BECAUSE REPEATING OURSELVES IS NOT
REALLY ACCEPTABLE ANYMORE. AND KIDDING OURSELVES
IS NOT. AS IT USED TO BE. SO EASY. FEARS THAT ANY PRESEN-
TATION OF OURSELVES. THIS PRESENTATION OF OURSELVES.
FALSIFIES. HYPES. MILKS. PURPLES. FAILS. AND THE
THOUGHT OF JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO CUT IT HANGS
PALPABLY DAMOCLEAN.

WE ASK OF OURSELVES SOMETHING PASSABLY ORIGINAL.

PASSABLE. LESS. TO THE OTHERS OF US SITTING THERE
PASSING ON IT. THAN TO OURSELVES. PASSABLE IN THE
SENSE THEN THAT PASSING ON BE PERMITTED. AND ANY.
REALLY ANY. ABSOLUTELY ANY WAY WE CAN GET TO IT IS
HOW WE WORK.

AND THE QUAINT EFFECTS. RITUALS. AND PROCEDURES

DESCRIBED ABOVE. COUNT THE TIME DOWN EFFECTIVELY
AND WITH MINIMAL PRETENSE AND COMMOTION UNTIL
SOMETHING HAPPENS. SHOULD IT EVER. EVER AGAIN.

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WHICH IS TO SAY TO OUR STUDENTS. OUR COHORTS AND
FRIENDS. AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. THAT WE DON'T
REALLY PRACTICE WHAT WE TEACH. WE TEACH THE
SMORGASBORD. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ACADEMICS PAY FOR.
AND WE NEED THE BUCKS. THE SMORGASBORD IS A FAMILIAR
BUFFET. SAY PLATTER BY PLATTER LEFT TO RIGHT TO FRONT
ROW. GROTOWSKI PLASTIQUES AND CORPORELLES. BRECHT
DISTANCING THEORY. SOMETHINGS LIKE BIOMECHANICS.
MASKING. MOTION-TIME VARIABLES SLOW FAST AND
CADRED. KATHAKALI AND BUNRAKU STAGING IDEAS. NEW
DANCE. MINIMAL ART. SPORTS. NOTABLY BOXING AND FOOT-
BALL. FILM TECHNIQUE AS THEATRE METAPHOR. THE VISUAL
PUN. REAR LEFT TO RIGHT. PSYCHOLOGY AS PERFORMANCE
LOGIC. FORMALISM AS A PERFORMANCE LOGIC. ROCK AND
ROLL. NOTABLY LITTLE RICHARD. NEW MUSIC. NOTABLY
PHIL GLASS. PERSONALIZATION AS STANISLAVSKI EXPLORED
IT. DEPERSONALIZATION. PROCESS ART. SOUND AND
RECORDING TECHNOLOGY. POP. MIXED MEDIA. UNMIXED
MULTIMEDIA. THE LANGUAGE OF SAMUEL BECKETT. ARC
WELDING. (THAT DIDN'T QUITE WORK). COLLABORATION.
VIRTUAL ISOLATION. EVEN GOOD OLD TIMING AND
CHARACTERIZATION IN OTHER WORDS. THE STUFF WE'VE
PLAYED WITH. THE THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR US.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL WORK. CHANCES ARE. WHAT

HAS. WON'T.

WHICH IS TO SAY. WE DON'T KNOW HOW WE WORK.

FOR A GIVEN BODY OF MATERIAL. ON A GIVEN DAY. FROM A

GIVEN POINT OF VIEW EMERGING FROM A GIVEN COLLECTIVE
CONSCIOUSNESS. THE HOW OF HOW WE WORK MUST. TOO. BE
A GIVEN. AND FOR EACH WORK AND WORK DAY. GIVEN ANEW.

* -

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