To discuss art generally and theatre specifically by exploring their phenomenon using philosophical terms means that the meaning is often abstracted—even though the purpose of such discussions is to concrete the ideas into a revealed form that is readily seen and available and understood. But, the more I strive to put my ideas into that form, the more abstract and difficult to understand they become. Even the short plays I write seem to abstract the concepts further, though they would be concreted upon the stage.
Within their specific definitions, words take on a deeper meaning when expressed within my theatre theory that is within my artistic aesthetic. When necessary, I have given specific descriptions of those meanings. Often, that necessity does not arise and I leave those meanings unexpressed. If I discussed those meanings and interpretations whenever they occurred, those discussions would lead into further definitions and meanings which would lead to a further analysis of the context of those definitions and meanings before I even began describing my initial artistic idea I was originally trying to convey. Although that would be fruitful work, it is not within the scope of these artistic renderings.
The artistic aesthetic of my theatre theory often necessitates leaving the meaning unexpressed so that reader can read into those meanings within the context of the article and discover something specific about art and theatre and eventually explore it on the stage.
It may seem my artistic values cloud my theatre practice. I am merely attempting to bring the aesthetic of my art into my knowledge and practice of theatre. It may further seem, then, that the specific meaning is getting lost in the general meaning. I explore general artistic values in order to find the specific rendering of my theatrical form. And the form leads back into the general. Like a vital drop in the sea.
As a theatre artist, I have produced two children’s plays that I wrote (directed by the incomparable Amanda Bergen) and one adult play that I wrote and directed. I have explored practically my artistic aesthetic within my theatre theory in a vague mysterious way with the specific intention of exploring such theatrical mysteries.
I fervently hope that I will be able to produce and direct one of my plays again—because that process will have a fuller clarity than before (though, I expect, it will still be mired in mystery) because it will be a process of experimenting with the truths of theatre and the aesthetic of art that I am expressing within my artistic renderings that you find on the or; theatre website. In a general way, they are articles and blog posts. Specifically, they are artistic renderings. Then again, perhaps it is the other way around. So, in and from that, I hope my abstractions find a definite, concrete form.
Until then, let us continue to explore art and theatre and attempt to understand the non-understandable—the deep abstract form of concretion, the great mystery of the expressed image of form.