Jon Nygaard is a professor of theatre studies, director of research, editor and author. The aim of this particular piece of work is to attempt to "understand, explain and describe the productions - and their attraction - as examples of interdisciplinary theatre."
"The interdisciplinary nature of these is founded on the principle of Dugnad" which is.....
"A Norwegian term for voluntary work done as a community or collective. The tradition of Dugnad can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries."
(Online at www.theforeigner.no 2014)
These performances bring together local, amateur actors from rural communities. They are annual productions celebrating local traditions, history, and expressing the local cultural disciplines. They attract large audiences because of the interdisciplinary element i.e. The successful fusion of skills from such varied sources which are then simultaneously performed. Not only that but the shows traditionally contain local, well-known figures such as the mayor - as well as family and friends. I believe this suggests how important interdisciplinary work is within theatre for it to draw in its audiences and thus become successful.
We can link the above to modern day theatre, Pantomimes in particular, where local celebrities, jokes and place names etc are used in order to connect with its audience and surrounding communities. Pantomimes are also a seasonal and traditional family way of celebrating 'Christmas', the biggest national holiday of the year. It is common for pantomime companies to source local dance schools in order to supply the juvenile dancers for the production as well, showcasing the local talent of young children.
"Successful interdisciplinarity of open-aired productions is not based however on artistic decisions. It is first and foremost, a result of the principle of organisation." (I.e. Dugnad.)
The above suggests that management of the various skills and the structure of productions are what's most important. It leads me to believe that my chosen inquiry will benefit future practice by assisting in career development and by preparing me for and giving me a better background knowledge for increased responsibility.
'Dugnad' in relation to open-aired theatre performances suggests that they are especially strong in smaller communities. Although they are small and participants lack theatrical experience, the productions produced within them have strength, dimension and durability with them being performed year after year.
It probes a further question for inquiry:
"Is interdisciplinary theatre most successful when a company has enhanced skills/knowledge or when a company have greater positive, working relationships?"
The principle of Dugnad traces back to Norwegian culture and voluntary work within the community. It was essential to "cooperate in order to survive amongst scattered and isolated populations." Voluntary service is taken for granted in Norway, "if you do not participate, you are not accepted in community." (P. 177) Therefore, is cooperating and participating with others at work key to having successful relationships and thus interdisciplinary theatre?
"Successful productions occur in smaller communities or start as small, local productions. It has proved almost impossible to establish productions which survive over time in larger cities." I find this statement particularly interesting having worked both in the West End and on tour in regional theatres. Today, productions often do a season in a regional theatre with the hope that they will then move into London. The very first job I did was 'Loserville'. We performed it for two months in Leeds at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and then it transferred into London afterwards. The current production of 'Half a sixpence' which is currently playing the West End and receiving rave reviews, originated at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Some productions however start off small and don't go any father, depending on intentions and the success of it in front of smaller and less knowing audiences.
Jon states how interdisciplinary theatre in this instance is dependant on a professional director that understands everyone's individual, professional discipline and has them contribute to their full potential. It implies that working with what you've got makes the performance unique, and that a successful director is one that gets the best out of people. I auditioned for one particular director and when I walked through the door he gave me a seat and initiated general conversation. I'd never experienced this before but it was a great way to relax into the audition. It was so nice to have them show an interest in me as a person and it was a great way for them to unveil what we may be like to work with.
Reading this literature has given me a different perspective to my inquiry. I was looking at the interdisciplinary skills an individual should possess within a production, such as myself. This however suggests that the overall performance itself is interdisciplinary - through the combination of individuals and their unique knowledge and disciplines. To achieve this successfully, structuring and managing the process is key. Therefore, the importance of speaking with my director/company manager is paramount within my inquiry.
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