Zero Three One Seven

Spontaneity and Human Connectedness

*Recently, I took a week-long intensive course on improvisation and (bible)drama. Here is one of the reflections I shared with my fellow learners.*

“The actor is constantly physical. The actor is always in relation with others. The actor gets quick and tangible feedback.” –Jonathan Fox

In his chapter on spontaneity, from Acts of Service: Spontaneity, Commitment, and Tradition in the Nonscripted Theatre, Jonathan Fox explores the complexity of spontaneity and its impact on the lives of actors; for Fox, spontaneity is a kind of ecstasy that encapsulates thought, which, ostensibly, pushes the artist/actor into a space where she enters a medium-like state and offers herself to a part of herself that comes alive only when called upon/channeled.[1] It is this part of  [Fox’s definition of] spontaneity that I find most interesting.  Contained within the kind of spontaneity of which Fox speaks is the human being’s ability to access deeper parts of her own and other’s humanity; thus, this process of (intentional) spontaneity deepens our soul’s ability to contemplate questions of humaness, and this process can add great depth to our journeys as people who seek faith.

Question: What happens when we perceive ourselves as actors—not just actors in the space of the theatre, but actors within our daily life constructs?

[I think] our realms of influence (i.e., stage) not only become more expansive, but our awareness of our place(s) in the world and our shared space(s) and time(s) with others is heightened. Once we conceive of ourselves as actors among other actors, we can begin to consider the ways in which we are all connected, and we can begin to find ways to make (positive) use of our interdependence; after all, drama, in general, and improvisation specifically, provides an opportunity for an embodiment that pushes us past individual preoccupations and closer a connectedness that is necessary community building. 

Although I remain uncertain about my contribution to religious discourse, I do know that my ability to embody the humanity of another—to push past the boundaries of my own experiences—is a necessary practice that ultimately cements my own humanity with that of other humans, and this, I believe, is the essence of (any kind of) ministry.

© E. Zora 2012