The beginnings of a meeting format

We've been tinkering with our meetings, playing theater games together, brainstorming actions, delving into them, letting them go, and two nights ago we came up with an agenda that will, hopefully, when repeated over time, help us to evolve our performances organically.

It's pretty simple.

HOMEWORK: Bring an idea for a skit – preferably with at least some variation from previous skits and ideas.

Agenda:

1. Acting Games
2. Food and Eating
3. Break into pairs and develop a skit to present to group
4. Group presentations
5. Discussion

During discussion, those who are interested in presenting one or more of the skits out in the world can connect with each other. We can talk also about our public performances, explore what informed our choices in the skits, and get suggestions for future presentations. The beauty of this is that one or more people might come back the next week and do the same skit someone else did the previous week, perhaps with a new twist, and we might thus unite around a single performance – or we might just keep exploring!

In the meanwhile, those of us who want to go out and perform can and will do so with each other. This has the benefit of getting us out in twos and threes, getting comfortable with each other and with public performances, and developing our repertoire.

Moving Ahead

Friends,

Thanks to all who made it to the meeting. Never underestimate the power of a small committed group.

Those of you who didn't make it, FYI: We decided on a general theme and approach to our first action. We will begin detailed planning at our next meeting, Dec. 5.

Best.

MPT Meeting, Nov. 25

Friends,

As threatened, MasterPeace Theater is hosting a vegetarian potluck and open meeting to brainstorm new projects.

ALL ARE WELCOME.

There will be a review of our project so far and a couple brief proposals.

But mostly we will getting into a creative discussion of MPT in the coming year. In particular, we are interested in talking about what theater, actions, issues, themes, nonviolent tactics and potential locations interest you.

Come prepared to share your ideas and questions!

Transportation can be provided to those who need it --contact us today to set up a ride.

See you there.

MPT.

Agenda
MasterPeace Theater (MPT)

Sunday, November 25, 6-9pm

WhiteFeather Peace Community
3315 N Russet, Portland, Oregon 97217


6:00pm Vegetarian Potluck

7:00pm Meeting

Introductions all around (5 minutes)

Lightning Review of MPT principles, purpose and process (Gavin, 7 minutes)

Lightning Review / Adoption of proposed yearly timeline (Jesse,10 minutes)

Brainstorm: Working Out the Details (Facilitator: Tom, Questions: Al, 75 minutes)

Proposals:

Next Meeting –when, where, what, how? (5-10 minutes)

Including Class Consciousness in Our Work (Gavin, 5 minutes)

Announcements (5 minutes)

9:00pm Close

Welcome All

MasterPeace Theater up and running: Let the show begin!

We are a small troupe of Portland area activists who'll be staging invisible street theater for peace. Our approach is to model alternatives to violence in our art, giving people permission to re-imagine possibilities for nonviolence in contexts ranging from world affairs to their own lives.

We want constructive engagement with our community --involving shared learning, critique and care. We are committed to peace by peaceable means and we encourage the involvement of diverse persons and personalities.

At our first meeting we set down our purpose and principles. Here they are posted below.

Our purpose:

To have fun learning, practicing, and teaching others about alternatives to violence by embodying creative responses to conflict in the public sphere with an invitation that uses street theater to expand and transform ideas of what’s possible in relationships among people, and makes accesible tools, ideas, and infrastructure to implement these possibilities. All are encouraged to join with us in pursuit of our purpose in adherence to our principles.

Our principles:

All of our actions will be consistent with the following principles:

Integrity.

Equality.

Peace.

Love.

Community.

Transparency.

Care.

Empowerment.

Solidarity.

Power-sharing.

Gracefulness.

We take full responsibility for our actions.

Finding something to say yes to.

Collaborative creativity – interpersonally, locally, and on a global scale.

Approach our work with a playful spirit.

Be mindful of “level of play.”

Sufficient planning and awareness.

Greatness, not of ourselves but of our work.

Welcoming environment.

Participants will not be put in danger without their consent.

We will not use coercion.

The audience will not be put in danger.

No physical violence against persons or property, except easily reversible property damage that we’re willing to fix ourselves (eg: chalk).

None of the following are acceptable in any of our actions:

violence;

manipulation;

arrogance;

charity;

needless complexity; and

oppression, in any form (examples include, but are not limited to, racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, transphobia, ageism, ableism).

If this project sounds like something you may be interested in, or would simply like to learn more, contact us at mptpdx@gmail.com.