The Gospel of Luke and the search for an audience.
It seems like the Gospel of Luke could use some flair. Costume choices, blocking, maybe a compelling set, and flexible, dramatic lighting. These things, with some talent and experience, might make it into a sort of extravaganza.
But then there are considerations of mobility and flexibility. Will the show require a moving van full of set pieces and gear and costumes? Where can it be parked? As equipment deteriorates and breaks, will it be easily replaceable? What if a costume gets a tear, or a stain? Do I have the sewing skills to deal with that? What about the price of gas?
It would be so much easier to travel light, and to rely on my voice more than any visual component for the presentation. I would like to perform in local prisons, and you generally can’t bring things inside. There something very appealing about requiring very little, and being maximally flexible.
Looking over these options, the question arises of what exactly I am trying to do. Thinking this over, I have memorized something and the hope is that there will be some demand for it to be recited.
This is a stripped-down understanding of what it is to be an actor, but it’s pretty accurate. This defines theater, in a simple, clear way. There is the decision process of determining what should be memorized, and then efforts to recite the memorized thing in a way that makes people happy.
My decision to memorize the Gospel of Luke makes sense to me, and will make more sense to you as this Substack develops, as there are further chances to explain how this came to be. This is the first part of the equation. Now the recitation part needs to be addressed.
Part of the recitation process is rehearsal, and the competence that comes with repetition. This is pretty well taken care of.
The next problem, or challenge, is finding a venue to present this to other people. There have been some difficulties on that front, which I will explain in a future article. But something should open up this summer, with multiple opportunities for performance when school starts up in the Fall.
Can one make a living in this way? Are people willing to pay to see a recitation? This is the test, and the innovation that I want to make real.
In looking how to develop the simple tasks of memorization and recitation into a career, it has been helpful to ask for advice from Artificial Intelligence. But there’s not many other avenues in which to incorporate AI into the process. It’s quite a basic undertaking, without recourse to shortcuts. What to memorize, where to recite?
This story is developing, and if there is some success, I can imagine many ways it might be expanded into educational programs and incarceration programs and theaters and assisted living facilities. There is a lot of potential for venues, but that potential needs to be realized soon, as I try to develop this project.
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