ON FLAT HIERARCHY: DANIEL MCKINNON

One of the most interesting things that has come with this production is the flat hierarchy, which I deeply appreciate. There is an intrinsic amount of creative freedom that comes with having everyone on an equal playing field. Yes, of course we have Craig, our director, and there are other members of the team who are in charge of specific aspects. Functionally, doing away with a hierarchy completely may be infeasible, but there is a true commitment to working in the way of equal say and shared agency.

I have seen and experienced having the freedom to make decisions with my fellow actors that help provide an amount of ownership over our work. There are productions where your agency ends once you deliver lines. But, as we have been adding text to our show, we take part in deciding how our lines are delivered, to whom they’re delivered, our blocking, our props, our given circumstances, certain technical aspects, and so much of the process. Seeing Craig, the designers, and fellow actors all being open to the collaboration gives a cumulative ownership to creativity. I have seen people talk about the importance of having this perspective of different voices in a room, but this feels like one of the times that I have truly seen it implemented.

Additionally, there is flat hierarchy work that is done behind the scenes that, as an actor, I am not usually privy to. In this case, as actors in this production, we are invited to the production meetings, so that we can speak into the design elements from our vantage point onstage. Megan (our sound designer) and Lisa (our props designer) have also reached out to make sure that we as actors have a voice in music that underscores our scenes and the items that our character may have brought with us to Australia. This all seems emblematic to me of a flat hierarchy. Realistically, someone has to take charge of specific aspects, but, across the board, the ability to have a voice in the room helps create a sense of pride in the work that we make as an ensemble. I am very excited to see how it all comes together and all the hands that add to the pot that is Our Country’s Good.