THE WHEELS ON THE BUS: BRETT RADKE

“We will drive the bus while putting wheels on it”; this is one of the Room Agreements in our creative space as we work on OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD.

This project is unlike any other project I have worked on before with its duration and authentic commitment to process. There have been many unknowns and uncertainties along the way, and as we are nearing the next phase of this project, I am feeling the value in driving forward even when things seem uncertain. This crystallized earlier this month when the company was in residence at The Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium (GLMCC).

Leading up to the consortium, our work was largely experimental, with only a few spectators in the room. We explored tools from the Michael Chekhov Technique in isolation, applied to character, and then applied to scene work. Once we arrived at GLMCC, the exploration and application continued, along with some more traditional blocking rehearsals to provide more structure in which to play. All of this culminated in an open rehearsal, sharing the work we have done up until this point. I was thrilled and apprehensive. Thrilled to have fresh eyes on the work. Apprehensive to rehearse in front of a room full of colleagues who know the work well.

What followed was an affirmation of “driving the bus while putting wheels on it.” While I cannot know with certainty what was perceived by our colleagues, I felt immense support, laughs, gasps, and a sense of curiosity about the work. As an actor, I felt a sense of play and experimentation without needing to “perform what was rehearsed.” I was in a state of flow, allowing the technique to work on me, rather than muscling through a need to “get it right.” The permission to explore in real time in front of an audience was surprisingly freeing. None of this would have been possible without the months of training, application, play, and willingness to “drive the bus while putting wheels on it.”