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I could write a book about devised theatre. It would just be a really short book that would reveal my lack of expertise. That’s not to say that I have no experience. Fortunately, I have had the fantastic opportunity to know and work with two of the most respected and praised “theatre devising” companies in Colorado.

The LIDA Project is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. And since 1995, LIDA has produced more than 30 brand new or adapted works (not to mention all of the world and regional premieres) – most developed by an ensemble in an experimental and exploratory process.

Late in 2002, about twelve of us hunkered down in a filthy basement in Denver, cramming our brains and filling notebooks with images, songs, stories, and quotes from and about Charles Manson and the brutal murders perpetrated by him and his followers. It was fascinating, disturbing as hell, and, for me, a brand new creative method. The ultimate result was MANSON | family valUeS. Working and playing in such an open group-think, imaginative situation eventually helped me to become, I believe, a more accommodating playwright.

“Devised is a term that has really grown up around the company,” LIDA Project Artistic Director, Brian Freeland said. “In our earliest days of making work we internally described our process as collaborative creation. The field in the past decade has truly latched onto the term ‘devised’ as the general catch-all for any performance process developed outside the thread of individual playwriting. For LIDA, the term really describes an ensemble creation of the structure, themes, and context for our performance work. We don’t write by committee but we certainly don’t have a single point of view, either.”

So, other than “cramming brains and notebooks with information,” how does LIDA devise their work?

“Our process is a cocktail of equal parts, dramaturgy, physical exploration, randomization, and refinement,” Freeland said. “The thing that has changed the most over the years has not been the methodology of approaching the work but the experiences of those making it and the ever changing social perspectives of our audiences… I have always felt that devised work is like couture clothing for its performers, the work is made to fit their strengths (and hide their weaknesses).”

Buntport Theater Company is another one of Denver’s treasures, loved by this community and those who support it. The core Buntport team has been working together for almost fifteen years. Ensemble member Erin Rollman said that they only occasionally use the term “devised” to describe their work.

“To me devised work means that it is created by and for an ensemble of people, quite dependent on the time, place, and group of collaborators,” Rollman said. “We most often use the term ‘collaborative…’ We mean it in a very basic sense: we collaborate on all aspects of business. We are non-hierarchical both in the way that we create individual productions and in the way that we run the less fun sides of. Working in this fashion truly puts the artists and the work we create at the center of the company. Devising our own work, designed by and for the company members ideally keeps our work both tight and challenging – it centers around our current interests.”

Some of Buntport’s most successful – and often quite brilliant shows – have included Jugged Rabbit Stew, Moby Dick Unread, Titus Andronicus! The Musical!, Kafka on Ice, and Tommy Lee Jones Goes To Opera Alone – starring a life-sized puppet of Tommy Lee Jones. And, although all of their 35+ shows have had varying levels of success, Rollman says that some of their work could easily be produced elsewhere, and others could not.

At Buntport, the ensemble pitches ideas to each other, then as a whole, choose to develop whatever idea most appeals to everyone.

“It is often the idea that was most thoroughly fleshed out since we always develop the design of a show at the same time as the script,” Rollman said. “We write separately. I edit the first (terrible) drafts. Then we start reading, discussing, adding, editing, etc. until we have a version of the script that is ‘good enough for rehearsals’ because it is bound to change when on its feet… It’s simply the process that organically happened.”

I asked Brian Freeland from LIDA what some pitfalls might be, if there were theatre groups considering developing work in this manner.

“I have seen many ensembles create devised work without keeping a clear focus on the intentionality and focus of their work,” he said. “Ensemble experience and creation can generate a great deal of ‘insider-ness’ that is hard to translate to an audience if not careful. The external eye is so very important. And a clear decision making process… Finding a single voice to make tough edits and aesthetic decisions is key.”

jhartwell@dramatistsguild.com