Prepare to be captivated and disturbed by Nazareth Hassan’s ‘Practice’, a theatrical masterpiece that will leave you questioning the very nature of power and manipulation.
The Horror Unveiled
In a world where horror often takes the form of supernatural tales or gory spectacles, ‘Practice’ offers a unique and chilling perspective. With no ghosts or jump scares, this play delves into a different kind of terror – the gradual consumption of individuals by a monster, or rather, by their own willingness to be entangled in a web of power dynamics.
A Love Letter with a Twist
Hassan’s play is a love letter to theater, an art form that has saved their life, yet it also exposes the dangerous relationship between art and power. They argue that theater, in its Western context, is a form of manipulation, and creating or consuming it can be likened to surrendering one’s will to those who can afford to be artists.
The Setup: A Devised Performance Experiment
The story unfolds in a converted church in Brooklyn, where Asa Leon, a scenester auteur, gathers a group of actors for a unique performance experiment. They will draw from their own lives, live together for eight weeks, and create a piece that will be performed in Berlin and London. The funding comes from a ‘commission from Schauspielhaus Scheiße’ and Asa’s MacArthur grant. Asa’s partner, Walton, and dramaturg, Danny, are also part of this collective.
The Beginning of the End
On their first day, the company engages in theater games and get-to-know-you exercises. Asa, with a soft and enigmatic presence, encourages the group to embrace discomfort as a form of growth. Then, in a move that sends shivers down the spine, Asa introduces a values chart, a tool to ‘hold each other accountable.’ The actors, from the naïve Savannah to the guarded Angelique, eagerly agree, unknowingly setting the stage for their own demise.
The First Act: Rehearsal and Revelation
The first act, spanning two hours, showcases the company’s rehearsal process. Here, we witness Asa’s true nature as they coax stories of trauma from the actors, manipulate their emotions, and eventually subject one poor actor, Mel, to psychological violence, accusing them of stealing artisanal jellybeans. The audience is left with no doubt about the menace lurking within this artistic collective.
Act Two: The Poison Fruits
The second act, a concise 40 minutes, presents the performance that the company has created – ‘Self Awareness Exercise 001’. Here, the actors embody characters subsumed to the will of their leader, Asa, and deliver an extraordinary ensemble performance. Despite the ease with which one could parody experimental performance, Hassan, along with director Keenan Tyler Oliphant and movement designer Camden Gonzalez, craft a satire that is both considered and sincere.
An Empathetic Hypothesis
Beneath the lurid spectacle, Hassan proposes an empathetic theory – that abusers are re-enacting their own trauma and, through public acts of violence, are pleading to be stopped. While this theory may not be universally applicable, Hassan’s message is clear: power dynamics in art, and perhaps in all aspects of life, require an exorcism.
‘Practice’ is a thought-provoking and disturbing exploration of the dark side of creativity. It will leave you questioning, debating, and perhaps even reevaluating your own perceptions of power and manipulation.
And this is the part most people miss: sometimes, the scariest monsters are the ones we create ourselves.
What are your thoughts on Hassan’s interpretation of power dynamics in art? Do you agree that an exorcism is necessary? Let’s discuss in the comments!