Re-Ordering Performance: Finding Joy and Freedom in Oh, What a Lovely War!

The following document is an exploration of pursuing ease and joy in the Theatre@York’s production of Oh, What a Lovely War. This support document gives literal meaning to the phenomenon of stage fright, defines the psychological reasoning behind the reaction of the autonomic nervous system, and tracks the creation of a new methodology based on the acting philosophies of David Mamet, Uta Hagen, and Stanislavski. The process includes pursuing full embodiment of character, creating achievable goals and building a new relationship with the audience. The ultimate goal is to create a new performance methodology that will result in both rehearsal and performance being a joyful experience.