![Ted James]()
Ted James
Ted James2014 Artist in Residence
Favorite Halcyon shows:
The Emperor of the Moon, From Every Mountainside
Complete the sentence I create theatre because...
I create theatre because people come ready to be vulnerable. Today there's more storytelling than ever before in the history of humans. We're constantly telling tiny little stories, on Facebook, Twitter, and usually they are fictional. Most often, people try desperately to be the hero of these little stories. Or they try to tell of the heroes they know. No one learns much from these stories, other than the fact that their own lives are dull compared to their friends. Theatre, on the other hand, should be honest. Usually painfully honest. And people should leave feeling closer to other humans, not farther apart. If there's a battle, it should expose us. All of us. And if there's a hero, we should see potential in ourselves through her. I believe theatre is becoming more important, not less.
What's your first step for tackling a design/role/play/script?
I think in depth about the backstory of the character that I'm playing. Often I have to create the backstory and make assumptions, since it's not in the script. Slowly I turn that backstory into a set of baggage -- emotional, physical, material, whatever. Then I live with that baggage as much and as honestly as possible. It's the start of melding my impulses with the impulses of this character. This character should eventually become me (or you could chose to say it the other way around); me, if I had lived life from birth under the experiences of this character.
What is one of your favorite neighborhoods in Chicago and why:
I love Chicago. I love finding places I've never seen before. My favorite neighborhood is the next one I find.
How did your family/friends react to you joining the arts?
Let's not tell them. For their sake.
What does "making it big" mean to you? How do you judge success in a show?
I would tell stories even if no one heard them. It sounds weird, but it's true. However, it's important to me that others do experience the work. I believe that art is great only when it profoundly connects us on a level that somehow rises above the medium.
Who do you make theatre for?
I make theatre for humans, but if an animal or tree wants to watch, that's cool too.
