Corporations in our Heads - A Thoughtful Tweet-A-Long

Tonight I went to experience Corporations in our Heads - here's my tweet-a-long thoughts for your reading pleasure. If you aren't familiar with forum theatre, you may want to read up on the topic first by visiting the Theatre For Living site OR the project page.

@theatre4living Excited to be at Corporations in our Heads at Gallery Gachet 88 E Cordova. #corporations2013

Tonight's event takes 2.5 to 3 hours and is joked by David Diamond. We are waiting for the show to begin!

Tagline is: Theatre without a net. No actors. No play. No script. Just what are we going to see? #corporations2013

Corporations communicate with us everyday. How do the messages affect us? Do we hear more from corps than family? What does THAT mean?

I'm gonna use corps for the word corporations cuz it I have only 140 characters.

David Diamond is now onstage talking to us. He posits that we hear from corps about 3500 times per day. That's a lot!

There are many corporate messages talking to us. Many not healthy. David is explaining the rules & saying some of us will be onstage tonight

He begins by asking us questions about the nature of corporations & how we are affected by their actions.

I answer a question... I say that I feel the corporate messages are sometimes so loud that it can be stressful.

We are getting the rules now. And I just got introduced as the person tweeting in the back. Does this make me socially acceptable?

We will be hearing three stories tonight. Then we will choose one & explore its ideas through theatre.

We are being asked to be characters & then enact the character of a corporate message. Should be interesting.

Aha - a few latecomers are joining us.

We just did a physical warmup! Watch out... I'm looking forward to this.

And now we are waiting for three stories.... One woman onstage, now another woman & then one man. Three stories.

Story... Where are we? What's the location? Who else is there? What is the decision to be made? What corp messages do you hear in your head?

Story one... It's movie title: Should we trade convenience for corruption? #corporations2013

Story two. The movie title is: Poverty princess versus fame. #corporations 2013

Story three. Its movie title: This Is Bullshit.

First comment on my #corporations2013 comments. From a Facebook friend: "Bell Canada loves you too."

David is onstage with our chosen storyteller - let's call him J. Now David asks him to close his eyes & remember. To think about decisions.

This is a difficult request - to ask an audience member to share the moment of making a decision.

... The brainwashing that we go through... We are looking for the moment when the corporations talk in your head.

J speaks... Now we see an image of a corporate message - it is a person telling another to shush, keep quiet.

Now someone else comes onstage to be a corporate message - an exultant arms up.

And another person - showing an empty pocket.

Now David asks the people playing the corporations to tell J what he is hearing in the moment in his head. #corporations2013

Now David asks the audience to say what brand is represented by the message. And then what relationship...

Now the corporate characters are going after J - they are trying to convince him. He is trying to get away!

J is not dealing with the corporate characters - he is avoiding them! #corporations2013

Now we are going to use forum theatre techniques to deal with one of the corporate messages. We start with playing the relationship.

Many people in the audience know forum theatre - we in the audience will help to answer the corporate voices.

Someone from the audience is trying to reason with the corporate message... But the corp won't listen. We give in.

Now someone has chopped the corporate message in half!!!

Sometimes we have to end relationships that are bad for us. (I do not love Red Flag Deals, really I don't, no I don't.)

The corporate voice is Mom - she is offering rewards, love and cheering!

And the person is trying to escape from that smothering... But it feels good, to be loved & appreciated.

Do we crave attention? Do corporations give us praise? Do we like that? Are we addicted to it? Afraid of it?

Ooh... Someone just said "The ever present voice of the corporation." And then, the voice says: "I know what's best for you."

If we can recognize the relationship the corporation is trying to build with us, then we can change our reaction to it.

Now the corporate voice is Dad. An audience member comes onstage & refuses to listen.

The corporation won't let him go!!!

We see fear tactics & the corp message refuses to give up. Threatens various consequences. We are afraid what if the bad things DO happen?

And now - the last intervention of the night. Our audience member explains to the corp voice that this relationship HURTS her.

David asks the people onstage to speak one sentence of their deepest emotion.

Withdrawal, retreat, self-protection, cocoon... All tactics to avoid the corporate voice. The hiding doesn't work so we keep trying.

Then David points out that everyone has tried to deal with the problems individually. No one asked for help from the audience.

It feels like we can't share our problems. They might think we are crazy, that we can't handle ourselves...

Somehow it matters that corporate voices are often real people speaking. That I talk to people who say things they truly don't want to say.

Now David is wrapping up. He talks of the need for structural change - but patterns of behaviour create structures. How do we change?

We are asked to think about whether we can take away something concrete from tonight. Ideas bubble up.

Corporations in our Heads runs three more nights. If you are willing to put on your thinking cap, consider checking it out. #corporations2013