The Democratic Set

PRESENTED WITH NEWORLD THEATRE

“[M]ostly it’s full of laughter and hope, a feeling very much helped by the wide demographic of its contributors.”

—RealTime

This is not a performance—it’s a model for the way we could live. In The Democratic Set, members of the local community are invited to help make a movie. The process is one of collaboration, not leadership; egalitarianism, not hierarchy. The “set” of the title is an empty room, built and displayed in The Roundhouse. It can function as a dramatic setting, a virtual soapbox or whatever else the given participant wishes.

“[C]reates a frame within which to perceive the equal value of presence of all bodies as they generate their different styles and motives and intentions and intensities.”

—Theatre Bristol

Each cast member gets a brief rehearsal for their 15-second video portrait; each portrait is captured in a single take, with the camera moving across the set in the same direction each time. Edited and presented, the successive portrait-shots appear as a continuous movement through the rooms of an imaginary space; that space is one of freedom, constructed from cooperation and fellowship. What emerges is a wonderful paradox: a group vision of individual expression. When the final work premieres for the public, it’s a moment of shared triumph.

Filming sessions on the set are open to the public; no booking is required to observe. Limited slots to participate are available at the venue each day.

Following the Film Screening there will be a free opening night party.

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