The relationship between Ariel and our collborators in  the rehearsal and artistic process at NAKeD PUPPeTS reflects Ariel's interest in unexpected results. The process itself is quite unorthodox, compared to run of the mill theater-making.

As a director, Ariel enjoys leading the creative process in a politically non-hierarchical fashion, which he believes helps keep the process imaginative, experimental, and flowing.

In NAKeD PUPPeTS, we pursue the constant discovery of the unexpected through a sort of dialogical process between the initial imagery and ideas, and what we end with. In general, we set to work departing from known ideas, such as a photograph, a sketch, a storyboard, a puppet, or a piece of text. From there, we embrace a heightened receptivity and move  towards images that are new to us, and which hold some kind of internal and poetic cohesion. This process has features that are specific to each production.

We take note of where we generate audience expectations, and of where we fall into conventions. This is important artisticaly, and also politically, for we believe the rôle of theater is to contribute to our society's imagination, and to question, and change in ever evolving ways, the convention we accept as reality. This makes the process richer and life much more fun!

We use techniques from poetry, dance, theater, visual arts, music, or anything that is in our "toolbox". Sometimes, bringing something that is completely disconnected, generates a rehearsal atmosphere that invites the muses in.

All participants are encouraged to offer suggestions. We try anything that any member of the collaboration suggests, at least once. Because different people contribute according to their different experiences and background, this keeps rehearsals fun, challenging, and generative.

After they have been explored in rehearsals and are explored in different ways, the ideas contributed by members of the core group are then harnessed, syhnthesized, and shaped by Ariel, to achieve the final image. This becomes our show.

The links on your left take you to everybody's biographies. The link on the CURReNT page takes you to our process blog for the current show.