2017

A whirlwind, started with immense personal difficulty which spanned several months, and in some ways overshadowed many of the amazing events of the year. Nonetheless, it is resolved, and now upon reflection, it is difficult not to view 2017 as a pretty fantastic year altogether. 

The publication of my essay "Re-Imagining Expectation for the Theatrical Event" as a chapter in a book, On Immersive Theatre. An actual book. A dream I have held since childhood, finally real. You can order copies here. Due to that immense personal difficulty I mentioned, I still haven't been able to order myself one...since being an academic publication, there are no freebies, even for the contributors. 

This was swiftly followed by seeing the work of two major influences on my creative life; 887 by Robert Lepage, and My Arm by Tim Crouch, both performed by them, and a wonderful catch-up with Tim over wine and delightful conversation. Honestly. I didn't see a lot of theatre this year, and to some extent it is because I was so happily full and inspired by those two pieces, that i felt no hunger. I continue to process and think about them now, reflect on how and why they worked in such a powerful way. 

After many years of reading and thinking and planning I was granted the opportunity by the estate of Sarah Kane, and my wonderful and supportive fellow company members at Theatre By The River to direct 4.48 Psychosis. And not only direct it, but do so with little outside influence, entirely as I wanted to, as a full expression of my aesthetic. As a means of debuting as a director in Toronto, I couldn't ask for anything more, and was astounded by the audience and critical reaction here, and in Winnipeg when we toured the show. My immense gratitude to the team for enabling me to do this work, and to Liz Whitbread, John Norman, and Emma Miziolek for being my partners in creation, will not soon fade. 

I also published a short piece for my dear friend S.K.Clarke's website, which was a part of her I Am Loved series. I am grateful to Samantha for the invitation to be a contributor to the series. You can still enjoy it here. 

Finally, I have been invited to direct a new play by Ciarán Myers, a fellow Brit-Drama-School grad (Central) whose plays have been produced in London and at Edinburgh. The play is a one woman show called Sweet Mama and the Salty Muffins, which will be a part of Alumnae Theatre's 100th season and 30th New Ideas Festival, this coming March. This is a wonderful and challenging script that makes me feel that as a director, lightning can strike. I can't wait to share it with you all. 

So, as much as 2017 had a pile of stink to it, there were undoubtedly some amazing counterpoints, which on reflection, far outweigh the bad. 

news. Immersive Theatre Publication

My essay Re-Imagining Expectation for the Theatrical Experience is a part of this great collection of essays on contemporary immersive theatre practices, published by Common Ground Publishing, and edited by Josh Machamer. My essay touches on formative experiences and experiments in my own exploration of immersive theatre work, including work created in London, UK and in Winnipeg, Canada. 

Abstract
Re-Imagining Expectation for the Theatrical Event examines contemporary practices of immersive theatre and their efficacy in relationship to audience expectation for the what and how of the theatrical event. Contrary to earlier forms of theatrical performance, immersive work takes on many characteristics in terms of the dramatic versus the theatrical, the role of the audience in the creation of the experience, and the role of the performer in preparing and guiding this experience. At its heart, immersive theatre calls upon both performer and audience to connect, and to re-define their understanding not only of what makes the theatrical event, but what agency they have in the events taking place in front of them. This chapter combines an examination of the work of impel Theatre in Canada with the formative experiences Artistic Director Kendra Jones had performing in immersive work in London, UK for Run Riot’s You Me Bum Bum Train and RADA Festival’s How We Met. Throughout, the chapter seeks to demonstrate the necessity of such a theatrical evolution in the current milieu to ensure the continuance of the art form in an increasingly digitally connected and personally disconnected world. Kendra Jones is an independent theatre director, writer, and academic based in Toronto, Canada, and artistic director of impel Theatre. She has previously taught at the University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre & Film, and Prairie Theatre Exchange School. 

About the collection: 
Immersive Theatre: Engaging the Audience is a collection of essays that look to catalogue the popularization of “immersive” theatre/performance throughout the world; focusing on reviews of works, investigations into specific companies and practices, and the scholarship behind the “role” an audience plays when they are no longer bystanders but integral participants within production. Given the success of companies like Punchdrunk, Dream Think Speak, and Third Rail Projects, as current examples, immersive theatre plays a vital role in defining the theatrical canon for the twenty-first century. Its relatively “modern” and new status makes a collection like this ripe for conversation, inquiry, and discovery in a variety of ways. These immersive experiences engage the academy of “the community” at large, going beyond showcasing prototypical theatre artists. They embrace the collaborative necessity of society and art–helping to define the “stories” we tell and the WAY in which we tell them.

You can buy a hardcover or PDF copy here: https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/immersive-theatre