In Tucson there is the theatre that most of us make, and then there is the theatre that Matt Walley makes. His work is the only real distinction in terms of style and form and content. For the rest of us, those who are at theatres such as Beowulf Alley, Rogue, Winding Road, Live Theatre, and others, the degrees of separation that distinguish our works are very small, almost non-existent really. Yes, some work can be categorized as more political or contains more sexual allusions, etc, but the form of production and the acting and the presentation is common and all of it falls within a small range of style and ability. Our audiences are expecting and view our work with a knowing eye and ear. But not Matt Walley’s. His is unique. And requires a different consideration. I recently spent a couple of hours in candid conversation with Walley, picking his brain about his work, his ideas and of course his hopes for the future, for theatre, for Tucson. Time well spent. Now if I had my way, Matt Walley would be studying the work of Lee J. Cobb and then using his own talent to create the same kind of characters, with all that soul, depth and largeness looming over the stage with dominance and power, wit and charisma, emotion and physical presence. But alas, Walley (as friends call him) has taken another path, and in this case, my personal “ loss” is a boom for other aspects of theatre. One little note, or fact, to make known right now is that Walley is the originator and founder of our modern “Late Night” series of theatre in Tucson. He “invented” it and popularized it. That is only one feather in his local cap as a theatre artist, but it speaks to his ability and ideas and intentions. But before I go too far into his directing and producing, I need to expand and explain my Lee J. Cobb reference - for acting like that is a rare, rare beast. As an actor Walley is supremely talented, but his depth and capabilities have only been partly tapped and showcased. That said, by Walley’s own admission and explanation, as an actor he has remade and reinvented himself a couple of times over. He has become physically accomplished and diverse, going from an actor who could not move well to an actor who is lyrical and rhythmic and highly expressive with his body. That makeover leaves him with a range of grace and power in his acting body that is formidable. His great wealth and talent and fairly untapped abilities however, lie in his emotional and mental capacities as an actor. There is largeness. And thus, my Lee J. Cobb comparison. All this I mention because I want to make the point that Walley, being a director and teacher, is keenly aware of what kind of transformation is possible when one embarks on a path of study and work. A path of study and work - this notion is one of the things (along with many other things) which makes Walley a blood brother to me (We still have to have the official ceremony). And now I’m going to tell you a little-known fact, and even less spoken of, almost never revealed, realized by few even for whom it is true. When a person embarks on a “path” of disciplined study and approach, one that is by a noble intent and nature transformative, (for example it may be a path of Kung Fu, or actor training in the manner and way of Stanislavsky) and if a person does this earnestly over time with empathy and compassion, that person becomes “Wild.” It’s an odd phenomenon to grasp, and I won’t explain further at the moment except to say Walley… might… be …wild. Jump, Jump, Jump ahead, change of subject again - when we as spectators watch a show developed and directed by Walley, we have to think and consider and even ask ourselves what is this? But we don’t do it out of total confusion. We do it out of the experience generated by the unexpected and different format and style which Walley presents to us. At the heart of that style is an actor, or a group of actors who function as poets/artists (per Walley’s lingo). This actor or group of actors have formed a point of view about life and/or subjects, or moments in life, and have created an expression of it by means of physical bodily activity. It makes it’s own logic and means, suitable as required, and becomes what Eugenio Barba might term “Biological..” Let’s say its alive as a being unto itself. But don’t assume alien or unintelligible. Walley’s work maintains a certain simplicity and elegance, born perhaps on his clever and patient sensibilities. His motto could be “its right there if you want to see it.” One would only have to look. But in Walley’s world, in his training, his approach, looking means really looking and becoming able to see anew. If you’re a spectator or an actor under Walley’s auspices, he will take you places in ways no one else can or will. There may indeed be a Eugenia Woods or some young person lurking out there in our theatre sphere ready to launch something equally different and challenging on us, but for now Walley stands alone on a cutting edge. End Part One.
Monday, September 30, 2013
BoomTown Profiles Series - Matt Walley, Part One
Part One - "Along a Path."
In Tucson there is the theatre that most of us make, and then there is the theatre that Matt Walley makes. His work is the only real distinction in terms of style and form and content. For the rest of us, those who are at theatres such as Beowulf Alley, Rogue, Winding Road, Live Theatre, and others, the degrees of separation that distinguish our works are very small, almost non-existent really. Yes, some work can be categorized as more political or contains more sexual allusions, etc, but the form of production and the acting and the presentation is common and all of it falls within a small range of style and ability. Our audiences are expecting and view our work with a knowing eye and ear. But not Matt Walley’s. His is unique. And requires a different consideration. I recently spent a couple of hours in candid conversation with Walley, picking his brain about his work, his ideas and of course his hopes for the future, for theatre, for Tucson. Time well spent. Now if I had my way, Matt Walley would be studying the work of Lee J. Cobb and then using his own talent to create the same kind of characters, with all that soul, depth and largeness looming over the stage with dominance and power, wit and charisma, emotion and physical presence. But alas, Walley (as friends call him) has taken another path, and in this case, my personal “ loss” is a boom for other aspects of theatre. One little note, or fact, to make known right now is that Walley is the originator and founder of our modern “Late Night” series of theatre in Tucson. He “invented” it and popularized it. That is only one feather in his local cap as a theatre artist, but it speaks to his ability and ideas and intentions. But before I go too far into his directing and producing, I need to expand and explain my Lee J. Cobb reference - for acting like that is a rare, rare beast. As an actor Walley is supremely talented, but his depth and capabilities have only been partly tapped and showcased. That said, by Walley’s own admission and explanation, as an actor he has remade and reinvented himself a couple of times over. He has become physically accomplished and diverse, going from an actor who could not move well to an actor who is lyrical and rhythmic and highly expressive with his body. That makeover leaves him with a range of grace and power in his acting body that is formidable. His great wealth and talent and fairly untapped abilities however, lie in his emotional and mental capacities as an actor. There is largeness. And thus, my Lee J. Cobb comparison. All this I mention because I want to make the point that Walley, being a director and teacher, is keenly aware of what kind of transformation is possible when one embarks on a path of study and work. A path of study and work - this notion is one of the things (along with many other things) which makes Walley a blood brother to me (We still have to have the official ceremony). And now I’m going to tell you a little-known fact, and even less spoken of, almost never revealed, realized by few even for whom it is true. When a person embarks on a “path” of disciplined study and approach, one that is by a noble intent and nature transformative, (for example it may be a path of Kung Fu, or actor training in the manner and way of Stanislavsky) and if a person does this earnestly over time with empathy and compassion, that person becomes “Wild.” It’s an odd phenomenon to grasp, and I won’t explain further at the moment except to say Walley… might… be …wild. Jump, Jump, Jump ahead, change of subject again - when we as spectators watch a show developed and directed by Walley, we have to think and consider and even ask ourselves what is this? But we don’t do it out of total confusion. We do it out of the experience generated by the unexpected and different format and style which Walley presents to us. At the heart of that style is an actor, or a group of actors who function as poets/artists (per Walley’s lingo). This actor or group of actors have formed a point of view about life and/or subjects, or moments in life, and have created an expression of it by means of physical bodily activity. It makes it’s own logic and means, suitable as required, and becomes what Eugenio Barba might term “Biological..” Let’s say its alive as a being unto itself. But don’t assume alien or unintelligible. Walley’s work maintains a certain simplicity and elegance, born perhaps on his clever and patient sensibilities. His motto could be “its right there if you want to see it.” One would only have to look. But in Walley’s world, in his training, his approach, looking means really looking and becoming able to see anew. If you’re a spectator or an actor under Walley’s auspices, he will take you places in ways no one else can or will. There may indeed be a Eugenia Woods or some young person lurking out there in our theatre sphere ready to launch something equally different and challenging on us, but for now Walley stands alone on a cutting edge. End Part One.
In Tucson there is the theatre that most of us make, and then there is the theatre that Matt Walley makes. His work is the only real distinction in terms of style and form and content. For the rest of us, those who are at theatres such as Beowulf Alley, Rogue, Winding Road, Live Theatre, and others, the degrees of separation that distinguish our works are very small, almost non-existent really. Yes, some work can be categorized as more political or contains more sexual allusions, etc, but the form of production and the acting and the presentation is common and all of it falls within a small range of style and ability. Our audiences are expecting and view our work with a knowing eye and ear. But not Matt Walley’s. His is unique. And requires a different consideration. I recently spent a couple of hours in candid conversation with Walley, picking his brain about his work, his ideas and of course his hopes for the future, for theatre, for Tucson. Time well spent. Now if I had my way, Matt Walley would be studying the work of Lee J. Cobb and then using his own talent to create the same kind of characters, with all that soul, depth and largeness looming over the stage with dominance and power, wit and charisma, emotion and physical presence. But alas, Walley (as friends call him) has taken another path, and in this case, my personal “ loss” is a boom for other aspects of theatre. One little note, or fact, to make known right now is that Walley is the originator and founder of our modern “Late Night” series of theatre in Tucson. He “invented” it and popularized it. That is only one feather in his local cap as a theatre artist, but it speaks to his ability and ideas and intentions. But before I go too far into his directing and producing, I need to expand and explain my Lee J. Cobb reference - for acting like that is a rare, rare beast. As an actor Walley is supremely talented, but his depth and capabilities have only been partly tapped and showcased. That said, by Walley’s own admission and explanation, as an actor he has remade and reinvented himself a couple of times over. He has become physically accomplished and diverse, going from an actor who could not move well to an actor who is lyrical and rhythmic and highly expressive with his body. That makeover leaves him with a range of grace and power in his acting body that is formidable. His great wealth and talent and fairly untapped abilities however, lie in his emotional and mental capacities as an actor. There is largeness. And thus, my Lee J. Cobb comparison. All this I mention because I want to make the point that Walley, being a director and teacher, is keenly aware of what kind of transformation is possible when one embarks on a path of study and work. A path of study and work - this notion is one of the things (along with many other things) which makes Walley a blood brother to me (We still have to have the official ceremony). And now I’m going to tell you a little-known fact, and even less spoken of, almost never revealed, realized by few even for whom it is true. When a person embarks on a “path” of disciplined study and approach, one that is by a noble intent and nature transformative, (for example it may be a path of Kung Fu, or actor training in the manner and way of Stanislavsky) and if a person does this earnestly over time with empathy and compassion, that person becomes “Wild.” It’s an odd phenomenon to grasp, and I won’t explain further at the moment except to say Walley… might… be …wild. Jump, Jump, Jump ahead, change of subject again - when we as spectators watch a show developed and directed by Walley, we have to think and consider and even ask ourselves what is this? But we don’t do it out of total confusion. We do it out of the experience generated by the unexpected and different format and style which Walley presents to us. At the heart of that style is an actor, or a group of actors who function as poets/artists (per Walley’s lingo). This actor or group of actors have formed a point of view about life and/or subjects, or moments in life, and have created an expression of it by means of physical bodily activity. It makes it’s own logic and means, suitable as required, and becomes what Eugenio Barba might term “Biological..” Let’s say its alive as a being unto itself. But don’t assume alien or unintelligible. Walley’s work maintains a certain simplicity and elegance, born perhaps on his clever and patient sensibilities. His motto could be “its right there if you want to see it.” One would only have to look. But in Walley’s world, in his training, his approach, looking means really looking and becoming able to see anew. If you’re a spectator or an actor under Walley’s auspices, he will take you places in ways no one else can or will. There may indeed be a Eugenia Woods or some young person lurking out there in our theatre sphere ready to launch something equally different and challenging on us, but for now Walley stands alone on a cutting edge. End Part One.
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