It's this quality that makes Tracey the best kind of teacher. She's been igniting creativity in people of all ages for the past decade as founder and creator of soulOtheatre - an exciting program that designed to help people create their own one-person show.
And you can sure as hell bet that in her class, spontaneous giggles and passing notes would be encouraged, if not required.
Who was your favourite teacher(s)?
Mr. Moses. He was my English teacher at Claude Watson High School for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Mr. Moses had a white beard and rode a motorcycle. One day I gave him yet another baloney excuse why my English homework wasn’t done. He looked me straight in the eye and said: “You know Tracey, every time you lie, you give a piece of your soul away.”
When did you discover your identity through art ?
When I wrote my one-woman show, “The Burning Bush!” It was autobiographical in a fantastical kind of way. I made my main character over come my worst fear of having to do a strip tease in front of the audience. In rehearsal I pretty much had a panic attack when it came time to rehearse that scene and we incorporated that panic attack into the show. The character hyperventilates and makes sounds like a sick animal right before she runs on stage and takes off most of her clothes. So the process of creating a solo show that was loosely based on my childhood dreams of becoming a Rabbi and my fear of getting naked taught, me a lot about myself. The identity it helped me discover is that I hover somewhere between being a Rabbi and an exotic dancer.
Why do you feel it would benefit artists to collaborate?
Creative collaboration is definitely an inspiring equation of the sum being bigger than it’s individual parts. I have seen in solo show classes I lead that working in a group helps creators come up with ideas they may not have got to on their own. It’s such a cool moment when a class mate says just the thing you need to hear to put that missing piece in place for you that takes your show to the next level. It’s awesome when that happens. Everyone wins. The creator has a breakthrough and the classmate that gave the idea gets the instant satisfaction of helping someone in a creative and meaningful way.
Where is it that you find, are the most valued elements in art?
What I most value is when someone reveals a truth about him/herself and therefore shares with us what it is to be human. I am so moved by honesty. It takes courage to be honest. It can be the hardest and the most freeing thing to reveal the truth, your truth.
What is your artist style?
I asked my fiancé to answer this question and he said: My artist style is compassionate, humanistic, loving and passionate. (He may be a little biased) I would add that my style to use what ever means are necessary to help others find their authentic style. I try to bring all of who I am to my teaching and hope that that give those present the permission and safe environment to let all of themselves come out and play. I have noticed when people feel free to be themselves, they create more material for their show and the more they can connect with the beauty, humour and the absurdity of the human experience.
How do you share your style?
Recently some fellow theatre artists and some of my class participants said they see me as: a Sassy Mystic, a Soulful Sh*t Disturber, a Vixon Superhero Teacher and a Mind Reading Stripper! It came out of a writing exercise we did to identify who you would be if you were to be a ‘character’ in a play. Because when you do an autobiographical one-person show, you are a character, the main character! So it is extremely helpful in the writing to take a step back and see yourself as a character. I would call this sharing your soul-style with the audience, hence the name soulOtheatre.
Mr. Moses. He was my English teacher at Claude Watson High School for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Mr. Moses had a white beard and rode a motorcycle. One day I gave him yet another baloney excuse why my English homework wasn’t done. He looked me straight in the eye and said: “You know Tracey, every time you lie, you give a piece of your soul away.”
When did you discover your identity through art ?
When I wrote my one-woman show, “The Burning Bush!” It was autobiographical in a fantastical kind of way. I made my main character over come my worst fear of having to do a strip tease in front of the audience. In rehearsal I pretty much had a panic attack when it came time to rehearse that scene and we incorporated that panic attack into the show. The character hyperventilates and makes sounds like a sick animal right before she runs on stage and takes off most of her clothes. So the process of creating a solo show that was loosely based on my childhood dreams of becoming a Rabbi and my fear of getting naked taught, me a lot about myself. The identity it helped me discover is that I hover somewhere between being a Rabbi and an exotic dancer.
Why do you feel it would benefit artists to collaborate?
Creative collaboration is definitely an inspiring equation of the sum being bigger than it’s individual parts. I have seen in solo show classes I lead that working in a group helps creators come up with ideas they may not have got to on their own. It’s such a cool moment when a class mate says just the thing you need to hear to put that missing piece in place for you that takes your show to the next level. It’s awesome when that happens. Everyone wins. The creator has a breakthrough and the classmate that gave the idea gets the instant satisfaction of helping someone in a creative and meaningful way.
Where is it that you find, are the most valued elements in art?
What I most value is when someone reveals a truth about him/herself and therefore shares with us what it is to be human. I am so moved by honesty. It takes courage to be honest. It can be the hardest and the most freeing thing to reveal the truth, your truth.
What is your artist style?
I asked my fiancé to answer this question and he said: My artist style is compassionate, humanistic, loving and passionate. (He may be a little biased) I would add that my style to use what ever means are necessary to help others find their authentic style. I try to bring all of who I am to my teaching and hope that that give those present the permission and safe environment to let all of themselves come out and play. I have noticed when people feel free to be themselves, they create more material for their show and the more they can connect with the beauty, humour and the absurdity of the human experience.
How do you share your style?
Recently some fellow theatre artists and some of my class participants said they see me as: a Sassy Mystic, a Soulful Sh*t Disturber, a Vixon Superhero Teacher and a Mind Reading Stripper! It came out of a writing exercise we did to identify who you would be if you were to be a ‘character’ in a play. Because when you do an autobiographical one-person show, you are a character, the main character! So it is extremely helpful in the writing to take a step back and see yourself as a character. I would call this sharing your soul-style with the audience, hence the name soulOtheatre.
[L'il Tracey]
Tracey is founder and creator of soulOtheatre, and an award-winning solo performer and playwright. Her hit one-woman show The Burning Bush! has been performed Off-Off Broadway in New York City, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax.
Tracey will be teaching her weekend workshop in New York City, April 15-17 at The TheaterLab.
Thanks Frost for the wonderful set of W5H Questions.
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