Private Plays are intimate performance encounters that take place in unusual settings. These three exciting new plays have been created exclusively for Mainspring Arts by writer, artist and animator Steven Fraser, who is also founder of Do It Theatre.
Private Plays are designed for autistic people - although you don't need to be autistic to read and enjoy them. These three plays - Faces, Touch and Talking - all take place in your home. You can read them by yourself or with other people, and all you need to do to get going is download the plays below.
We’ll be launching one Private Play a week starting on Monday 26th October. Click the images below to download the plays, and scroll down to find out more about them.
What are Private Plays?
Private Plays are intimate performance encounters where the audience read illustrated performance scripts that are presented in a zine. Within the zine you will find instructions, illustrations, photographs and a script that you can read and enjoy.
Private Plays are created for autistic people - although anyone can read and enjoy them. Uncomfortable stimuli associated with crowded theatres and unfamiliar spaces are removed and the reader is in control of the pace of the story.
Private Plays usually occur in strange and atypical settings such as cafés, bars, arts centres and adapted installation spaces, which feature props, objects and puppets. These three new and exclusive Private Plays occur in your home.
The rooms in your home are the setting for the play. Think of the rooms as a stage and the content of the zine as the text of a play. The instructions are optional and the idea is to present new, diverse and abstract storytelling in a personal, intimate and inclusive style.
The three Private Plays
Faces: This is a Private Play about prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. This is a condition where people find it difficult to recognise faces. Steven wanted to write about this as it is something that he has struggled with in the past. He wanted to show how faces are important and what they can convey. The intimate and personal nature of Private Plays seemed like an interesting way to look at this subject area.
Touch: This Private Play looks at how important touch is. Touch is an essential sensation and one which can only be experienced when you are close to someone or something. There is an intensity and familiarity about touch. This is a very dominant feeling, but touch can also be indefinable at times. The story looks at these aspects and uses Polaroid photography as a means of expressing these complex and significant emotions.
Talking: This is a very delicate Private Play. The story focuses on a difficult and personal conversation. It looks at language and how subjective and prevailing words can be. Certain conversations can be challenging and Talking investigates this head on, using dramatic language and subversive storytelling.
What is a zine?
Zines are self-published booklets that cover a wide variety of topics and are often made by marginalised people.
About the artist
Steven Fraser is a writer, artist and animator who makes zines, comics, installations and short films. His work covers many topics and has a focus on autism and identity. His short films and theatre work have been shown at many international film and arts festivals and have picked up several awards.
You can see more of his work at stevenfraserart.com and doittheatre.com. You can buy some of his zines and comics from his Etsy shop, and find him on Instagram and Twitter.
