Theater Du Jour began in 1982 when B. Stanley invited fellow actor George Kaperonis to come to Washington, DC and form a new theater company after he finished his university studies. Stanley took on the role of director/actor and Kaperonis became the playwright/actor. The two would go on to create three complete performance pieces (Bigger Than Life, Go, Blindness from Looking Too Hard At That Sun.) The flexibility of the pieces made it possible to perform in a variety of situations, and over the next five years Theatre Du Jour would perform hundreds of times in theaters, clubs, festivals, studios, and on the streets. High-energy performances with geometric overtones and spoken word acrobatics became the hallmark of the group. Observed A. Meibriouk of Theatre de Banliue of Brussells, "It's like Oscar Schlimmer's Triadic Ballet with words."

Physical training was a large part of the work. Building on the influences of Antonin Artaud and Jerzy Grotowski, Stanley designed exercises and improvisational interactions that laid the foundation of the daily work and process for creating the performances. The expansion of the group meant more precision in the training and an effective means of relating the work to newcomers. In 1986 and 1987 the work sessions were open to the public once a week and became a meeting place for performers of different backgrounds to unite in common exploration. These sessions served to create more codified structures to be woven into performances and deconstructed the actor's physical and vocal work into smaller, intricate scores that could be taken out of context, manipulated, reformed, dismantled, reconstructed and then put back into context.

But the physical training and the work on the performance remained separated, the daily work did not directly translate to the performance work.

In 1987, as a result of artistic differences (Kaperonis' plays began to rely more on literature and Stanley was seeking more movement than text) and inter-personal turmoil, the group stopped working. Stanley moved to New York City where he performed one play with the Living Theatre Turning the Earth (1988), as well as collaborating as director with performer and playwright Joanie Fritz on Twelve Steps To Murder (1988, Protean Forms Collective). Kaperonis soon also moved to New York to continue his writing and acting career, and still lives there today.

In 1989 Stanley left New York for Pontremoli, Italy, where he was a participant in the Institutet for Scenkonst's University of Theater, fifth session, which was a one-year pedagogical research session led by Ingemar Lindh and the members of the Institutet. Lindh's work, coming from the corporeal mime research of Etienne Decroux (Lindh was Decroux's assistant for twelve years) and furthered through his own research of 20 years, faced the same problem of training, process, theme, and it's relationship to the creation of a performance. This coincided with Stanley's own research and for the next 3 years he would remain at the Institutet working as a director, actor, lighting designer, and assistant pedagogue, as well as editing a book of observations and meetings of the participants of the University of Theater, Fifth Session (Actions, Consequences, Resonances, 1990). In 1992 and 93, he divided his time between Pontremoli, Washington, DC, and Scandinavia, conducting workshops, and creating, acting and directing plays (City of Lies, The Speaking Man, Tower of Babel, Five Count.)

In 1994 he took up residence once again in Washington, DC as the artistic/executive director of the District of Columbia Arts Center; a small art galley and theater dedicated to new and emerging artists. Here, while working on Antonin Artaud's Spurt of Blood (1995), he met a group of actors who were interested in training and continuing their work beyond the performance. As they began to plan future work sessions and performances, the group realized that they must have a name. With a little foot shuffling and hesitation, they asked if they could reclaim the name Theatre Du Jour. Stanley agreed, and in 1996, a reconstituted Theatre Du Jour emerged with a re-approach to Tower of Babel, which played in Washington, DC and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and in its abbreviated form, at community festivals, and on the streets.

Ingemar Lindh's determination and style of research, pedagogy and support had had a profound effect on Stanley. He sought out his advice, wisdom and company, and they remained in close contact until Lindh's death (June, 1997). Continuing the work through Theatre Du Jour, the group has conducted training, workshops, seminars and presented several plays in Washington, DC (Ubu Cuckolded 1997, Pygmalion 1998, Purlie Victorious 1999), and now the research continues with a working company of five.

The process of bringing the principles of training closer to the integration with the process of creating performance is still underway. Through performances, workshops and exchanges, Theatre Du Jour is more than experimental theater; it is an experiment within theater.

Theatre Du Jour -- P.O. Box 53314, Washington D.C. 20009 ph:(202) 483-6430, email:tdj100@aol.com

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