ABSTRACT
In the notes to the second actor who will be performing in An Oak Tree, Crouch decisively identifies himself as the author of this play. In a very palpable sense, Smith in particular was central to the conception of An Oak Tree. Crouch had, by his own account, come up with the narrative of the play independently, but he still needed to settle on a form. There is, however, a tension at play in Crouch's description of his work and his relationship with collaborators. Interestingly, despite the many other ways in which he has attempted to challenge received theatrical conventions, Crouch also remains wedded to the idea of the solo-authored text. A significant point of reference is the Fluxus movement, and its event scores. This delicate balance between determination and indeterminacy is central to understanding Crouch's authorship of An Oak Tree. In Crouch's work, then, there is a simultaneous movement of relinquishing certain aspects of control and underlining others.
