Fall Workshops 2011

The study of Neutral Mask challenges the actor to use their entire body in expressing themselves on stage. Working with the mask enables the performer to discover essential gesture and an economy of movement as well as create a foundation and reference point for character. Through a series of improvisational and technical exercises the actor confronts their physical habits in order to move past the 'daily' body and enter the theatrical realm. The mask has no opinion but is alive and desires to engage, requiring the actor to undo their knowledge and bring their senses to bear in re-discovering the world around them. The study of the Neutral Mask is vital for actors wanting to gain a greater control over their body in movement, develop their imagination and bring a dynamic quality to their presence on stage.

"Adrienne Kapstein is an engaging, supportive, and spot-on teacher. Her Neutral Mask Intensive was simply fantastic. I look forward to studying more with the Movement Theatre Studio." --Bill Bowers, Actor and Mime

This workshop addresses the role of Director in an ensemble setting. A seeming contradiction, how does a director inspire joint ownership of the generation of new material and at the same time maintain creative autonomy in order to sculpt the final product? We will look at the tools of devising where the traditional boundaries between actor/director director/writer are blurred and where the ensemble enriches the creation of original material, giving rise to a joint vision.

Throughout the workshop students will work in small groups to create original material, alternately wearing the hat of director, writer and actor. We will look at the ideas of theme, structured improvisation, creation and use of space, character, narrative arc and mise en scene.

Questions asked include:

• How can you best provoke and inspire actors to serve your vision?
• What exercises will best illuminate the themes you are exploring?
• What games and approaches can help create trust, playfulness and inspiration within the group?
• How do you "quiet your brain" while material is being created and surrender momentarily to the actor's instinctive impulse - knowing that your chance to organize and edit will come?
• How do we create trust and creative equality in the room while still adhering to the guiding role of director?
• What are the stages of ensemble creation? - Provocation, Development and Organizing

This two-weekend workshop uses the lens of comedy to help performers find physical and imaginative freedom on stage. Actors will discover the aspect of themselves that is undeniably funny and work from that place in creating original, comedic material.

Weekend One: Preparing the body, voice and mind to engage with great expression, invention, ferocity and playfulness. Through a series of warm-ups, exercises in kinesthetic and empathic response and group and individual improvisations we will explore each student's ability to soften the intellect fully and play more purely from impulse and desire.

Weekend Two: Using this playful foundation we will use this clown-state to identify comedic relationships with others actors and harness these interactions to create hilarious material based upon situation and themes that emerge organically. The weekend will culminate in a sharing of the work with a small invited audience of family and friends.

More Information

For more information, please Contact MTS.