Physical Theatre: Devising Movement from Images and Text
Teaching Artists: KWESI JOHNSON and one more artist to be announced
Dates: August 14 – 24, 2012
Download the Application Form
The workshop equips you with the skills to transform and reinterpret image, spoken and written language into ‘physical theatre’. There will be a series of practical exercises that looks ways of devising movement from sub text, narrative arc and mood, whether the words be song lyrics, film scripts or poetry. From these exercises you will be able to reinvent any text you work with layering it with movement, music or even video should you choose. We’ll also be looking at site specific work and how non theatre and studio spaces come alive with the injection of theatrical ideas. It will give you more creative choices so you are not limited to being a talking head, your whole body or something as minute as a finger movement will allow you to express many ideas.
About KWESI JOHNSON
Kwesi Johnson is the Artistic Director, Kompany Malakhi, which he established in 1994 out of a desire to fuse dance, physical theatre and spoken word. He has a passion for creating imaginative and inspiring narratives that often hold a message. He specialises in fusing dance styles such as UK Jazz dance, contemporary, Funkstyles, and Breakin’ with physical theatre and the unexpected to create a style that is incomparable. When he became aware of Hip Hop theatre he realised if that’s what it’s being called maybe that’s what he’d been doing already. However his work is extensive from working in opera to forum theatre projects in refugee camps in Uganda. He coined the phrase ‘Griotgrapher’ to best describe his style of dance-theatre. ‘Griot’, an Afrikan storyteller/social commentator, and ‘grapher’, from choreographer, someone who creates dance and movement. His vernacular and formal training in dance-theatre influences his sophisticated and sassy movement vocabulary, which is peppered with the play, invention and physical theatre.
FEE
The fee is $2,300. It includes workshop, housing and meals for 10 days, ground transportation from the Rome airport to and from La MaMa Umbria, and excursions by bus, van or car. Airfare is NOT included.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Actors who wish to participate in the Workshops fill out the Application form and resume and return it with a $500 deposit. You will notified about your acceptance into the program shortly. There is limited space available, so please convey your application so it is received by our office immediately.
Participants will be selected based on their commitment to the process and the case they make on the application as to how this program will help them with their creative process. If you are not accepted into the Master Acting Workshop, your deposit will be returned in FULL. If you are accepted and choose not to attend, you will receive a refund of all but a $100 registration fee, provided you notify us by June 15th. After that date, we cannot provide a refund of your payment.
