Exciting Two Day Workshop with Joshua Robinson

Saturday, May 18, 2013

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Join actor/director/playwright Joshua Robinson for this intensive workshop focused on developing rich, fully realized characters for the stage.

Participants will be using pre-selected, prepared texts to discuss character mapping techniques. These techniques encourage actors to establish biographical information for a character in order to make informed decisions about a character’s speech patterns, vocal placement, accent or regional dialect, as well as their posture, gait, physical attributes and other issues.

EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES:

• Using a common text, participants will work together with the instructor to ‘character map’ a text by extracting biographical information, processing and analyzing that information in conjunction with the larger themes of the play, then making specific decisions regarding the physical and vocal ‘makeup’ of a character.
• Using this newly acquired skill set, participants will then spend time mapping out individual characters, going through the same process as the group exercise.
• After documenting these ‘character maps,’ actors will have the opportunity to apply these maps in context of a monologue, which will be coached by the instructor. Other participants will also provide feedback and work to further refine the character maps being presented.

Don't miss this opportunity to grow in your craft!

NO REGISTRATION is required to attend this workshop.

Day One: The Director Prepares

Day one concerns script analysis and text work. This workshop will focus on the preparatory phases of a director’s assignment, including pre-staging techniques, elementary character analysis, and establishment of the concept of ‘spine’ in engaging a text. Many of these techniques are based on Harold Clurman’s landmark book "On Directing".

Day Two: Rehearsal Techniques

Day two focuses on the concepts of rehearsal, staging, and stage composition. Utilizing a pre-assigned, shared text from a one-act play, each participant will get a chance to work with a group of actors and workshop staging patterns and rehearsal techniques.

EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES:

Session #1

• Participants will use a common text to extricate a basic groundplan for blocking purposes
• Participants will use a common text to begin establishing the spine of the work.
• Participants will also begin establishing the spine of principal characters in the play.
• Participants will establish casting breakdowns for use during ‘auditions.’
• Participants will begin a prompt book for the common text.

Session #2

• Participants will get the opportunity to coach performances of a scene in the common text. This process will also involve coaching from the instructor and feedback from the other participants.
• Participants will each get a chance to stage a small cutting from the common text, experimenting with stage composition techniques. This process will also involve coaching from the instructor and feedback from the other participants.
• The final session will end with a dialogue and questions between the instructor and participants regarding their own projects.

***THIS WORKSHOP IS LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS!***

To reserve seats please fill out a ticket order form and mail to:

All reservations must be paid in advance, no seats are sold at the door.

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