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Special Events
ACTING WORKSHOP TAUGHT BY DAN COHEN It's not often that we have an actor's workshop held in our community by a director with such credentials as Dan Cohen. I highly recommend this workshop if you are interested in acting, whether you're a newbie or a seasoned professional. ~ Forrest Naylor, Producing Director, MTC. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND THE ART OF STORYMAKING Purpose and Goals:|To provide the actor with an introduction to the tools for developing and expanding their abilities as onstage storytellers through the development of PRESENCE, OPENNESS, and PHYSICAL IMAGINATION using techniques and exercises derived from VIEWPOINTS, SUZUKI TRAINING and SLOW TEMPO MOVEMENT. • PRESENCE refers to the overall impact of the actor onstage, the interest they can generate in an audience and their overall resonance. This is a function, literally, of how “present” they can be, how deeply aware they are, on a moment to moment basis, of their body in space and time. Actors will learn techniques that can be directly applied to develop this seemingly ineffable quality of ‘stage presence’ • OPENNESS is quite simply playing well with others, allowing for ideas to come from outside of the self, being willing to constantly say ‘yes’ to the group impulse and as willing to let that go instantly to allow for the next impulse to take root. Theatre is by nature a highly collaborative art form and through the workshop participants will learn to listen and spontaneously respond to each other with their whole body. • PHYSICAL IMAGINATION is the connection between the actor’s inner and outer world, it is their ability to reveal their thoughts, emotions and imagination in their body so that the audience is able to fully enter the world of the play through the actor’s performance. With a fully integrated connection between mind and body the actor becomes a canvas upon which the audience paints the story. Descriptions of the Training Techniques employed:VIEWPOINTSThe Viewpoints is a technique of improvisation that grew out of the post-modern dance world. It was first articulated by choreographer Mary Overlie who broke down the two dominant issues performers deal with - time and space - into six categories. She called her approach, the Six Viewpoints. Since that time, Director Anne Bogart and SITI Company have expanded her notions and adapted them for actors. The Viewpoints allows a group of actors to function together spontaneously and intuitively and to generate bold, theatrical work quickly. It develops flexibility, articulation, and strength in movement and makes ensemble playing really possible. SUZUKI TRAININGDeveloped by internationally acclaimed director, Tadashi Suzuki and the Suzuki Company of Toga, the Suzuki Actor Training Method's principal concern is with restoring the wholeness of the human body to the theatrical context and uncovering the actor's innate expressive abilities. A rigorous physical discipline drawn from such diverse influences as ballet, traditional Japanese and Greek theater and martial arts, the training seeks to heighten the actor's emotional and physical power and commitment to each moment on the stage. Attention is on the lower body and a vocabulary of footwork,sharpening the actor's breath control and concentration. SLOW TEMPO MOVEMENTSlow Tempo movement work is based on the work of renowned Japanese performance artist Shogo Ohta. The work involves performing simple actions in an extremely slow ‘fictional time’ in order to be fully present with every moment and detail. In this work, time seems to expand, sensitivity to the totality of thought and motion is heightened, and concentration is deepened, resulting in greater resonance in performance. Instructor Bio:Daniel Cohen has directed and acted in numerous productions in NYC and across the country. He was an associate member of NYC's Cannon Company for several years performing in their innovative productions of MACBETH, THREE SISTERS and PUSS. Recent Los Angeles directing credits include: DURANG, DURANG (XRT); BACK TO ONE (world premiere, The Lex). Other directing credits include: LANGUAGE OF ANGELS; his own original adaptations of the Italo Calvino short stories TERESA and MAKING DO; JULIET (also adapted); IN THE BLOOD; MISS JULIE; THE TEMPEST; THE BALD SOPRANO; CLOUD TECTONICS; ON THE VERGE; CATULLUS LIVE! (world premiere); ROMEO & JULIET; & THE DUMB WAITER. His work has been seen at New York's Blue Heron Arts Center, The Pearl Theatre Company, HERE Arts Center, The Theatorium, the Performing Garage, Common Basis Theatre, The Marsh in San Francisco, Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires and Seattle's Intiman Theatre where he was assistant director for Jon Jory's production of HEARTBREAK HOUSE. Other assistant directing work includes KING LEAR (Anteaus Theatre, Bart DeLorenzo – dir). With over 15 years experience in Suzuki and Viewpoints movement, Daniel has taught classes in physical performance at the University of Washington, and the MFA Acting program at California State University, Long Beach. He holds a BA in Acting from San Francisco State University, an MFA in Directing from the University of Washington, completed a two year internship with the internationally renowned ensemble, The Wooster Group, and is a member of Director's Lab West. The actor's workshop will be held over two weekends: February 18th,19th - 25th, 26th (time pending) The price will be $50. For more information, or to reserve a place, please contact Dan Cohen @ (347)-528-5436 or delicon@hotmail.com
