By Karen Krolak
Good morning from Groton, MA! Laurie Sales, the Theater Director at the Groton School invited Monkeyhouse here for a week long residency. With the magnolias about to bloom, it is a glorious time to wander around Teddy Roosevelt's alma mater.
Since Monday I have been moving, writing, and teaching workshops in Groton's Studio Theater. In my first class I worked with 5 theater students who are developing short solo pieces. Inspired by a woman who ran the Boston Marathon blindfolded this year, I broke the group into pairs where one person would guide a partner who could not see. From their experiences exploring the building's water fountains, doors, steps, and corners, they generated short phrases of physical memories. Then we applied tools from The Intimate Act of Choreography's (by Lynne Blom and Tarin Chaplin) chapter on abstraction to create three versions of those phrases.
I was truly impressed by the creativity and boldness of this group of kids. Laurie has obviously introduced them to a wide range of theatrical techniques. Hopefully, I will have time to post some more on the other workshops and events but I must run to teach a Public Speaking class.
No comments:
Post a Comment