A 10 week workshop for 3 rd year Theatre Students. Questions ‘how an actor might be trained in the making of plays rather than in their interpretation’. Goes through various thought processes and approaches. The actors are encouraged to be creative and draw upon their own personal experiences when engaging in the workshop.
3 different strands to the training: Short compositions. A safe place. Perceptions. In addition: Collaboration [another aspect of the training, taught in class].
An emphasis is placed on celebrating ‘the plurality of individualities, minorities and subcultures’. Students are invited to base their work around that which is important to them- e.g. their own values and using their own way of thinking. ‘Develop a sense of purpose based on their own commitment’. Come up with a list of reasons to make theatre, from which to draw inspiration.
Students literally make a chart to plan their process. Indicate time frames and provide structure. Must be flexible and subject to change - in keeping with the ‘creative flow’.
Students are to develop material for the short compositions based on events experienced by him/herself. This experience must then be modified to have a more general/universal appeal. Starting point. Moving to Wales Dream about UFOs Take personal experiences such as these and use them to connect with an audience.
Find connections and disconnections from your starting point. Students are then to experiment with various performance styles. The aim is to communicate with the audience through making your starting point, have ‘public resonance’ and general ideas associated with it. Collections of: images & associated material.
“To work together, especially in a joint effort”.
It is within the Creative Actor, were the choice ultimately remains in relation to the selection of material and methods. Beyond the course, the thought is that the actor, empowered by practice in making the work, is better to share, genuinely, in a collaborative process with the actors. (McCullough, C. 1998, p.35) Material and Methods
A further aspect of the work which aspires towards a training in perpetual skills, occurs within the taught classes. It takes the form of tasks or sequences of exercises which may be approached in pairs or groups: the role of the composer within the exercise being in one way, not dissimilar to that of the director engaged with the actor in the making of plays. (McCullough, C. 1998, p.31) Sequence of Exercises
There is a thought within the training, that playful experimentation with a number of forms may help with development of the theatre language that allows and invites fresh incites: not only those of the play maker, but also, more deliberately, rather than incidentally, those of the audience. (McCullough, C. 1998, p.35) Thought Training
In such a model, beyond the course, the choice of the material would most naturally lie with the actor, responsibility for its development would be shared between actor, director and writer, and responsibility for its meaning in relation to an audience would lie with the director. There would also be, within such a model, a sense of fluidity between these roles so that, for example, an actor/writer for one project might act as a director in another. Responsibility
This order of responsibility between, but not within, each project, is also distinct from the one in which the choice of material lies with the writer, and its interpretation by actors is mediated by a director. (Schechner,1985, p.230) Interpretation
Charles Chaplin(1889–1977 Writer/ Actor/ Director Charlie Chaplin, considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular "Little Tramp" character; the man with the toothbrush moustache.
References: McCullough, C. Theatre Praxis, (1998) Teaching Drama Through Practice, Macmillan Press, USA Pictures retrieved from; Video retrieved from