Free Community Workshops

Every Saturday @ 1:30 during the 2007 Berkshire Fringe

This summer the nationally renowned artists participating in the 2007 Berkshire Fringe will conduct active, hands-on community workshops. All workshops are FREE and open to the public.  Early registration is recommended. All workshops are open to participants of all backgrounds and levels of experience ages 16-96!

• July 21 - Writer and solo performer Amy Salloway teaches a workshop focused on cultivating theatricality out of events in everyday life.
• July 29 - Outrageous songsters Fiely A. Matias and Dennis Giacino of LOUNGE-ZILLA! present a workshop on creating comedy from parody.
• August 4 - Audrey Pernell, Felicia Leicht and Adrienne Mackey creators of Recitatif lead a workshop on vocal technique and original poetry.

Past Workshops: Summer 2006

Up Close & Personal: Partnering Techniques in Physical Theater and Dance

Taught by Cory Nakasue and other members of the dance theater company SPINE

The workshop focused on technical and creative aspects of creating partnering sequences on stage. The workshop began with a half-hour Pilates warm-up and partner stretches. Participants were lead through a series of physical partnering techniques. Everyone learned the proper execution of various catches, falls and supports. Then, based on the techniques covered, participants composed their own phrases and presented them.

Comedy & Physical Play

Taught by Matt Chapman & Josh Matthews of Under the Table Ensemble Theatre

This physical comedy workshop explored the theory and technique behind the ridiculous, absurd and sublime. These qualities were examined by employing the "Take" (a comedic response to an action) as well as through playing games in which rules were followed and broken. The comedic performer's relationship to the audience was explored as a tool in building an understanding of comedy, physical commitment, and physical play.

Physical Listening!

Taught by Stephen Buescher and other members of the theatre ensemble Workhorse

The workshop opened with a rigorous group warm-up that focused on the individual and group awareness necessary to prepare the physical and vocal capacity of the performer. In order to respond in subtle and expansive ways the actor/ensemble must begin with a receptive body. The class focused on the body's receptivity through physical partnering and how to sustain and extend the physical intention through space.