by Ariel Goldberger - 9/3/97
Introduction
This program has all the potential to be exciting and demanding. This program is basically organized as a hollow structure, a vessel that will be filled by the spark of your creative work. You will need to work hard and corageously. The group and I will expect upper level work from all participants. Hopefully, it will be as rewarding as it will be demanding. The more you invest in the work, the more you will get our of it.
The work will be centered around the exploration of imagery related to the Shadow through work on-stage. This exploration will be guided by the questions posed by the texts we will read, your research, your contributions and the art/work we will all create. In class we will study in individual projects, we will search for ways to collaborate in group work, performance, technical theatre and design, puppetry and other supporting ideas and skills. Co-learners will create and participate in concrete performances that will be shown and critiqued in class as part of the learning process.
Be prepared to learn how to discuss your work with a group of people. Be prepared to give and receive criticism that is respectful, gentle and constructive. Be prepared to work hard every day . Be prepared to try things that may or may not work on stage. Be prepared to experiment and be prepared to feeling lost. Research will be a very important part of what we do. Please be open to new ways of doing things and experimenting with ways of finding out about new topics. What you bring to the class is what we will talk about.
Fall quarter will be devoted to studying the Shadow in research, theory and writing. We will explore these ideas and our questions through a series of short independent projects in Shadow Puppetry and Theatre, plus work in seminar. By doing several small projects, we will develop better ways of working in the artistic process. Demonstrations and workshops in shadow puppetry and technical theatre will be offered, but you will be expected to learn quite a bit on your own. Students will be given opportunities to develop their writing in independent projects. We will plan, in teams, special activities for seminar to make everybody think. The performed and written projects will be the sparks we will use to generate a script for the Winter performance. We will also participate in two very special three day workshops with distinguished Master Puppeteers who will visit the campus. See our syllabus.
During Winter quarter we will continue to explore the themes listed in the syllabus. It will be very intense. You may not have time to get the Winter blues. Work will focus on mounting a production involving shadow puppetry and performance in the Experimental Theater. Faculty will direct the production with assistance from co-learners. This will be a group collaboration based on Fall research, exploration and design, and development work in rehearsal in Winter. Participants will perform, help backstage and staff the many crews that help in a production. Be prepared to do things you like and things you don't. After the production in the Experimental Theatre, there will be a final individual project for the winter quarter. As partof the program, we will go on two field trips (aprox.) to see relevant theatrical and performance productions in Seattle and Portland.
Ariel
Please note: This program is open to junior and senior students only. There will be no exceptions. - 9/3/97
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This page was last edited on 9.28.97 by Ariel Goldberger