The four expressive theatre master classes, partly sponsored by Lufthansa Airline and Le Meridien Phoenicia, are mainly targeted at actors and actresses but all those with a passion for theatre will find these classes interesting.
Adam Darius, who has performed in over 75 countries, and Kazimir Kolesnik, whose choreographic works include the famous Verlaine and Towel of Babel, will approach each session as if it were a performance.
Darius and Kolesnik will teach a three-hour class a day. Those by Adam Darius will mainly deal with expressive mime. Students will learn the method of expressing thoughts and feelings through the entire body, thus preparing themselves for a total approach to physical theatre.
Kolesnik will also teach students elements of the art of illusionary mime. They will learn the Kolesnik method of illusionary depiction of action and event through the precise definition of gesture, providing a basis for physical comedy.
During these master classes, the students will be challenged to explore, acquire technique and cultivate creativity. Each student will also learn to express the thoughts or emotions in his own individual style.
Voice production will also be taught during these classes. Students will learn how to extend the dramatic flexibility of their voice for text and choric chants.
On the other hand, the five-day workshop with lighting designer and choreographer Thomas Freundlich, also partly sponsored by Le Meridien Phoenicia and Lufthansa Airline, explores theatre lighting that moves beyond traditional cue-based design into realms of dramatic expressiveness and organic musicality.
Subjects covered in these workshops include basic elements of theatre lighting such as light direction, colour, beam types and visual focus.
Students will learn how to make creative choices thus creating expressive lighting solutions that provide atmosphere and focus while supporting the underlying dramatic intention of the piece.
These workshops will also deal with expression and musicality through improvisation with music and by working with short movement theatre scenes. Interspersed with the rest of the syllabus is a wealth of invaluable insights and field-proven techniques learnt on international stages from Greenland to New Zealand.
Applications for these workshops and master classes are available from St James Cavalier in Valletta or from the Centre’s website: www.sjcav.org.
The fee is Lm50 for the four master classes and Lm50 for the five workshops.
These workshops and master classes are being organised as part of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts Summer Cultural Activities Series, sponsored by HSBC Bank Malta plc.
Darius and Kolesnik will also be giving two performances of Death of a Scarecrow at St James Cavalier on Saturday and Sunday 28 and 29 August 2004, at 8.30pm.