Workshop Auditions for Theater Laboratory in Leeds

Workshop Auditions for new Theater Laboratory at University of Leeds

Saturday 14 Feb 2009 10am* – 1pm G14 Man Made Fibers Building

Bryan Brown, co-creator of Artel**, is currently a Post-graduate research student under Prof. Jonathan Pitches and Dr. Tony Gardner investigating the relevance of theater-laboratories in the 21 Century.

This Workshop Audition is for the first of two branches, the Performer Training Research branch, of a Theater Laboratory that will be created in the coming months and working throughout the next three years. (Acceptance into this stage does not imply or require a three year commitment.)

The laboratory will be a place to explore the potential syntheses of training practices that have arisen from American experimental theater, British devised theater and Eastern European/Russian ensemble theater over the last century in order to illuminate an engaged Performer Training that provides a springboard for the creation of dynamic contemporary performance.

The Workshop aims to cultivate will, awareness, and sensitivity through the discovery of physical and vocal potentials. Our aim will be supported by a focus on imagination, rhythm, coordination, and the relations of the individual and the ensemble.

Participants should be prepared to move, to work barefoot and to sing.

It is recommended to have some text memorized that we could work with.

To reserve your place, or for more information, please contact: bryan@arteltheatre.org

* We will be meeting outside the main entrance to the MMF Building at 10am sharp. The doors will lock once we enter the building. Please do not be late.

** Created in Los Angeles, California three years ago, Artel - a Russian word meaning labour collective as well as an acronym for American Russian Theater Ensemble Laboratory – is dedicated to an investigation of tradition and innovation in actor training and performance research with a focus on combining American and British experimental collective devising work with Russian/East European ensemble practice.

BRYAN BROWN has taught and studied extensively in New York City, Europe, and Los Angeles. He is co-creator of Artel and [via]Corpora,. Deeply influenced by American Experimental theater teachers Stephen Wangh and Raina von Waldenburg as well as Mary Overlie, Viewpoints and Contact Improvisation practitioners, Bryan has spent the last two years investigating the contemporary theater practices of Eastern European and Russian ensembles primarily through his relations with the Grotowski Institute and the Song of the Goat Theatre.

Recently he was Artist-in-Residence at Hooyang Performing Arts Centre, South Korea. Besides consistent teaching in Los Angeles at [via]Corpora - Center for Performance Research and Development, 2008 had Bryan leading workshops in Poland, New Orleans and NY as well as co-producing numerous workshops including the first 5 day worksession of Song of the Goat Theatre in LA and a Teachers Practicum of Stephen Wangh’s devising. He is currently teaching Performance Technique at the University of Leeds where he is a Postgraduate Research student.