MACT
Four Theatre Workshops on June 22 in Minneapolis
Four theatre workshops will be offered on Saturday, June 22, at the Phoenix Theatre, 2605 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis. Anyone from any level of theatre is invited to participate.
The workshops are offered by the Minnesota Association of Community Theatres, through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to the voters of Minnesota and a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Workshop choices are:
10:00-noon Devise your Own Short Play
In this workshop, we’ll create a short show together and develop techniques you can use in your future artistic work. Play production typically relies on a script, but we can also create a short play by tapping our imaginations with theatre games and exercises. The workshop will help you start with found sources — quotes, historical facts, visual images, etc. — and develop a performance using theatre games, automatic writing, improvisation, interacting with each performer’s personal space and evolving characters.
The instructor, Dan Reiva, has taught high school theatre and community groups, created four Fringe shows, developed video productions, and worked with many artists with disabilities.
10:00-noon Using the Public Domain to Search for Future Shows
Since the catalogs of Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatricals were purchased by Concord Theatricals, theatres are finding it harder to afford royalties for their shows. For instance, Classics Lost ’N’ Found Theater Company has been doing public domain scripts since 2017. Its recent production of Charley’s Aunt was written in 1893, but if it had paid Concord Theatricals for licensing and materials, it would have cost $130 per performance. Explore with Steven what is available and where to locate free or low-cost scripts for your theatre. Bring your ideas, too.
The instructor, Steven LaVigne, is a writer and director who has worked most recently with Classics Lost ’N’ Found Theater in South Minneapolis. For a sample of his articles, go to MACT’s website at https://mn-act.net/index.php/mact-mart/articles/.
1:30-3:30 Is There Life After College Theatre?
Not all theatre students go into a dramatic arts profession to make a living. Many use theatre as a way to continue enjoying performing and feeling part of making art come alive onstage. Voila! Community Theatre! Hear from a veteran college theatre professor and community theatre director share many ways you can pursue the aspects of theatre you love — acting, marketing, community outreach, tech, production. Learn how to remain connected to theatre while pursuing a career in another field that pays the bills. Breakouts will gauge how you see yourself in a post-college world, and how you would like to engage in the theatre community. Gain strategies for successfully navigating this venture, and options on how to amplify your strengths to make you more valuable to a theatre company.
The instructor, Mike Ricci,will speak from personal experience in directing and teaching at Hibbing and North Hennepin community colleges, as well as building life-long relationships with many of the people he’s worked with — theatre people of all ages.
1:30-3:30 Storytelling and Community Theatre
This storytelling workshop is perfect for beginning story artists testing out the waters for the first time, or seasoned performers looking for a quick brush-up or kick in the pants to get started on a new project…. It’s also great for folks hoping to use storytelling techniques to deepen and elevate other skill sets like stage acting and improv. The class will use discussion, writing time and on-your-feet exercises to focus on the essential building blocks that make up a story: identifying conflict and a dramatic arc; bringing scenes to life with action, emotion and sensory detail; and using vocal variety and physicality to give your story resonance. While this workshop packs a lot into two hours, it also aims to be encouraging and non-intimidating! Bring a notebook or laptop, and a recording device if you have one.
The instructor, Amy Salloway, is an actor, writer and storyteller.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.Lunch s available in the neighborhood, along with networking opportunities with other theatre people. You can select one workshop from the morning and one in the afternoon. Cost is ONE WORKSHOP: $25 (MACT member $20); TWO WORKSHOPS: $40 (MACT member $30).
To register or to request accessibility accommodations, go to https://mn-act.net/index.php/about-us/training-workshops/ .
For more information, call Jon at 612-819-0949 or mactfactor@icloud.com.
