Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Students continue playmaking research through the creation of an ensemble-generated series of public presentations. Integrates and implements the techniques acquired in studio courses. May repeat for credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Students continue their research through the creation of an ensemble-generated series of public presentations. BlackBox Performance (COLAB 2) provides directors, performers, writers, designers, and choreographers opportunities to collaborate and explore methods of composing devised performance within an ensemble. Drawing from the theme of Memory, explored in last fall’s CA253 Black Box Playmaking (COLAB 1), students will devise, rehearse and perform a triptych of works to be presented to an invited audience in February, March and April of 2022. Students will be given three to four weeks for each public presentation. During the rehearsal period, students will present their work-in-progress, in order to receive constructive feedback and guidance from the instructor.

This course encourages a landscape of lateral thinking, shared vocabulary, trial and error, innovation, where ideas and concepts can be discussed and challenged in a constructive environment. BlackBox Performance (COLAB 2) creates a working laboratory where students can choose to be inspired to work with, extant plays, new playwrights, a novel, an overheard conversation, an article in the newspaper, collective written text and/or from personal writing. As a collective, we will discuss, question and discover through rigorous exploration the relationship between movement, text, architecture, sound, light, site and design. We will investigate how an audience experiences a given work and how we can translate each project’s concept from a rehearsal room into a live performance.

BlackBox Performance (COLAB 2) combines techniques in creating devised live performance, building ensembles and the vocabulary of composition, improvisation, the language of cinema, the exploration of emotion, desire, movement and working in concert or in contrast with music.

BlackBox Performance (COLAB 2) will look at the process of writing as it relates to the development of the students' devised work, scoring, planning, research, project statements, methodologies, form, point of view, dialogue, characters, plot and editing.

Students will have the opportunity to incorporate props, costumes, video, sound, sets or new media as tools to create new innovative live performances. Students are encouraged to reach out to collaborators beyond their area and outside the School of Contemporary Art in creating their three works, thereby opening a dialogue of exchange for possible future collaborations.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

• discuss, analyze, and apply the composition tools: their use and application as both a performer training tool and to create composition for the theater.
• utilize a greater theatrical presence through listening skills and heightened body awareness.
• attain kinesthetic awareness, group listening, strength, flexibility and freeing the physical instrument.
• ability to perform, direct, design and create a physical performance on stage or site in space and time.
• perform various warm-up exercises, stretches, and ensemble training and be able to lead rehearsals and ensembles.
• experience in working with actors, building a character and physical performance using the training, improvisations, text analysis and research.
• attain a greater understanding of ensemble work by creating, constructing and writing original material.
• attain a greater understanding of source material, translating themes, novels and texts to create time-based work.
• ability to create performance scores, create project proposals and to write clearly about the work generated in class.
• the ability to conduct rehearsals, delegate and communicate with actors, designers and co-collaborators.
• experience gained in writing original material, creating devised work, timemanagement and telling a story through light, sound, text, music, new technology and movement.
• a greater knowledge of creating, navigating and encouraging a positive working environment made of discipline, rigor and a shared vocabulary of performance.
• understand the value, discipline and focus it takes to create new innovative work.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: