ONLINE WORKSHOPS

1. Follow the link under the class you would like and pay to reserve your spot. You will receive an email confirmation.
2. Send a few sentences about your background/experience in theater and where you will be joining us from to schooladmin@dellarte.com. If you have any access needs, please send those as well so we can plan accordingly.
3. One week before the first class, we will send you the Zoom link for the course. 

Grand Guignol: The Theater of Laughter & Terror

Faculty:  Michael Fields (Artistic Director of Longshadr, former Producing Artistic Director of Dell’Arte) and Debbie McMahon (Artistic Director of Grand Guignolers in Los Angeles)

Dates:  Sundays: October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2024
Time: 10am–12pm Pacific  Time Zone Converter
Cost:  $250

Once the most popular entertainment in Europe, Grand Guignol is an exciting theater form that begat current thriller and horror films. Rarely taught, this “theater of laughter and terror” explores our fascination with the macabre, playing with the violation of society’s taboos. Grand Guignol is wildly physical and intensely psychological. It was filled with gruesome special effects (often closely
held
secrets) that so terrified the audiences that a medical doctor was on hand for every performance to treat those who passed out from shock.

We will explore the form’s expressive physicality through exercises, view film clips, discuss its history, and show you how to make your own special
effects to share with the class. 

Read more about Debbie McMahon and Michael Fields on our faculty page.

Registration
This course is open to anyone with an interest in Grand Guignol. Some theater and/or performance background is helpful.

MICHAEL CHEKHOV TECHNIQUE:
Acting Tools for Transformation

Faculty:  Julie Douglas, Dell'Arte Faculty
Dates: Wednesdays: October 9, 16, 23; November 6, 13, and 20, 2024  (no class October 30)
Time: 5:30–7:30pm Pacific  Time Zone Converter
Cost:  $300
Capacity: Limited

Access the body and imagination’s innate ability to feel and experience what it means to be human, in all its different forms and states— and bring the audience into the experience in a visceral way. Michael Chekhov developed creative, concrete, transformative tools to connect with: character, objective, action, relationship, and the world of the play. These enlivened connections between imagination, body and inner life lead to transformation into character and the transformation of the space. In this course we will explore his keys to unlocking this connection to creativity:  psychological gestures, centers, atmosphere, imaginary body, qualities of movement and more. 

Read more about Julie Douglas on our faculty page

Registration
The class is aimed at those with some acting experience or training, but it is not required. 

INTRODUCTION TO ECCENTRIC PERFORMING PRINCIPLES

Faculty:  Avner Eisenberg 
Dates: Sundays: October 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2024
Time: 10am–12pm Pacific  Time Zone Converter
Cost:  $350
Capacity: Limited

These workshops meet online using Zoom for six weekly 2-hour sessions. Each of the six sessions has four components:

1. A presentation by Avner based on the Eccentric Principles
2. Exercises, either in the group or with a partner in a breakout room
3. An assignment to prepare a short, 1-2 minute video on a theme to be viewed by the group at the next session
4. A viewing of last week’s videos with notes and comments by Avner

Each session will be recorded and will be available for review for one week. His online workshops, organized by theater schools, festivals, and former students, have had participants from 40 countries.

Read more about Avner Eisenberg on our faculty page.

Registration
This course is open to anyone with an interest in discovering their own eccentric performance. If you are thinking of registering for one of these workshops, please look at a few of Avner’s videos on YouTube.  All of the principles are derived from his performing work and you can get a sense of his approach.

APPLIED CLOWNING

Faculty:  Jeff Raz, Dell'Arte Guest Faculty
Dates: Saturday,  November 2
Time: 12:00–2:30pm Pacific  Time Zone Converter
Cost:  $85
Capacity:  Limited

How does clowning relate to life offstage, from corporate consulting to interpersonal relationships? Veteran clown, actor, writer, and consultant Jeff Raz will provide a unique, hands-on experience of how you can apply performance techniques and concepts in ‘real-life’ contexts. Drawing on over 40 years of performing in the Pickle Family Circus, on Broadway and with Cirque du Soleil, and teaching at Dell’Arte and The Clown Conservatory, as well as his work as a global consultant, Jeff has built up tried-and-tested methods for crossing the bridge between the artistic, creative principles of clowning and theatre, and worlds of corporate training, personal development, and community-building. 

Working in small groups through role-play, experimentation and with individual coaching from Jeff, you will feel empowered to use clowning tools at work and at home to turn mistakes into gold, deepen relationships, communicate with a wide range of people live and on Zoom, etc.

Participants in this session will also receive a free copy of Jeff’s book, The Secret Life of Clowns: A Backstage Tour of Cirque du Soleil and The Clown Conservatory, which Jeff will refer to and use as part of the training. You will also go home with the skills to apply clown tools to multiple spheres, including communication, conflict resolution, team building and leadership. This is an exclusive and rare opportunity to spend time with a powerful teacher, innovator, and pioneer in the clown field, and is definitely not to be missed. 

Read more about Jeff Raz on our faculty page

Registration
This course is open to a broad spectrum of folks – including performers, business people, therapists, clowning enthusiasts, teachers, those interested in self-development, and more.

• Courses may have many meetings and  are sold as a bundle; you cannot register for a single class that is within a course.  (Example: A course meets for 6 classes. You are registering and pay for all 6 classes; should you miss one of those six classes for any reason, you are not eligible for a refund for that single class.)
• If you need to cancel your registration you must do so by 7 business days in advance of the first class. We will retain a $5 registration fee in this case.
• If for any reason Dell’Arte must cancel the course, you will be notified within one week before the course and your tuition and  registration fee will be refunded.

Please direct any questions to our School Administrator: schooladmin@dellarte.com.