SEPTEMBER 21–26, 2026
SIMPLE MACHINES presents workshops in:
EPIC physical STORYTELLING
Long Form Improv
Intro to Unarmed Stage Combat
Traveling Light… Festival Tour expectations
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With Mark Benzel
Mon Sept 21 - Thur Sept 24
6:00 - 9:00 PMFinal Public Performance:
September 25th, 7:00pmCost:
Early Bird (Before Sept 11) @ $250
Standard @ $280
Limited Audit slots available @ $175Description:
This workshop will take epic stories and ideas and concentrate them into a small space with a cast. Platform is an essential tool to develop presence, problem solving, and ensemble to discover legible bodies and inspiring narratives. Throughout the week we will isolate the physical layers of this approach as well as blending film language into staging and editing what’s most essential to the narrative. By the end of the week, participants will have groups that have short pieces crafted and workshopped with outside eyes and ready for public showings. -
With Amber Bjork
Saturday, Sept 26
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Cost: $30/participant
Virtual Option AvailableDescription:
You've created a show, now take it on the road. An info chat and inside look into small-budget production and world Fringe circuit touring; how to prep and take off running on the right foot so you can make a festival platform your springboard. The Artist Liaison and Festival Director for Minnesota Fringe gives insight into creative producing while you’re on the move as well as what to expect when you’re expected to stay flexible. -
with Matt Spring
Saturday, Sept 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $30/participant
Max Participants: 15Description:
Beyond short, fast improv games lies the world of Long Form Improv. Long Form Improv creates scenes from nothing, with a goal to not only be entertaining, but also sustainable. Explore what works and what pitfalls to avoid with Matt “Sass” Spring, on loan from Four Humors Theater in Minneapolis, home of some of the best Long Form improv in the world.And lastly, Long Form Improv is pretty handy for devising collaboratively created theater, too.
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with Elora Riley
Saturday Sept 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $30/participant
Max Participants: 15Description:
Has a director ever told you to just slap your cast mate for real? Well, I'm here to tell you that you never have to do that! We'll cover slaps, punches, and how to send/receive hits to really make them sell.
PAYMENT & LOGISTICS
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Epic Physical Storytelling
Early Bird (Before Sept 11) @ $250 Standard @ $280
Limited Audit slots available @ $175A $100 down payment is required to secure the student's spot. A link for payment will be emailed to you upon receipt of the enrollment form. Full tuition must be paid by Sept 14 (one-week prior to start date).
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$30 per person
Class Size Limted to 15 (unless available online)No Down Payment required.
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Dell'Arte is committed to making our programs accessible regardless of financial circumstances.
Need-Based Scholarships
A limited number of partial scholarships are available to applicants with financial need. We especially encourage applications from those facing economic barriers, including low-income households, first-generation students, and rural community members. To apply, indicate your interest in the admissions application and briefly describe your circumstances.Other Assistance
Discounts, sliding-scale options, and payment plans are negotiated case by case. If our published options don't fit your situation, please reach out—we don't want cost to be the reason you can't join us.Questions?
Email our School Coordinator at schooladmin@dellarte.com before applying. -
This policy is in place to ensure our ability to continue offering high-quality programs to performers near and far. Registered students faced with the unfortunate need to withdraw from a course for any reason may request a refund of tuition paid based on the following timeline:
Early Withdrawal (45+ days out): Requests made more than 45 days before the course start date are eligible for a full refund, minus a $50 processing fee.
Standard Withdrawal (44–15 days out): Requests made between 44 and 15 days before the course start date are eligible for a 50% refund of the tuition paid.
Final Deadline (14 days or less): No refunds will be granted within 14 days of the start date or once the course has commenced.
All refund requests must be submitted in writing to the program administrator.
Exceptions may be made for documented medical emergencies or visa denials at the discretion of the School Director. In these cases, we may offer a tuition credit for a future intensive instead of a cash refund.
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For information regarding appropriate attire, school policies, and other logistics, see our frequently asked questions page. Still have questions? Contact the School Administrator at schooladmin@dellarte.com or by phone at +1 707-502-2276.
Teaching Staff
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Mark Benzel
(he/him) is a theatre maker based in Minneapolis, MN. Has devised and directed shows that have toured internationally to acclaim such as: “The perfect fringe play”--National Post and numerous festival awards. Edgar Allan with the Cold Harts had an off broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse. He has created and performed numerous original shows with companies such as Sandbox Theatre, Transatlantic Love Affair, Four Humors, and Live Action Set, including the National Touring Seven Shot Symphony which was awarded a Twin City Theatre Ivey Award for Overall Excellence. He has worked with communities across MN and WI with The Remember Project for over five years to build more dementia friendly communities through theatre and facilitation. In addition to script-based work he also is co-founder of The Improv Movement project a wordless improv group for all physicalities. He has studied clown with Pierre Byland, Phillipe Gaulier, and many others. He has also studied physical theatre and devising with Spy Monkey, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Pig Iron Theatre and others. He has most recently taught workshops and courses on Immersive Theatre, Clown, and Treteaux at the University of Northern Georgia, St. John’s, St. Benedicts, and Winona State.
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Amber Bjork
(she/her) has spent several years acting, directing, writing, and producing as a Fringe artist before joining the staff as Office Manager and Artist Liaison in 2014. In her time outside of the office, she is a freelance director and actor and serves as the founding member of The Winding Sheet Outfit. Amber’s work has been recognized by MN Theater Awards as an Honoree in Exceptional Performative Direction and she was named one of the 2019 Artists of the Year by CityPages for her work with The Winding Sheet Outfit. Amber has gone on to create a number of local award-winning projects and direct for Ivey award-wining companies. She is a graduate of University of Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in English Lit and Dramatic Theory.
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Matt "Sass" Spring
(he/him) is a Founding Member of Four Humors Theater, a Twin Cities based theater company that produces original work with a comedic sensibility and has just celebrated its 21st anniversary. With Four Humors, he has helped create over 30 shows, the majority of which were devised, explored, and refined with the help of his improv background. That improv training comes by way of Huge Improv Theater, The Brave New Workshop, and The University of Minnesota, where he and classmates started their own late night improv club.
Sass is also a Founder of the Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) which will be raising the curtain on its 15th season this October. TCHF is a non-profit, fifteen day festival of horror themed live performances that applied and were selected by a juried committee.
He is exceptionally proud of his most recent collaboration, working with Simple Machines on "Say When..." which he co-wrote and gets to play Chi-Chi the chow chow.
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Elora Riley
(she/her) is a stage/screen actor as well as a stage combatant certified through the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). Her recent acting credits include A King For All Time (Hopkins Community Theatre), Perfect Arrangement (Walking Shadow Theatre Company), and debuting Say When (Simple Machines) earlier in 2026. When she's not performing, she's either reading, playing video games with her partner, or sharing a cup of coffee with him and hanging out with their perfect tuxedo cat, Frida, who is perfect.