Workshops

Corn Exchange Workshop for New and Experienced Players
led by Annie Ryan, artistic director of The Corn Exchange

Annie Ryan invites you to come dive into the deep end in an exploration of the principles and techniques of Corn Exchanges's ensemble-based physical theatre practice. We will look at various methodologies that make up the company's physical vocabulary including viewpoints, exercises and games from Le Coq, Chicago's Piven workshop, Fabulous Beast and our own Commedia dell'Arte style.

Venue: Leinster Cricket Club, Rathmines.
Date: Monday 12th April - 16th April 2010
Cost: €160

Schedule:

9am – 10am Yoga class followed by breakfast
Session 1. 10.45am – 1.30pm
Session 2. 2.15pm – 5pm

How to apply:
For anyone interested in these workshops please apply by email with a brief cv / description of experience and a headshot to hello@cornexchange.ie. Closing date for applications is Thursday 1st April, 2010. For more information please contact Áine at The Corn Exchange at 087 970 3894 or email hello@cornexchange.ie.

Please note that places at the Workshops are strictly limited to 16 and submission of details does not guarantee a place on the programme. Successful applicants will be notified by Tuesday 6th April.

*Payment in full required from successful applicants on acceptance to secure place. Payments can be made by cheque, cash or postal order.

The Corn Exchange offers regular workshops in Commedia dell'Arte (with Annie Ryan), workshops for business, and various other techniques throughout the year.

The company also collaborates with a number of Irish and international practitioners to exchange working practices and offer workshops.

Workshops in the Commedia dell'Arte style:

Our workshops throw players into the deep end, using full character images with masks, and performing with lights and percussion and at the highest energy level they can muster.

This version of Commedia dell'Arte is ultimately designed to tell a story through clarity of the character's image and physical precision of their emotional states: Happiness, Sadness, Fear and Anger. Using our supply of costumes and old clothes, wigs, shoes, the players construct character images based on the traditional Commedia dell'Arte stock characters and apply make-up masks. The players work in one emotional state at a time and direct their energy face out - into the eyes of the audience. The emphasis is on the fullness of the emotional states physically as well as the truth and connectedness of them. Each moment is played as fully as possible and each strong gesture is marked by the beat of a drum.

All of this structure creates an extraordinary, environment in which to play. Always exciting and even terrifying, it deeply challenges the multi-layered tasks and skills of the actor.