Press Office
Camilla Rigatti
Performer Training School – 2011/2012 season
‘Gaze, Word and Body’ is the first stage of the Performer Training School offered by Frantoio for the 2011/2012 season. The training for actors and performers is organised into intensive workshops, each of which forms a stage in a comprehensive training programme.
The school comprises several intensive workshops covering in-depth and multifaceted work on the body as energy, organicity and fluidity through dance; on the voice as text and song; on self-deprecation and comedy to reaffirm one’s humanity and be ready to play things down; on creative writing as a tool for exploration and (self-)knowledge; and finally on courage, self-confidence and determination in tackling the challenges of circus skills.
‘Gaze, Word and Body’ is for all those interested in a theatre that lives and brings life. But also for those who have lost or never found the joy of performing. A school for the actor who embodies, and does not merely interpret or portray. For this reason, it is necessary first and foremost to discover the physicality and gestures of the actor who lends their body, gaze and voice to their new stage identity. “The desire,” says Guidi, “is to create an authentic and captivating theatre. The performer does not act but lives, exists, relates to a space or a situation, just as in life. The performer’s training is to discover and consolidate an individuality and a creative authenticity.”
The Workshop is open to everyone without any selection process. The only requirements are the desire to play and to put oneself out there; the desire to discover new emotions; the desire to overcome one’s fears, to confront an ironic and seductive side but also a hidden, dark and unknown self, like the edge of a wild territory. In short, the desire not to remain on the surface but to be ready to delve deep to explore, discover and be able to give one’s all with commitment and dedication.
In theatrical training for actors, the focus is on answers. The performer’s training method, however, generates a flurry of questions that help broaden one’s creative boundaries whilst valuing individual exploration.
At the end of the workshop, there will be a presentation of the work, *L’Occhio che ti aggancia* (The Eye That Hooks You), which is a full-scale performance in which the working methodology and the creative process take centre stage.
To make this type of training more accessible, for the 2011/2012 season, Frantoio is offering the chance to take part in the training at a special price: by signing up in advance for three workshops, the fourth will be free and provided by the School.
Director, author and head of Elan Frantoio, firenza Guidi has spent years refining her method of training performers, which has inspired actors, musicians and artists all over the world through her shows, workshops and masterclasses.
To register, simply call 0571/261143 or send an email to info@elanfrantoio.org