Posts filed under 'General'
We had our first round of orchestra auditions for Sweeney Todd today. We are very excited about how the music is shaping up and about bringing a real, live orchestra to the production. We saw violin, cello, flute and bassoon today. Really great to hear the music and meet new people.
We are still looking for musicians, so if you or someone you know plays clarinet, trumpet, french horn or double bass, please get in touch with us!
January 28th, 2012
The Prague Playhouse Acting Studio will be offering three workshops this summer:
- Unlocking Shakespeare with Guy Roberts. This workshop will delve into Shakespeares text and give you a solid basis for starting to work on the text as an actor. This workshop will expand on the weekend Guy spent in October by allowing for time to put the work on the text into practice by getting students up and working on several speeches. Guy Roberts is the artistic director of the Prague Shakespeare Festival and has acted in and directed many Shakespeare plays. He has taught this workshop around the United States including at Princeton University. The workshop will be June 3, 4 and 5th (Friday 18:00 – 22:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 – 14:00). The workshop costs 3.000 Kc.
- On Camera Workshop with Nancy Bishop. Nancy Bishop, Prague’s premiere casting director for Hollywood films with more than 40 movies under her belt, is bringing her On Camera Workshop back to Prague with a special price for locals. Her workshop will cover how to interact with the camera, how to make choices that work on camera, how to take direction and much more. This two day workshop runs July 18 and 19 and costs 4.000 Kc.
- Intensive Summer Acting with Brian Caspe. This two week workshop will cover acting fundamentals and give beginning actors a foundation in the craft of acting. As an intensive course, the Summer Acting Intensive will allow students the opportunity to really focus on the acting: listening, forming a connection to their partner, being able to be open to what’s going on around them. This approach to acting is extremely well suited to working on camera as it removes any sense that the actor is “acting” but rather “being”. The course will run from July 20 – 31 from 10:00 – 17:00 (including a 1 hour break). The course costs 6.450 Kc.
To sign up for the courses, please contact Brian at brian@pragueplayhouse.com
May 31st, 2011
There are still some seats left for the last weekend of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”. We have some reservations available on the Saturday 14:00 performance and there are usually 5-10 tickets returned from reservations that don’t show up, so even if you haven’t booked a ticket, you should come to the theater for returns!!
Get on our mailing list for news ahead of time about upcoming productions: we should be producing a show in the Fall and we don’t want you to miss out!
May 19th, 2011
We at the Prague Playhouse are proud to have been the (almost) venue for a little baby Benjamin Rappaport’s first experience of the theater. His parents were enjoying the opening night of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” but had to leave in the middle to give birth! Quite an experience. We are happy to offer the Rappaport’s a pair of free tickets to our next production in the Fall.
May 19th, 2011
Michael Gimenez, a visual artist whose work is based on confrontation and research around representation formats and their boundaries, is working on a project which will have a group exhibition in the City Gallery of Montpellier, in France, opening on May 27. The main concept of this project is to confront two different kinds of formats: on-line writing and cinema vocabulary. He will make use of a serial of comments collected from an USA Today webpage article as an original dialog text. He considers writing a comment or chating on-line as an original way of expression, between live conversation and writing. Interested? Click the “more” link to see more about the project or just contact Michael directly at gimenez.michael@gmail.com
He won’t change any single word from what people wrote about the article, even spelling mistakes, which might be heard once in actor’s mouth. This text will be played and filmed in a standard classic way. In an ideal situation, each commenter would be a different character/actor. As this kind of comments looks like a debate, all available on the same web page, the whole film will take place in one single room, all the characters will be gathered inside. The acting itself won’t be too important in term of time of preparation and rehearsal, since each actor will have a small amount of text to say.
Some actors will probably play two or three different commenters/characters. Each actor will be kindly welcome to participate to character development according to what inspiration comes from comments.
He will organize a meeting to talk about the whole process as soon as he has a group of actors together. There is no budget for the actors, but the video will be shown around Europe. The shooting will be held on middle of May.
April 29th, 2011
The Prague Shakespeare Festival, Guy Roberts Artistic Director, will be holding open call auditions on Sunday October 10th 2010 at the Prague Film School Attic Studio from 13:00 – 16:30 and also on Monday October 11th 2010 at the Prague Film School Acting Studio from 17:00 – 20:00 for PSF’s rotating repertory productions of As You Like It and King Lear playing April 14 – May 1, 2011 in Houston, TX USA and May 11 – 29, 2011 in the Czech Republic.
All actors should bring a photo and resume and present one memorized Shakespeare monologue, performed in English, not exceeding 2 minutes. Actors should be prepared to stay immediately following their audition in the event
they are called back for Rehearsals for the production will begin March 7, 2011 in Houston, TX. This project is an international collaboration between the Prague Shakespeare Festival, located in Prague, Czech Republic and the
Classical Theatre Company, located in Houston, TX.
Callback sides from As You Like It and King Lear will be provided for all actors who are called back. All auditions will be videotaped. Actors who have previously worked with PSF or Guy Roberts and who are interested in
casting opportunities may contact Guy Roberts directly, bypassing the general audition and schedule a callback. All others must come to the general audition and then be invited to callbacks.
All artists selected for participation in the production will be paid minimum of 4.000cz per week for a total of ten weeks of work (40.000cz). Individual artists may be offered higher weekly salary commiserate with experience and scope of work performed. All housing and transportation expenses to Houston, TX will be paid for by the producers.
All actors will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Designers and Stage Managers may also come to the open call to submit resumes and portfolios. Designers and Stage Managers must submit a portfolio and/or resume that can be taken to Houston for consideration by the producers.
All actors, directors, designers and stage managers who work with PSF are members of the PSF seasonal artistic company. The seasonal artistic company, under the guidance of the Artistic Director, work constantly together to
explore a cohesive classical style. The Festival provides an ensemble atmosphere for extended theatrical exploration wherein company members work as a group to develop skills and to perfect their craft through the continuity of several productions and ongoing training workshops. The quality of commitment demanded of the company members fosters a cohesiveness and intensity of approach to the Festival’s classical repertoire. In addition to performing, training and educational activities all company members work behind-the-scenes and assist in the day-to-day administration of PSF.
Visit the Prague Shakespeare Festival website for more information about the company.
October 3rd, 2010
Hi everyone!
I’m Boris Wilke and member of the Prague Playhouse Meisner acting group. I blog about our class activities.
***************
Let me be short and concise again today!
In the last few weeks there were several incidents in class that led certain members to become slightly wary of the Meisner technique.
Some of the repetition exercises bordered on the insane, vicious or at least very insensitive.
While I am aware that that is mighty scary and leaves one unsatisfied, I must insist that this has very little to do with the technique. In fact, Brian rightly pointed out to me that the Meisner technique provides you with all the tools you need.
One example: I felt attacked and cornered once. My reaction was to withdraw into “critic mode” and to lament my partner had not played by the rules. (I was being Meisner-righteous. That’s an expression Tzvi came up with.)
But in fact, there are no rules, except this one: No physical violence.
So let me present you with a remedy to feeling bad about the technique: Be Meisneritious!
If somebody attacks you, call them on it: “You’re attacking me!” “You’re cornering me!” “You take pleasure in hunting me down!” etc.
If somebody calls on things that are not in the moment like: “You’re always so arrogant!” or “You dismiss everything I do!”, look at how they say it! Stay in the moment – at least you! Call them on the way they say it: “You are insistent!” “You are holding on to things!” “You don’t see me!” “You sound indignant!” “You are petulant!” etc.
Non-Meisner-like behavior should incite Meisneritiousness of the first order! Take it personal! Pinpoint your partner’s behavior! Don’t let them get away with it! But then drop it to be open for the next moment.
It takes two to tango. If one partner stumbles, help them by picking them up. In the Meisner-world that means, as always: Be honest, even if you think the truth will hurt! Have trust in your partner, no matter how he scares you! Feel free to react accordingly, though. There is always a door you can leave through!
I insist: Take things personal! Own them! Brian called that kind of taking things into your own hands selfish – I call it Meisneritious!
Please remember: The Meisner technique is supposed to help us broaden our palette of behavior, to act out the most outrageous states of mind.
One needs to let go of fear, rules, self-centeredness, false sensitivity.
Meisner is not for the faint-hearted. But it is for the Meisneritious!
And being Meisneritious means to me to fully make use of the technique. It is there to serve us, not the other way round!
**********************
General stuff:
Our acting class consists of some twelve new and not so new active members, who meet every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30 pm to about 9.30 at the Prague Film School. We do Meisner. And the Meisner-technique really rocks!
If you want to connect with your inmost feelings, expressing them freely in an acting environment and thus getting to know yourself better and better, feel free to join us! If you do, be prepared for some serious thrills! Class will not convene in the week from May 17, neither the one from May 24. And due to Mark Wakeling’s weeklong seminar we also won’t have regular classes from June 7 through 11.
+++
About the author:
I am Boris Wilke, a German expat in Prague.
I am a writer at large and have been studying Meisner since January 2008. If any of you know of any kind of acting work that befits a laddish, tall 41-year-old, please leave a note!
May 14th, 2010
The Czech-German theatre-ensemble “POET’S CABARET” is offering a theater workshop weekend on the topic of hotel stories !
Based on improvisation studies (Keith Johnstone and others) we are going to create a crossover theater collage, accompanied by some experimental music scores.
Where?
Nekvasilova 625/2, Prague 8 – Karlín
Metro Station Invalidovna (B-line)
When?
Friday 28th – Sunday 30th of May 2010
daily between 10 to about 6 pm.
We offer valuable theater experience FOR FREE!
We’re inviting interested artists simply to email us a soon as possible.
Who you are and which artistic discipline you’re following doesn’t matter!
All actors, actresses, singers, dancers, musicians - no matter if amateur or professional! – of all ages, with or without theater experience are invited to this workshop!
You
- have some knowledge of English or German
- are open for a nonprofit artistic experience
- are possibly but not necessarily of Eastern European origin!
- if musician, you would bring your instrument with you (piano ready to play in theatre itself)
Please contact us by email markusnieden@yahoo.com
or call 774168801 (English and German speaking)
Every email will be answered!
And just have a look at www.rhiz.eu!
In the search box above right you put in: ”Hotel Red Cello”
***********
If you consider coming, please everybody bring some personal object related to a hotel or a private room with you that could be for example…
door key(s), book, mirror, item of clothing like jacket, shirt, cap, hat or shoes…
object from daily life like umbrella, mobile phone, letter to post, other documents, passport…
bracelets or rings, hairdryer, soap, shampoo, razor…
calendar, price list, urgent files, magazines, bottle of wine, champagne, vodka (empty, of course), suitcase…
You name it!
We need it to play with in some way.
Thanks a lot!
DONT FORGET TO CONFRIM YOUR PRESENCE BY EMAILING OR CALLING ME!
See you then and there, hopefully!
MARKUS
markusnieden@yahoo.com
774168801
May 10th, 2010
Hi everyone!
I’m Boris Wilke and member of the Prague Playhouse Meisner acting group. I blog about our class activities.
***************
Let me be short and concise today!
I am totally thrilled about Mark Wakeling’s return to Prague in a month. In case you haven’t heard of him: He is a teacher at the “Actor’s Temple” in London. He held a weekend-seminar in late November of 2009 for us Meisner students at the Prague Film School. (Click here to read about it!) Now he promised to be back from June 7 to 11.
The seminar last year rocked my soul. It helped me keep on keeping on at this difficult time, where none of my efforts at getting started as a professional actor really seem to succeed. His version of Meisner also kept me from dropping out of this class. I have been looking forward to his oncoming seminar ever Brian started to talk about it, i.e. at least four months.
If you can afford it and have the time, please register for the seminar!
Mark will try his best to confront you with the inner barriers you set up to protect yourself against intense feelings. He is relentless in a way. But since Meisner is about the truth, it is absolutely necessary to get rid of these blocks. Mr. Wakeling will get you at places you wouldn’t even have known existed. If you trust him at least a little bit, he will help you free quite a bit of the aspects you carefully held captive inside for so long. You will shine!
Meisner is about getting ready to play anything – no! to be able to live it under imaginary circumstances. If you dare use the technique to the extreme – which Mark will help you with – it will get you there.
Mr. Wakeling will give you a good kick in the butt that will let you fly in the right direction.
He will take Meisner’s image of “the pinch and the ouch!” in a totally new and really pinchey-ouchey direction.
And that is absolutely, mind-bogglingly exiting to me.
**********************
General stuff:
Our acting class consists of some twelve new and not so new active members, who meet every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30 pm to about 9.30 at the Prague Film School. We do Meisner. And the Meisner-technique really rocks!
If you want to connect with your inmost feelings, expressing them freely in an acting environment and thus getting to know yourself better and better, feel free to join us! If you do, be prepared for some serious thrills!
+++
About the author:
I am Boris Wilke, a German expat in Prague.
I am a writer at large and have been studying Meisner since January 2008. If any of you know of any kind of acting work that befits a laddish, tall 41-year-old, please leave a note!
May 5th, 2010
Monday is the start of a new semester for the Meisner Class, as well as the new advanced acting class (scene study), which is a continuation of the work which is being done in the Meisner class. If you’re interested in joining the Meisner class, please send an email or come to audit the class. The new Meisner class will run every Monday and Wednesday 18:30-21:30 from May 3rd to August 11th.
New students are always welcome!
May 3rd, 2010
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