Over half the cast are Czechs from the professional musical theater. Steve Josephson, a veteran musical theater director, choreographer and performer has come from California to stage the show. This is a multi-cultural production in the true sense of the word.

And we want you to join us for a SNEAK PREVIEW at Belushi’s Bar (Odboru 4, Prague 1) on May 30th from 18:00-21:00. For just 100 Kc we will buy you a drink while you can listen to songs from the show performed by our company (including the orchestra). We will also have some wonderful prizes for you to bid on in a silent auction (see our list of sponsors below!).

If you’re excited to hear the music performed by our outstanding company, if you might be out of Prague during the summer and miss the performances, if you want to be among the first to experience a part of this show, then come out to see us! This Sneak Peak is one night only!

If you are interested in signing up for the workshop, please send an email to brian@pragueplayhouse.com. While priority will be given to students who have worked with Nancy already, new students may submit a photo and resume if they wish to be considered for the workshoop.

The workshop will be March 10, 2012 from 10:30 – 16:30. The cost is 2.000 Kc which is due by March 1, 2012. The class will be limited in size and places will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis, so please don’t wait to book your place.

If you have questions about the organization or payment of the workshop, please contact me at brian@pragueplayhouse.com.

• 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

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!

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.

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.

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.

I’m Boris Wilke and member of the Prague Playhouse Meisner acting group. I blog about our class activities.

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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!

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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.

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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!

Based on improvisation studies (Keith Johnstone and others) we are going to create a crossover theater collage, accompanied by some experimental music scores.

Where?

Divadlo Kámen,

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”

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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