Posts filed under 'General'
Another thing that I’m trying to get off the ground is a central database of all of the english language plays and theater books (biographies, technique, criticism) that people have in their libraries so that we can start sharing books (regulated through the website). Please me back if you think that’d be a good idea and if you’d be interested in signing up and letting the community know what books you’ve managed to bring over with you!
thanks a bunch. As I said at our Prague Playhouse holiday party, I think really think we’re on the verge of something big here!
February 2nd, 2008
We at the Playhouse have been talking quite a bit about the need to plan on a longer time frame than just a project by project basis. We really feel that planning out a full season will give stability to the production schedule and give a solid framework for artists and volunteers who want to get involved. To that end, we’re starting to look at planning out our 2008/2009 season. We already have some suggestions from within the group, but we’re looking for more and we want your help!
Ideally we’re looking for play suggestions (in English) which are mostly entertaining but also have something for us to sink our teeth into. Smaller casts (not more than 
are preferable as are plays that play well in a smaller venue (not more than 70-80 seats). So? Do you have any suggestions?
February 2nd, 2008
American Casting Director, Nancy Bishop, is offering two casting workshops for actors interested in working in American and British films. The workshops, taught in English, will focus on techniques and strategies for success in film castings. Many actors say, “I’m just bad at castings.” This is often true; many good actors don’t cast well, but the good news is that you can do something about it. Casting is a skill that can be learned and improved.
CASTING WORKSHOP I: will cover how actors can present themselves, what directors look for from actors, and how to tackle dialogue in a casting. Participants will watch and critique actual castings, and perform a scene from a film script for camera. All actors will get one on one coaching with Nancy.
ADVANCED CASTING WORKSHOP: For returning students there is the Advanced Workshop. Anyone who has taken Workshop I and wishes to continue practising scene work for camera may attend. This class explores scene analysis and performances in a variety of genres. Each actor will perform two scenes from different genres (for example one Sci Fi and one comedic).
Nancy Bishop is an Emmy nominated, American Casting Director in Prague. Over the past ten years she has cast European-based actors in nearly sixty American and British films shot in Central Europe, including Bourne Identity, AnneFrank the Whole Story, Hitler the Rise of Evil, xXx, Bad Company, and Blade II, The Illusionist and currently Solomon Kane.
Cost: 2,000kc for one workshop or 3500Kc for both workshops or (77 EU for one class or 135EU for both)
Time: 11:00 – 17:00
Date: Saturday, 23 Feb, Workshop I Sunday, 24 Feb, Advanced Workshop
Place: Studio Storm, Biskupsky Dvur 1, Prague 1, Between Nam. Republiky and Florenc Metro stops.
Information: www.nancybishopcasting.com
Please register by sending an email to: casting@nancybishopcasting.com. Please send your photo and CV. Make sure to include your name, email address and telephone number.
January 22nd, 2008
Prague Playhouse has teamed up with PCFE to present an interview with casting director Nancy Bishop.
Nancy Bishop is an Emmy award nominated casting director who has cast European actors on over forty TV and film projects from her base in Prague. The interview will provide an up close and personal look at the career of one of Europe’s best casting directors. Actor’s may discover valuable insight to the other side of the casting process, Director’s may learn how to obtain the best out of their casting sessions. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
When: 18:30 Monday 14th January 2008
Where: PCFE - Pstrossova 19, Praha 1
Cost: Free
Seats are limited, so please contact Brian or Ben from Prague Playhouse ASAP to reserve a place.
Brian Caspe - 608 577 012
Ben Steel - 722 555 839
January 8th, 2008
I’d like to wish everyone a very happy New Year. I hope 2008 brings you lots of happiness and fulfillment.
January 1st, 2008
I thought that this description from our acting student JP on how he approached his first film was really interesting and wanted to share it with the rest of the readers here. If you have thoughts on this or your own approach, be sure to leave a comment!
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Hey, all
Just thought I’d take Ben’s suggestion and send around some of my thoughts and reactions to my film shoot with FAMU. I thought it was a great chance to put to the test everything we’ve been doing and see how it’s helped. It was great to try out, listening to your partner, reacting to their behavior, not knowing what was coming in a scene, delivering a line after learning a script by rote, and getting out of your head and just being real. I can see I still have a way to go, but the class definately has brought me several steps ahead. I felt more confident in front of a camera and in front of other more experienced actors. I felt more assured and had less fear of inferiority after all the work from class.
Of course when the camera starts rolling the fear of looking good, being good, and the temptation to get into your head starts popping up. On day one, when I was in front of the camera for the first time and the director shouted “action” I was nervous as hell. I felt like I was in my head. it was s simple scene, nothing very emotional like we’d been practising, so I went back to day one or two of class- I put my attention on my partner and just started noticing simple behavior in him- “He’s looking at that window. He’s very intent. He looked sideways. He’s starting to stroll.” That helped me forget myself almost like magic. It was great.
I had one angry scene where I was supposed to bawl out two other people. That one really made me nervous. I was worried about over-doing or being “actorish.” Truth be known I still have to see the cut before I can judge it, but I found that forgetting the logical reason why I was shouting and finding an emotional basis for it (my sister is cuddling with a total stranger who is almost 20 years her senior in a very overly-affectionate, almost sexual way) helped me to be more in the reality of it and to feel the anger more.
During some scenes where I wasn’t supposed to be looking at my partners, who are usually my center of focus, I found it helpful just to chill, take a few breaths, and focus on my other senses- the cold air, the birds chirping, the picturesque landscape, the stinking hay in the barn. that helped me forget myself, my pose, my messy hair, the rolling camera and just stay more in the moment.
There’s a lot more I could say, but I think that hits the high points. All in all it was a great experience. If any of you have some more filming thoughts or some tips, please by all means send ‘em around. Thanks Brian for getting me the role, and thanks to both the teachers for getting us this far. Cheers all. See you monday.
J.P.
November 7th, 2007
Our closing performance of Talking With is totally full. There may be reservation dropouts, so people who are interested in getting tickets should contact me. Due to the overwhelming response to the show and the great comments we have been getting, we are talking about remounting the show in January. Watch this space for further updates. I have to say that I am extremely proud of this group. All of the people who put the show together have done an extraordinary job. Many comments I’ve heard said that we are starting to rival the professional acting and production outlook (maybe minus the budget!) of some established Czech theaters. I am excited to bring more and better shows to the English speaking community.
If you missed out on this production and aren’t yet on the mailing list, please go to www.pragueplayhouse.com/mailing-list now to sign up. We will be looking for a larger theater to perform in (probably moving up to 70 or 80 seats) and see how the level of interest goes. Please don’t be afraid to get in touch and leave your comments or suggestions about future performances or reactions to what you saw. Any comment is welcome!
November 4th, 2007
Now accepting submissions for the
2nd Annual Prague Post Playwriting Contest!
- Call yourself a writer?
- Always wanted to write a play, but didn’t get started?
- Are you an experienced playwright looking to kick start a new idea?
If you answered yes to ANY of these questions, it’s time to put pen to paper or fire up those laptops …
…because the second annual Prague Post Playwriting Contest is open for business! Last year, we had over 100 entries. This year we want more. Everyone says Prague attracts writing talent. This is your chance to prove it.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
- original stage plays, never produced in Prague, with a run time of 30 minutes.
- submitted in English. (And, yes, it can be a translation!)
- playwrights who now live or once lived in the Czech Republic (we will ask for references).
- entries received by November 30th.
Full contest rules can be found at www.praguepost.com/playcontest/rules.
There are a bevy of prizes up for grabs. For starters, the top three finalists receive a full production at Divadlo Minor in March 2008. The top prize as awarded by the judges is a 20 000 Kc. There is also an audience prize for the best production resulting from the contest. And the contest will also award a special prize for the best play written by a non-native English speaker. The entry fee is only 100 Kc per submission. (Multiple submissions accepted.)
Many of last year’s entrants say the contest was a great excuse to finally get an idea out of their head and onto paper. Last year’s winner was stuck on act two of a longer play and used the contest as a way to work out new ideas. He’s now finished the play and gives the contest – and the actors and director – immense credit for clarifying motives, roles and through-lines.
So what’s stopping you? Get writing!
Web: www.praguepost.com/playcontest
E-mail: playcontest@praguepost.com
October 1st, 2007
Last Monday the Playhouse Acting Class hosted a field trip to Museum Kampa’s exhibit of Andy Warhol’s works about death. One of the important focuses of the acting class is opening up students to other experiences than they would normally have, often in the form of great works of art. Great art has a way of transcending the rational mind and working its magic on the inner self. The acting class supports the process of opening students emotionally to the world by organizing group trips to art exhibits, plays and concerts. The class will supplement the cost of these events to get the highest level of attendance by students.
I really think that by going as a group of acting students, we looked at the paintings with a certain level of depth that I don’t normally experience when I go to a museum on my own. We frequently asked questions like “What does the repetition in his work mean in the context of our own work with repetition?”. Since the death exhibit 
had quotes from Warhol painted on the walls, often of him doubting what it meant to be an artist or dead to the world through the frequent exposure to stimulus, it was especially interesting to the group as our work is mostly about taking whatever your partner gives you as a new thing in the moment.
The exhibit was interesting but quite small: one room of paintings. After we had had our time there, we went and explored the main exhibit, which is free on Mondays.
Our next class field trip will be to the Open day at Svandovo Divadlo on September 20th. Anyone interested should feel free to join us!
September 17th, 2007
The Prague Playhouse is about to embark on its 2007/2008 season. We have 4 projects picked out and are very excited about doing the productions. We are focusing this year on a seasonal outlook rather than a project to project outlook. We feel like this will provide stability and a sense of long term direction and will help counter the lull that follows each completed project. To that end, we have identified three major areas where we need people to help out. If you are interested in working in any of these areas, especially if you have prior experience, please let me know. Also, let me know how much time you would be able to spend working as well as how long you want to commit for (we don’t want anyone to feel trapped!).
The areas we’re going to be focusing on are:
PUBLICITY
- this would be everything from poster/graphic design to writing press releases, hanging up posters, passing out fliers, sending emails to the audience mailing list, keeping track of media deadlines and listings, helping to write and publish project descriptions on the website. In general, getting people excited about coming to our shows.
FUNDRAISING
- Pretty self-explanitory. Getting sponsors, finding grants, people to advertise in the programs / fliers, identifying and securing partners for bartering goods and services, company treasurer, helping with the play budgets. We will encourage people to do this hard work by providing a commission on what you bring in.
STAGE MANAGEMENT / TECHNICAL CREW
- In a broader sense, the stage management team is responsible for things like bringing in props, costumes, sets, makeup and lighting. Anyone who would be interested in working behind the scenes on a project would want to be in this area. This area is also responsible for maintaining contacts with venues and partner theaters (who could provide props and costumes). The company stage manager maintains the schedule, when each project should be having auditions, starting rehearsals, etc, and should be seen as the resident butt-kicker. On a project level, the stage manager oversees the schedule of the project as well as the technical team.
I really hope that you will want to join us in building a really great, resilient theater company that will last long into the future! If you have any questions, please feel free to call me 608 577 012 or email. If you have any suggestions, I’d be more than happy to hear them!
Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you,
Brian
August 22nd, 2007
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