2014 SITI Workshop
May 25 – June 21, 2014
Application Deadline March 15
Sixty artists are invited to take part in an intensive workshop that includes hard, physical work, theoretical research, and the generation and performance of new work by each participant. The program’s objective is to develop courageous theater artists who are able to integrate into their work new influences from many disciplines. The curriculum is designed for pre-professional and professional artists. All classes are taught in English. If English is not your first language, and you have questions or concerns, please contact the workshop office.
Five days a week, the morning classes consist of Viewpoints and the Suzuki Method of Actor Training. Afternoon classes alternate between Composition class and additional aspects of creation and performance which may include Speaking in Practice, Movement, Design and Dramaturgy, or Playwriting. Major theories from art forms such as music, painting, and architecture are applied to the creation of new work for the stage. This work involves cross disciplinary cooperation and the application of new ideas and approaches. Each participant is expected to generate and perform in compositions. The remainder of the evenings and weekends are spent in rehearsals, symposia, or specially arranged classes with guest artists. Participants are expected to attend all classes and be available for weekend rehearsals on campus. SITI’s training is physically challenging. Applicants should come in good health and prepared to work hard. Those with questions or concerns regarding participation should contact the workshop office and their own physician.
The Suzuki Method is a rigorous, physical, and vocal discipline for actors created by internationally acclaimed director Tadashi Suzuki and his company. Drawing on such diverse influences as ballet, traditional Japanese and Greek theater and martial arts, the training seeks to heighten the actor’s emotional and physical power and commitment to each moment on the stage. Attention is on the lower body and a vocabulary of footwork, sharpening the actor’s breath control and concentration.
Viewpoints is a technique of improvisation that grew out of the post-modern dance world and was first articulated by choreographer Mary Overlie. She broke down the two dominant issues with which performers deal – time and space – into six categories; hence, the name Six Viewpoints. Since that time,Artistic Director Anne Bogart and SITI have expanded her notions and adapted Viewpoints as a basis for actor training. Viewpoints allows a group of actors to function together spontaneously and intuitively and to quickly generate bold theatrical work. It develops flexibility, articulation, strength in movement and speaking, and makes ensemble playing a reality.
The Setting
Skidmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college known for outstanding academics, a rich cocurricular life, and challenging and caring faculty mentors. It is a place where creative thought matters, as evidenced by its more than 60 majors; its arts-infused, interdisciplinary focus; and the fact that half of the College’s 2,400 undergraduates carry two majors or at least one minor with a major. Workshop classes are held in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater on campus. Program participants who choose to live on Skidmore’s campus will be housed in one of the College’s residence halls. Dormitory rooms are spacious and feature free Internet access and cable television. The renovated dining hall offers a broad array of freshly made items, including ample vegetarian options. Participants will have access to the College’s Scribner Library and recreational options, including swimming pool, weight and fitness rooms, lighted tennis courts, track, North Woods hiking trails and the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery.
SITI Company was built on the bedrock of ensemble with the belief that through the practice of collaboration, a group of artists working together over time can have a significant impact upon contemporary theater and the world at large. Through performances, educational programs and collaborations with other artists and thinkers, SITI Company challenges the status quo, trains to achieve artistic excellence in every aspect of their work, and offers new ways of defining artists as global citizens. SITI Company is committed to providing a gymnasium for the soul where the interaction of art, artists, audiences and ideas inspire the possibility for change, optimism and hope.