Ode of the Breath, Between Earth and Sky
Exploring the dimensions of the sublime in ancient text, tongue and action

INSTRUCTORS:
A laboratory-workshop led by
Paul Goodwin and Vasilios Arabos
with guest interventions by
Dimitris Lekkas (ancient poetics, phonology)

COSTS:
House of Neuses is a non-profit organization which only accepts charitable donations. While we organize one meal per day and book lodging arrangements for our guests, these are payed directly by us to all vendors.
Expenses (lodging, food, teachers): €330.00 - €360.00. Lodging is shared occupancy. Food is one midday meal, shared. Transport is from the town to the Great Amphitheater and back.

Donation (suggested): € 110.00
please bear in mind that we are a non-profit and larger donations are welcome. We can provide pertinent invoicing/receipts for tax purposes.

For more information please register by clicking the link below. Please indicate any special requirements in your registration.

Please register early as spaces are limited.

DATES:
June 16th — June 23rd
DURATION: 7h/day for a total of 54 contact hours.

NOTE:
Participants in this workshop are encouraged to participate in the First Open Session immediately following, which will continue the work developed here. Please indicate interest in your registration.

DESCRIPTION

Working on Euripides’ Orestes, we will lay down the foundations of performance practice in Ancient Greek Theatre through an experiential exploration of the framing principles and psycho-somatic techniques encoded in the primary text. The workshop will introduce its participants to an array of approaches to classical verse and role which will be performed in Ancient Greek. 

Participants will learn how the original poetic text in Ancient Greek is voiced, translated and broken down into its fundamental phonetic and physical components that feed the inner life of the role and the action on the stage. We will work on the roles & specific passages of Electra and Orestes.

Ode of the Breath will be taught in tandem by Paul Goodwin and Vasilios Arabos.  We will draw on Paul’s 30 years of performance and teaching experience in classical theatre and dramatic verse, he will give us an invaluable access to the practices of the British acting tradition and how the performer deals with the challenges of form and content in their approach of the classical role.

The workshop will reveal that the power of the original dramatic verse is accessible to all practitioners independent of linguistic origin as a precise sequence of breath, sound and action that can be played believably and meaningfully. The workshop will also introduce its participants to ancient phonology as the vibration of specific energy-forms through the body & the voice. We will learn how ancient actors and dramaturges used the science of prosody to work that energy’s foundation in the breath and extend it into symbol and action (Artaud).

The connection of meaning and action to the spoken word will be shown to be an organic act integral to the creation of the role. These are all performance issues crucial to the actor, and they are challenges integral to our approach to dramatic verse, to which we will bring a range of processes integrating Stanislavskian acting approaches, embodiment of text and symbol (Jungian archetype). Participants will leave having acquired a very concrete set of tools and rigorous training in Form, Structure, Rhythm, Thought, Breath, Tone and Articulation and with an integral experience in the preparation and performing of role the ancient role.

Our ultimate aim with this foundation work will be to measure the proximity and distance between Shakespeare and Euripides with our own bodies, in the flesh and with heart, to feel the images riding upon the blood and to circulate it in space through sound and movement, to carry the poetics through the senses: this is the objective we have set ourselves with Paul for this workshop-laboratory.  Tragedy is an ode to the blood, and an ode of the breath in that it pierces and penetrates to the depths both actor and audience. 

Imalis’ unique approach to Ancient Greek performance practice developed out of over 14 years of research and practice in the arts of Ancient Greek Theatre will introduce practitioners to deep reading, prosodic and phonetic disciplines and the use of Ancient Greek poetics in the staging and playing of the ancient role.  In this process, which we term “native tongue staging,” the original theatrical language and its poetry are transformed from barrier into a source of creation for the performer because we deliberately place the act of translation and native tongue acquisition of Greek within the rehearsal process: the group is taught how to read, translate and voice the text in Ancient Greek directly, as an organic part of the rehearsal process and preparation of the role.