British Shakespeare Association Biennial Conference 2005
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Programme : Panels - Seminars - Workshops
Workshop - Mixing Metaphor Two: Using Commedia dell
‘Arte to Explore the Self-Conscious Rehearsal in Shakespeare’s The
Merchant of Venice
Friday 2nd September 2005, 2.00-3.30pm,
Bedson Teaching Centre G35
Participants | Call
for Participants
Participants
Convenor - Ellen
Loudon, Edge Hill College
Convenor
- Gabrielle Malcolm, Edge Hill College
Paul Prescott
Andrea R. Stevens, University of Virginia
Arthur Kincaid
Kelly Melson
Elly Lowe
Call for Participants
Below is the original Call for Participants, as circulated.
Gabrielle Malcolm & Ellen Loudon, Lecturer’s in Drama, Performing
Arts Department, Edge Hill, Lancashire.
This workshop seeks to investigate further work previously introduced at the SAA Conference, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2003. It will follow a similar format of editing, investigation and discussion online via group email and website links, culminating in rehearsal and performance (time permitting) at the BSA Biennial. As a successful method of collaborative work we are seeking to reintroduce this strategy and develop the concepts and constructs further.
These are twofold. Firstly, to investigate in practical performance workshops the methodology and origins of Commedia dell’Arte possibly contained in selected Shakespeare plays. Character, movement, dramaturgy, mise-en-scene and technique will be investigated via this performance workshop. The successful Merchant of Venice workshop at SAA two years ago crystallised many ideas, realised others and introduced much for further practical endeavour and investigation.
Secondly, the by-product of this workshop preparation is to pursue methods of online collaborative work and scholarly investigation, using new technologies and more recently available downloads and software – such as ‘Skype’ – for group rehearsal processes for example. Web-based research and communication is integral to this developing project, and the opportunity for pursuing this with BSA members is an exciting prospect, hopefully leading to interesting results at the conference itself. As part of the research, performance and community remit of the BSA we believe this workshop to be relevant and applicable to the association’s ongoing ethos.
We propose to focus on two scenes and explore the performance possibilities of using them in juxtaposition. We propose to set up the ‘casket scene’ (ACT III SCENE II) as a rehearsal for the ‘Trial scene’ (ACT IV SCENE I) and work on Commedia characters to mirror the action in both incorporating mask and props. We aim to consider, in performance workshop conditions, the potential for conscious rehearsal within the construction of the play and consider the possibilities for this in performance.
Participants would be asked to consider specific roles in the development of the workshop. These might include: editing, research, recording, design and performance. The workshop leaders will be responsible for consolidating the various material offered during the development period and presenting a discrete workshop event to explore some of this thinking using performance techniques.
If you are interested in participating in this workshop and/or able to contribute
to the preparation please contact the workshop leaders:
loudone@edgehill.ac.uk
malcolmg@edgehill.ac.uk
Performing Arts, Edge Hill College, St Helen’s Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire,
L39 4QP
Telephone: 01695 584760
http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/Faculties/HMSAS/drama/index.htm
