MetaWORKSHOP:
PHYSICAL THEATRE (60h)
23.6.–4.7.2025
KEY WORDS
Lecoq pedagogy, neutral masks, 20-movements, expressive masks, non-verbal storytelling, Commedia Dell'Arte, transformed voice, movement based dramaturgy
TO WHOM
For performing arts professionals, students and amateurs who wish to practice and gain tools for physical storytelling. Welcome to learn something new or polish your old skills.
DESCRIPTION
During the two-week intensive workshop, we will explore the core elements of physical storytelling with classic exercises from the French Lecoq pedagogy, using mime and masks.
The workshop combines the best parts of three different physical theater courses with three different teachers. The work starts from neutrality and proceeds into more expressive and wordless character work and to the expression of feelings. The skills of physical storytelling do not exclude the text, on the contrary, strong kinesio-spatial skills give the performer a solid foundation from which to approach voice and text work. At the end of the workshop we will play with exaggerated use of voice, archetypes, and physical comedy, familiar from Commedia dell’arte.
Objectives
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increase spatial and body awareness
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learn to harness movement and space in the service of the story
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develop movement articulation skills
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develop non-verbal expression skills
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gain character work techniques
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learn to play with your voice
Content
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Neutral mask
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20-movements
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Expressive full masks (Poppius masks) and wordless storytelling
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Commedia Dell'Arte: the codified movement language of the comic gallery of types, voice deformation and comic exaggerated expression
NEUTRAL MASK is one of the cornerstones of Lecoq pedagogy. It grounds all expression and is worked with in a pre-dramatic state and without words. The neutral mask helps the performer become aware of his own movement quality and makes parasitic movements and mannerisms visible. So that the performer's expression is not limited to their own typical movement material, we physically examine how the actor can utilize mimodynamics to diversify their expressive power. The course uses high-quality Sartori neutral masks.
20-MOVEMENTS is an acting exercise developed by Jacques Lecoq with which the performer can brush up on his basic skills of physical expression and prepare his body for moving storytelling. 20-Movements is the art of creating fictional/poetic spaces. The exercises develop the ability to understand the difference between everyday movement and a transformed body. The series enhance movement articulation skills, spatial visualization ability and introduce fundamental movement dynamics and their narrative power.
EXPRESSIVE MASK, as well from Lecoq pedagogy, provide skills for bodily role-building and non-verbal storytelling. When the performer's facial expressions and speech are excluded, the attention shifts to the body and the space around. The expressive masks designed by the Finnish Antero Poppius suggest a new character to the actor and invite bodily transformation and imaginative play. Masks impose a challenge; how to make attitudes, intentions and feelings visible without words!
COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE, theater genre originating from the Renaissance period, brings to work animalistic half-masks representing the darker side of humanity. They encourage playing with voice, movement and social themes. In keeping with the genre, the types are carved with an ax and the storytelling progresses quickly and straightforwardly. Emotions are expressed exaggeratedly from zero to one hundred. Circus skills, slapstick, music and dance can be used as free means of performance. In the course, you get to know the historical type gallery and create your own, today's mask types. In addition, we get to know traditional Commedia dell'arte scenarios and canovaccios. Commedia dell'arte was the political theater of its time, where current, social issues were dealt with by means of comedy. What topics come up for consideration in the improvisations of today's creators? We use high-quality leather masks, which are designed by Antonio Fava, Stephano Perocco di Meduna and Laura Mäkelä.
LANGUAGE
Finnish
English if needed
TEACHERS
IIKA HARTIKAINEN works in professional mask and movement theater productions, mainly as a clown and musician. Iika is a member of Teatteri Metamorfoosi, and has practiced the 20-Movements movement technique, e.g. With Giovanni Fusetti, Norman Taylor, Marc Gassot and Soile Mäkelä.
TIIA-MARI MÄKINEN works as a freelance theater artist, e.g. as a director, performer, choreographer and teacher. Tiia's theatrical thinking is based on movement expression, mask theater and Lecoq pedagogy. The cornerstones of her teaching are inclusive and movement-oriented theatre. The years 2015–2022 Mäkinen worked in London in several different art organizations, e.g. Chickenshed Theatre, Royal Albert Hall and Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company. Tiia has taught physical theater studies, e.g. in China, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Finland and Latvia.
SOILE MÄKELÄ (MA) works as a freelancer e.g. in Teatteri Metamorfoosi, where she works as a workshop and mask atelier coordinator, teacher and artist. Soile has been teaching for a couple of decades, with masks as an indelible part of her toolkit. She approaches theater from a physical point of view and her roots are strongly in the French Lecoq pedagogy.
SCHEDULE
Mon-Fri 23.6.–27.6.2025
Sat-Sun free
Mon-Fri 30.6.–4.7.
Daily at 10-17:00
(includes daily one-hour lunch break and a shorter coffee break)
PRICE
(includes 60 hours of teaching)
Early birds offer: 590€ (last payment date 11.5.2025.)
Normal price: 680€ (last payment date June 1.)
PARTICIPANTS
Minimum number of participants 8, maximum 14
VENUE
Teatteri Metamorfoosi/ Point Fixe
Suvilahdenkatu 10 a 4th floor
00500 Helsinki
(All the rights reserved for the changes for Teatteri Metamorfoosi)