Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum will launch its new Weekend Shakespeare Retreat, Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25, on their nine-acre outdoor campus and 299-seat amphitheater nestled in the Santa Monica Mountain Range in Topanga Canyon.
Throughout the weekend, the theater will provide classical theatre workshops in techniques related to bringing Shakespeare to life and taught by professional instructors and international leaders, Ellen Geer and Paul Edmunson.
Ellen Geer, Artistic Director of Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and founding member of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre has more than 55 years’ experience acting, directing, and mentoring performers.
Paul Edmundson, Head of Research and Knowledge and Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry festival for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, will engage participants in an investigation of Shakespeare’s life and times.
Performance technique workshops will include:
• Shakespeare’s Language: engage with techniques used by professional actors to clarify and decode Shakespeare’s dramatic poetry
• Voice and Speech: learn the secrets performers have used for centuries to fully utilize the spoken poetry of Shakespeare
• Elizabethan Dance: participate in authentic dances from the 16th century
• Fencing: experiment with realistic stage-combat and swordfighting techniques
• Exploring Shakespeare’s Text: work on performing monologues and sonnets hand selected for each participant
• Shakespeare’s History and Elizabethan Life: What is Shakespeare’s story? When did he live and how did this impact his plays?
The program will begin with an orientation from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 23, and the workshops will take place throughout the weekend: Saturday March 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Sunday, March 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
LOCAL BUSINESS DISCOUNTS
To make it a true retreat, participants are encouraged to stay in Topanga. To accommodate them, local businesses are partnering with Theatricum to offer discounts or bed-and-breakfast accommodations, restaurants and retail vendors. The program is designed for ages 18 and up. There is a $500 enrollment fee for participants. To make it a true retreat, participants are encouraged to stay in Topanga, and enjoy discounts at local businesses in the community. Due to the immersive nature of the program, spots for enrollment are limited.
For more information, or to reserve your spot, please contact Sarah Stone at theatricumadult@gmail.com or call (310) 455-2322.
More information on other programs and events hosted by Theatricum Botanicum can be found at www.Theatricum.com.