I (Sara Tilley) will be offering a boot camp-style Pochinko Clown through Mask training course this summer, June 18-29, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm daily at the Arts and Culture Centre, 3rd Floor Gallery. This course will cover the full Clown through Mask training in a concentrated period of time.

The course is 60 hours long, with a maximum of 10 students. The fee is $600, and several discounted registrations will be available for interested people who cannot afford the full $600 fee – if you would like to discuss this option, please contact me at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca. To note, similar classes in other parts of the country are usually $1200 and up – I am trying to make this workshop affordable while still paying myself enough to make it a worthwhile endeavour as a professional artist.

The Clown through Mask work is intended for all types of people – you do not need to be an actor or performer to participate. All you need is curiosity and the willingness to try something new! The work uses mask-making, painting, writing and a variety of physical exercises to discover our own inner clowns – transitioning from working with a full face mask that you create yourself into wearing the red clown nose. The focus is on personal exploration and adventure, and not on performance as an end goal. This work can then be used to fuel any and all creative endeavours – writing, visual art, music, dance, theatre, etc – it can also be an amazing tool for self-discovery and change within our everyday lives.

Students must attend all classes without exception, as the group will progress through the exercises together and any absences will result in you not being able to finish the course. This is my one extremely hard and fast rule, so if you are interested please make sure you can attend the full workshop.

If you are interested, contact me at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca as soon as possible as registration is limited.

I will leave you with these words about Pochinko Clown, from fellow clown teacher Jan Henderson:

“In a lifelong search for meaning, I have found the clown to be the best,all-encompassing metaphor for the human condition – an uncompromising mirror to look into for glimpses of the truth.  We look at the clown and see ourselves – our hopes, dreams, fears, and virtues, our flaws and our process.  Clowns show us how, as a species, we get into trouble – without ever meaning or wanting to – and how, inspite of ourselves, we sometimes stumble onto sublime solutions to our problems.

Clowning isn’t something we need to learn so much as something we become aware of in ourselves.  Any time that we are curious, playful, or creative, we are in clown mode.  When we are in a state of wonder or awe, surprise or amazement, we are in clown. The clown lives in the place of laughing and crying at the same time.

The character of the Fool is an essential ingredient of human society – a universal archetype found in some form in all cultures and  in all times. The Clown is the eternal child in all of us – the innocent who sees things as they really are and not as convention decrees, who can be counted on to tell us, in the loudest possible voice, that the emperor’s not wearing any clothes.  It is the part of us that has never grown up, that  lives in the heart and in the moment, with no past to regret and no future to dread – the part that only wants to play,completely free of responsibility – and yet is willing and able to save the world if necessary.

Clowning is about the freedom that comes from a state of total, unconditional acceptance of our most authentic selves, warts and all. It offers us respite from our self doubts and fears, and opens the door to joy. And the best part is, we are all already our clowns.  They are here inside us, waiting for us to recognize them so that they can come out and play.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2012/01/08/nl-sara-tilley-neutral-mask-0108.html

The workshop will take place from Feb. 27 – March 2, 2012, 10 am to 1 pm daily. Registration is $250 for the five-day course, and we are offering an early bird discount until January 15th of just $200. This would make a great Christmas present for the thespian on your list!

This workshop will focus on ‘Forum Theatre’ and ‘Image Theatre’ techniques from the arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) Techniques. TO was born in 1971 in Brazil. It is a system of games and special techniques that aims to develop the language of theatre in order to empower oppressed people, helping them fight against their oppressions by using TO techniques and transforming the society that engenders those oppressions.

This special system is based on games of dialogue. Participants play and learn together. The discipline of the game is the belief that we must re-establish the right of everyone to exist in dignity.  Theatre of the Oppressed can be used in all fields of human activity – social, pedagogical, political, artistic etc.

This workshop will include a brief history of Theatre of the Oppressed, as well as special warm-up exercises and games.  This will be followed by work with the Forum and İmage Theatre Techniques.

Theatre of the Oppressed is by,for and about the oppressed. Anyone with or without any theatre experience can participate in the workshop.

To register, contact Women’s Work Festival Coordinator Ruth Lawrence at whiteroosterproductions@yahoo.ca or text to 709 682 5951.

Check out our other Women’s Work Festival Workshops, Neutral Maks Levels I and II!

Generously supported by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

NEUTRAL MASK with Sara Tilley
February 2012

Women’s Work Festival Workshop Series
Level I – Saturday February 25, 2012 1-4 pm (3 hrs)
Level II (prerequisite Level I) – Sunday February 26 1-4 pm (3 hrs)
$40 regular/$20 students -one session $65 regular/$35 students -both sessions
TO RECEIVE $10 OFF REGULAR PRICE, REGISTER & PRE-PAY BY JANUARY 15, 2012. Limited spaces. Pre-register at whiteroosterproductions@yahoo.ca or text to 709 682 5951
________________________________________________________________
Dress in comfortable clothing; bring a yoga mat or thick blanket.
LEVEL I will focus on the essentials for work with the mask. We will use the mask as a clearing tool for the body, to help shed old habits, gestures and postures in order to be ready to take on new experiences. Neutral Mask work is moving meditation – an opportunity to exist wholly in the present moment.
LEVEL II will take the neutral mask experience further into its application as a sponge for energy and experience. Using the mask to channel different natural energies and to create the foundations for character, this session will build on the work done in Level I. We will look at a variety of ways to use the mask as a springboard for creative expression.

Sara with Neutral Mask. Photo by Janet Shum.

Sara Tilley has studied neutral mask with Ian Wallace, Dean Gilmour and Jill Courtney. She is a trained mask teacher, and works with artists and non-artists in Neutral Mask, Pochinko Clown Through Mask and Kinetics.
NEUTRAL MASK is a powerful tool for any creative person – it allows you to simplify, to reconnect to the physical body, and to live in the present moment. The neutral mask pares us down to the essential. It is a beginning place from which to approach any new character or project. This work is beneficial to all artists – actors, writers, musicians, dancers, visual artists – as well as to anyone who is curious about mask.

All submissions must be either by a female playwright or deal with a female character as the central figure. All plays must be unproduced, although previous workshops or readings of the work are permitted.

Deadline 5 pm December 15, 2011. Scripts will be selected by a committee representing all three companies.

Each script will receive a one-day dramaturgical workshop with a professional cast and dramaturge, followed by a staged reading in St. John’s. All playwrights, actors and dramaturges will receive a small honorarium for their work. The Festival does not cover any transportation or accommodations costs for out-of-town playwrights but your local arts council or the Canada Council for the Arts may provide travel grants for this purpose. All proceeds from the reading series will be donated to a local women’s shelter.

Submit an electronic copy of a full draft of your play and a short synopsis in either Microsoft Word or PDF format, with an email indicating your telephone number, mailing address, and email address, as well as your reasons for applying to the Festival, to rcata@rca.nf.ca (put Women’s Work Festival in the subject line).

Go see this dark comedy about two real women dealing with love, motherhood, self-acceptance … you will not be disappointed…the most enjoyable experience I have had at a Fringe show in a very long time… simple but stunning… flawless acting, 5 out of 5… Stephanie Yantsis, Hamilton Fringe Review

A fresh look at retaining identity in the face of motherhood and relationships…quirky dialogue…honest observations … Tilley earns huge applause…DF-G, NOW (Toronto)

Tilley’s performance…is vulnerable and impassioned. Lawrence’s…is likeable, enviable and sad. …timeless. Mooney on Theatre (Toronto)

A so-called ‘chick flick’… will interest, even fascinate males audiences too. Well done in both creation and execution. Terry Metter, Ontario Arts Review (Toronto)

A performance that simply has to be seen… Ashley Fitzpatrick,The Telegram (St. John’s)

Sara Tilley as Mona and Ruth Lawrence as Rita in MonaRita

Atlantic FRINGE, Halifax, Bus Stop Theatre

Thursday, Sept 8, 6:00pm
Friday, Sept 9,10:30pm
Saturday, Sept 10, 6:45 pm
Sunday, Sept 11, 3:45 pm

Tickets:$10

 
• ADVANCE SALES (until 5pm on the day prior)
  Neptune Theatre Box Office Advance Box Office Hours Monday – Friday: 9 am – 5 pm Saturday – Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
  IN PERSON – 1593 Argyle Street, at the corner of Argyle and Sackville Street in downtown Halifax
  BY PHONE – Purchase tickets over the telephone during our regular hours at (902) 429-7070.
  ONLINE – Purchase tickets online 24/7. Click here to use Neptune Theatre’s easy, convenient & secure online ticket system.
  Tickets purchased in person with cash or debit incur no surcharge.
  Tickets purchased in person with credit card incur a $.50 surcharge.
  Tickets purchased by phone or online incur $1.50 surcharge.
  Advance Tickets are sold until 5 pm on the day preceding the performance.
  
• SAME DAY SALES
  Only at the Venue Tickets go on sale AT THE VENUE 1 hour before the first performance of the day until the final performance of the day.

 

 

St. John’s, LSPU Hall

Wed., Sept. 14, 8:00 pm, ONE NIGHT ONLY! Tickets $20 plus tax, available at 709-753-4531 or www.rca.nf.ca.

 

 

FemFest, Winnipeg, Canwest Centre for Theare and Film Sunday, September 18, 9:00 pm
Tues., September 20, 7:00 PM Tickets are $10. Femfest accepts reservations by e-mail and by phone as well as through their website at http://sarasvati.ca/fem-fest/tickets/. Simply send the number of tickets, name under which tickets should be held, date and performance title to info@sarasvati.ca at least 24 hours before show time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent as long as the reservation is at least 24 hours in advance. Or call 586-2236. All reserved tickets must be picked up at least 15 minutes before show time. Tickets will be held at the door and can be paid for in cash upon arrival for the performance. Payment is cash only. Box office opens an hour before each show.

Sara Tilley will be teaching a workshop in Neutral Mask during Femfest. Sunday, September 18^th 1-3pm
Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film
Cost $15. Only 14 participants can be accommodated so register now at info@sarasvati.ca or 586-2236!

 

MAIL-ORDER DRAMATURGY PROGRAM

A long-distance dramaturgy program for new plays in development. Works must be in the first draft stage or later. Each script will be paired with a professional dramaturge, who will work with the playwright via email and/or Skype through the completion of a further two drafts of their work.

All playwrights, regardless of experience or province of residence, are eligible to apply. Up to three scripts will be chosen for development in 2011-2012. Please note that She Said Yes! is a feminist theatre company, and as such we are interested in developing works that are written by, for or about women. While we do not stipulate that the playwright must be female, priority will be given to works which develop and enrich the canon of theatre for women.

Submission deadline is October 14th, 2011, at 5 pm. Submissions must be emailed, postmarked or dropped off by this date in order to be considered.

To apply, send a copy of your script in pdf or Word format, along with a cover letter stating your reasons for applying to the program and your history as a playwright to sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca, or send submissions by post to: Sara Tilley, She Said Yes! Theatre Company, 64 Quidi Vidi Rd, St. John’s NL, A1A 1C1.

We pay a small honorarium to all participating playwrights and dramaturges.

For more information on She Said Yes! and its work, visit www.shesaidyestheatre.ca, or contact Sara Tilley, Artistic Director of She Said Yes!, at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca.