The Bennington Fringe: Little Theater, Big Ideas. A studio course for collaborators

Course Description

Summary

This new course centers the development and performance of smaller scale original student work in a repertory theater ensemble environment. It is open to those interested in plays, but also screenplays, pilots, solo pieces, devised pieces, clown shows, even songwriting or short form videos. It is especially valuable to anyone who wishes to learn how to take a small show into a festival where less is decidedly more.

Enrollment is capped at 40 students. I invite everyone in this course to try their hand in multiple areas of their choice: direction, writing, acting, and design. Everyone should be prepared to participate in staged readings, to workshop scenes, engage in guided improvisations, and/or direct and act in scenes. You will be encouraged to learn more than one aspect of the craft of theater making.

Students in this course will work on a series of student generated scripts that have never been performed before. They will be able to develop these scripts through readings, workshops, guided improvisations and a process of editing and revision. Critical skills involve listening, text analysis, delineating playable actions, and creating an environment that nurtures the creation of new work. You might work on three or four different projects with different directors, writers, actors, and designers over the course of the term.

There will be public showings throughout the term. Students are expected to work on manageable chunks. If you want to workshop an entire short play, you will need to divide it into four 10-minute segments over the course of the term. We will not be reading or staging full-length plays, but digging deep down into the details of individual moments. You will be expected to write, read, and memorize outside class. All rehearsals will happen during class time.

Everyone will be encouraged to develop their awareness of others, of their own emotional response, their curiosity about the world of the play, and their ability to ask and respond to questions. We are limiting the practical and production aspects of the work so the students can fully develop their imagination, vision, collaborative skills and follow through. The word “play” also means “to play.” We will play, listen, support, create, and have fun.