Studio of the Archa Theatre
Workshops Held in the Studio of the Archa Theatre
Seminars and Lectures Held in the Studio of the Archa Theatre
Co-operation




Studio of the Archa Theatre

Archa Theatre established its own Studio whose aim is to provide a space to performing arts activities, with the main emphasis on the creative process rather than the final result. The Archa Theatre Studio is a lab of theatre work. Its main aim is cultivating acting skills and searching for the spiritual dimension in theatre and dance.

Archa Theatre Studio
- enables theatre professionals to further develop their acting skills
- focuses on the development of dance and movement skills
- cares for the promotion of other theatre techniques, e.g. scenography, light and sound design as independent artistic disciplines
- holds seminars about theatre management
- provides space for theoretical thinking about the purpose of theatre
- organizes theoretical seminars concentrating on the history of theatre or profiles of outstanding artistic personalities
- gives a chance to independent experiments that examine the possibilities and boundaries of theatre
- provides space for an exchange of information; documentation should become one of its activities
- cooperates and coordinates its activities with other institutions working in a similar area
- uses the two variable spaces of Archa Theatre, as well as the studio space of the rehearsal room


Archa Theatre Studio
Na Poříčí 26, 110 00 Praha 1
Tel.: (02) 232 75 70
Fax: (02) 232 20 89
e-mail: studio@archatheatre.cz



Workshops Held in Archa Theatre Studio

"Without a Date" (February 1995, performances 3 -5 March 1995)
An international dance project of Archa Theatre Studio. The Dutch dancer Frank van de Ven with Czech dancers, visual artists and musicians.

"Viewpoints" and the actor training method of Tadashi Suzuki (22 October - 1 November 1997)
A ten-day workshop with the American director Anne Bogart, the founder of the Saratoga International Theatre Institute, New York. During this intensive workshop, participants became acquainted with the Viewpoints acting method.
Every day of the workshop began with Suzuki training, a method called after its founder, Tadashi Suzuki. It consists of demanding physical exercises based on spiritual, emotional and physical engagement in every single moment happening on stage. The training was led by Will Bond and Andrew Kranis, both members of The SITI Company.
          The training itself was then followed by the Viewpoints method. Viewpoints is a set of expressions defining the philosophy of movement. These expressions then create a language shared by the whole group. The method provides actors with an opportunity to develop their own unique concept of movement, space and time.
          Seventeen professional actors, dancers, performers and students of these disciplines took part in the workshop. Several directors and dramaturges from Prague theatres witnessed the entire process with great interest. The work culminated in a public presentation in the Archa Theatre, in which Anne Bogart with her assistants and workshop participants demonstrated her method of work to the audience.

Hands of the Mosaic (December 1997, performances 18 and 19 December 1997)
Continuation of a cooperation with the American theatre artist Rinde Eckert. The Gothic window perceived from the architectural, artistic and social viewpoint was the main theme of the workshop. The entire process was preceded by theoretical research of the topic. The Archa Theatre addressed the Czech theologian Aleš Roleček who specializes in this particular topic and also prepared a historical background for Rinde Eckert's work. The whole process culminated in a presentation in the Archa Theatre.

Juliet Stevenson (25 - 28 March 1998)
Juliet Stevenson, the British actress and member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, led a workshop directed on voice training and close work with Shakespeare's play "Measure for Measure".



Seminars and Lectures Held in Archa Theatre Studio

"Homage to Antonin Artaud" (3 - 5 April 1997)
In April 1997, Archa Theatre and the French Institute organized a seminar on Antonin Artaud. It consisted of a series of films and lectures. The documentary film "The Real Story of Antonin Artaud" presented the life and work of this outstanding artist in an original way. "My Life with Antonin Artaud", the 1993 actor film by Gérard Mordillat was followed by Professor Florence de Méredieu's lecture "Antonin Artaud - From Cruel Theatre Towards Frantic Pantomime". At the end of the seminar, there was a projection of the 1928 silent movie "The Suffering of the Virgin of Orleans" in which Antonin Artaud plays one of the main parts.

Min Tanaka (3 June 1997)
Archa Theatre organized a seminar on the history and the present of the Japanese dance art, in which Min Tanaka explained the historical roots and principles of the buto dance style. The seminar was accompanied by excerpts from a performance of the buto founder Tatsumi Hijikata. In addition, Min Tanaka presented some of his own choreography.



Cooperation

Since its establishment, the Studio of the Archa Theatre has closely cooperated with the Duncan Centre dance conservatory. It enables students to take part in workshops held in Archa Theatre. At the same time, it organizes independent dance workshops directly on the premises of the Duncan Centre. Thus in October 1997 there was a workshop led by the American choreographer Margaret Jenkins. A seminar with the Japanese choreographer and dancer Min Tanaka took place in the Duncan Centre in December 1997.