Second Stage

New “Second Stage” Project Models

 

Funded Research Model

 

Research Trip.

-Individually or in a small group: apply for an undergraduate research grant for a research trip over Summer or Winter break.  Return and present a 1 night lecture on that topic or lead a 1 day Sunday 6 hour workshop on it. Create a mini-website to document and reflect on the research.

 

Boal in Brazil

Travel with Kelly to Brazil to do research on Boal and participate in Theatre of the Oppressed workshops. Return and lead others in a 1 day Sunday Workshop and create a simple website to document the research project.

 

Praque Design Quadrennial.

 

Apply for travel funds and conference admission funds to attend the Prague Quadrennial in June 2019. PQ is the world’s largest performance design exhibition. It offers opportunity to see a snapshot of design trends worldwide and to see a lot of European Theatre and design. In the Fall prepare and deliver a 1 night lecture loaded with pictures on observed design trends across the world.

 

Accessibility Reasearch

 

Apply for funds to attend a conference, purchase and learn technology, gather data, observe/intern for a company with progressive accessibility practices. See how they incorporate accessibility into the run of a show  (open captioning, touch tours, audio description, sensory-friendly performances, ASL interpretation, braille, large format & audio playbills, etc.). Upon the completion of the research, lead peers in an informational workshop about accessibility practices and perhaps lead peers in a “how to” training in one accessibility area. A deeper application of this work would be to do an independent study and assist the DFPA in tackling an additional accessibility option on one of our productions, or to develop a DFPA accessibility guide for our casts/staffs as an educational tool.

 

“Storycorps” Interview/ Living Ancestry Research

Based on Family photo albums or questioning “Where are you from?” intersection between Ancestry and Contemporary culture  . Austin told a story of a friend who’s grandmother worked in a factory in the early 20th century and wore men’s clothing for the industry/workforce. Found objects revealed old goggles and the investigation of wearability of items and gender etc.

 

Follow-up From a Class Model

 

Puppetry/Object Theatre/Toy Theatre/Shadow Puppetry

Format 1: Storytelling Design

-Based on the Storytelling Design Elective – 3-5 students from the puppetry class will continue work started in the class. Starting from puppets and stories developed in the Storytelling Design class, students will revisit that work incorporating feedback they received from the class and mentorship throughout a workshop process.  

– or Based on Storytelling Design – Storytellers who wish to use the format of Toy Theatre/ Puppet Thtr/Object Theatre who wish to gain access to a technique and craft through mentorship might also use this format.

-Pieces can be devised, revised, extended and improved in the direction provided by a mentor.

-Puppets will be remade or revised to become more sophisticated in actions and esthetics.

-This piece should be in two phases, weekly shop work time to remake/improve puppets and set pieces; followed by a rehearsal/workshop period to develop story and build performative skills.  Conclude with two presentation performances.

– The group will meet for one more evening to assemble a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Mask Workshop or Mask and Movement Workshop

Workshop Format 1: A 2 Day Workshop with Gallery Format Display

-2-day workshop on How-to-Make a particular Mask (Leather, sculpted, Neoprene, Wire, Thermoplastic etc.  To incl. FaceCasting techniques. Designs with Execution of Technique to Exhibit Process of Technique (with a chosen text to show usage in Performance.)

 

Workshop Format 2: A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3hrs.

-Movement/Mask Mentor could provide masks for those that didn’t take the Makeup, Mask & Wig Design Elective to teach neutral Mask techniques.

-Potential to cover choral mask work, creation of a character, silent and spoken work. Hire a regional professional expert in Mask/Movement.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

 

Design Gallery Workshop

Using a Text to Celebrate Design (See Haiku Project from TD1)

– Using ONE text or writer, students Design a White Model, Storyboard, Sound Design, Costume Design, Mask Design to Exhibit a Chosen Text or Playwright. One example from PQ2007 was the Text “The Birds.” All Students responded to Text in a contained allotment of time – 3Day Friday – Sunday Brainstorming Workshop

– Exhibit the Pieces in an interactive gallery setting.

– Conclude with a website version of the gallery that includes process materials and reflection.

 

Playwrighting

-Further develop a play started in playwrighting class towards a series of 2 readings.

-hold a talkback after each reading.

-Incorporate feedback after each reading in a new draft.

-Conclude by creating a mini-website to host a 10 page sample, a description of the play and reflections on the process. 

 

Master Class Model

 

Chicago Style Improv

-A student eager to explore improv polls their peers to see how many would commit to an Improv master class series on Sundays, if they have a critical mass of XX students then they could propose the following:

-Hire an improv instructor from 2nd City or I.O.

-A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3 hours.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

-As a reflection component the lead student will create a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Viewpoints

-A student eager to explore improv polls their peers to see how many would commit to a Viewpoints master class series on Sundays, if they have a critical mass of XX students then they could propose the following:

-Hire a Viewpoints specialist from Chicago

-A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3 hours.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

-As a reflection component the lead student will create a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Mime

-A student eager to develop mime skills polls their peers to see how many would commit to a Mime master class series on Sundays, if they have a critical mass of XX students then they could propose the following:

-Hire am Mime instructor from the region

-A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3 hours.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

-As a reflection component the lead student will create a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Comedia Del Arte physical comedy

-A student eager to develop Comedia skills polls their peers to see how many would commit to a Comedia master class series on Sundays, if they have a critical mass of XX students then they could propose the following:

-Hire a Comedia instructor from the region (Allen Gilmore?)

-A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3 hours.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

-As a reflection component the lead student will create a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Tap Dancing

-A student eager to develop Tap skills for musical theatre polls their peers to see how many would

commit to a Tap master class series on Sundays. Students must have complete at least Jazz 2 as a prerequisite and be willing to go out and purchase their own tap shoes.  If they have a critical mass of XX students then they could propose the following:

-Hire a Tap instructor from the region.

-Rent a floating tap floor and coordinate installation in the Underground or other suitable location.

-A series of 4 Sunday afternoon workshops, around 3 hours.

-An invited audience could come in to interact with towards the end of the workshop if that is part of the instructor’s practice.

-As a reflection component the lead student will create a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Contact Improvisation

Movement based workshop evolving improvised movements/dance form based on the communication between two moving bodies that are in physical contact and their combined relationship to the physical laws that govern their motion – gravity, momentum and inertia. The body, in order to open to these sensations, learns to release excess muscular tension and abandon a certain quality of willfulness to experience the natural flow of movement. Practice includes rolling, falling, being upside down, following a physical point of contact, supporting and giving weight to a partner. Contact Improvisation is dance based but has also found it way as a training tool for youth programs, the disabled, elderly and actor training to assist in releasing the physical and emotional honesty of the actor.  

->Open to any students who are interested in exploring mor physical based training

->Hire a professional CI instructure,

->A Series of 4 afternoon workshops – 3 hours

->An invited audience to view a final sharing and perhaps participate in a mini workshop

->Reflection component – perhaps a video project as well. 

 

Devising Model

 

Choose a social justice topic, a theatrical form and an extant story.  Topics, forms and stories, should be singular and simple. Assemble a group of performer-devisers via a once evening session of devising exercises to find a group that works well together and has a strong buy in explore this topic, form and story.  Spend evenings for two weeks devising a piece that adapts this story to give insight to or simply humanize the social justice topic via the tools of the chosen Theatrical Form. A faculty mentor will come to rehearsal every third night to provide outside eye feedback on the work being developed. Then the group will continue to build and revised material incorporating faculty feedback.  The piece will culminate in 2 workshop showings to an audience with a talkback after. The group will meet for one more evening to assemble a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Example Social Justice Topics

gun violence

sustainability

income inequality

refugee rights

Police profiling

health care costs

Example Theatrical Forms

Chamber Theatre

Epic Theatre

Kabuki

Expressionism

Surrealism

Shadow puppetry

Toy theatre

Melodrama

Mime

Example Extant Stories

one of Aesop’s Fables

a Greek Myth

A bible story

a Jewish fairytale or folktale

an old folktale from a specific culture (Japanese, Latinx, Armenian…)

John Henry the Steel Driving Man

Paul Bunyan

Molly Pitcher

 

Question Based Model

 

The student(s) proposing the project pose a question and a methodology for examining that question in a 2 week theatre workshop. Through signups and one evening of interviews/workshop a group of students is assembled whom share interest in exploring the question at hand and bring to the room the theatrical skills needed for the exploration.  The lead student(s) meets with a faculty mentor before the process to solidify the methodology and make day by day plan for how to use the time. Over evening workshops for two weeks the group explores the question. The piece will culminate in 2 workshop showings to an audience with a talkback after. The group will meet for one more evening to assemble a simple website that synthesizing the discoveries made during the project.

 

Examples Questions

 

Social Justice

-How has ________ (a social justice topic)  been tackled by 20th and 21st century playwrights?  Methodology: A staged reading of scenes from various playwrights confronting the same issue.

 

Identity and Representation in Directing

-In the current social and political climate can a director from one identify background (sexuality, gender, race) tell the story of a community other than their own?  (this, broadly, is Pierce’s project). The methodology will be staging scenes both from the student directors own identity group and scenes from outside their personal background.  Discussion from both performers and audience will lead examine the question.

 

Comedy as Advocacy

-Would humor be a more impactful way of raising public consciousness about climate change than dower warnings? (roughly Grace’s Piece). Methodology: create improv style comedic sketches around climate change issues.  Present to an audience and discuss the impact. Perhaps a survey later to see what information stuck with the audience, stats in the program for information delivered via the sketches.

 

Accessibility

-Can we add new Accessibility features to our standard theatrical practices to include a broader audience without detracting from the experience of our current audience?  Methodology: experiment with open vs closed captioning during the run of a MainStage show

 

Playwright In-Depth

-How does a prolific playwright’s work change over a long career. Through staging or reading scenes from the same playwright over the course of their career examine how their work changed over time. Ex. August Wilson, Paula Vogel

 

 

Interdisciplinary Model

Over a 2 week workshop write and stage scenes inspired by DFPA student work from other disciplines. At several mid-process moments receive and incorporate feedback from both faculty mentors and the creator of the original artwork. Conclude the project with a showing and a mini-website to document your new creation and reflect on the process.

Examples:

Designer- Composer

Composition students collaborate with a design student in lighting and/or projections to add a visual element to a live musical performance. Design students would be encouraged to explore new technology including but not limited to motion triggers, projections mapping and live performance running techniques. Composition students would be given an opportunity to perform their pieces.

 

Director-Composer

Directors would collaborate with Composition students to create a staged scene underscored with original composition. Directors could use the time to also explore a type of performance that they may be exploring in a Movement or Fight Choreography class.

 

Designer-Choreographer

Design students would collaborate with student choreographers from the prior years dance class in order to develop a fully designed dance performance, similar to student designed piece in the Dance Concert.

 

Designer-Composer-Choreographer

Using an existing composition from a Composition student, students in Choreography, Design and Composition students would combine the elements of live musical performance, movement and at least one design element.

 

Performance-Installation

 

Example:. Exploring the space through performance and object. Perhaps its a spoken word project that focuses on the themes of sustainability. The action of the project revolves around an interactive installation of found recycled objects. Or could be inspired by paintings, sculptures, ceramics from Fine Arts.

 

 

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Lecture Series

This could be part of semester long independent study project.  If a student were to receive credit for this project we could potentially have a year long series with students leading presentations on various topics of interest.  During the semester students will be guided through a research project which will conclude with a public sharing of discoveries.

Examples:

August Wilson’s “The Ground on Which I Stand”

A student that is interested in exploring the legacy of August Wilson, starting from his speech 1997 TCG speech “The Ground on Which I Stand” and explore how American Theatre has addressed issues of race in theatre. What forward movement has been made and where do we as theatre artists need to go?  

 

The Changing Face of  Leadership in American Theatre

This past year we have had a large number of Artistic Director Positions  filled by people of color and women. How will this impact theatre audiences?  How will this change the scope of storytelling?

 

Theatre for Young Audiences Series

Begin a series for young audiences for our Rogers Park and Edgewater public schools.  Offer two shows per year. Performance can happen during the day Tuesday-Thursday for one week.  If possible we can connect this with our Creative Dramatics students who can lead pre-show workshops in the schools in preparation of student attendance, or creative dramatics students can be responsible for creating a study guide for the classroom teachers to use to prep the students.  

 

  • Devised productions
  • Devised from works of literature
  • Folk tales
  • Existing published pieces