NACL to host one-week ‘civic theatre’ institute this summer

HIGHLAND LAKE, NY — NACL will host the Sojourn Theatre’s one-week summer institute from July 30 to August 4 this year.

The workshop is titled “Devising Civic Theatre: Performance & Dialogue.” Now in it’s eighth summer, this five-and-a-half-day workshop/training offers participants from around the nation an opportunity to explore the techniques and strategies Sojourn Theatre artistic director Michael Rohd uses in collaborative work with groups (youth and adult) in a variety of settings. The workshop aims to help participants devise performance material, build community, examine the potential of site-specific activity and investigate social and political issues through arts-based dialogue.

Rohd has been exploring the intersection of theatre and democracy for years with Sojourn Theatre and through his projects with collaborators and universities around the nation. “Civic theatre” (a term Rohd uses to describe his own work) offers spaces for civic engagement throughout the process of developing new performances. It’s a series of events combining research, participatory activity and studio (artist-focused) sessions that allow, invite and demand community members and community expertise into the dramaturgy before and after production in a variety of ways. This institute offers sequences of physical activity, solo to group work, and devising strategies that investigate the relationship between story, idea, perspective and fact. Influences reflected during the week include Ping Chong, Pina Bausch, Cornerstone Theater, Augusto Boal, ensemble theater practice, Dwight Conquergood, Lynn Blom and Dorothy Heathcote.

The fee is $600, which includes tuition, housing and meals. Shared responsibility for meal preparation and cleaning is required. Space is limited to 17 participants, and registration is required.

For more information email sojourntheatre@aol.com.