Programme - English Theatre Frankfurt

ENGLISH

DRAMA NETWORK

2. Workshop Meeting 30.1. – 1.2.2014

Turning a book into a dramatic performance Many children`s books offer great material as a starting point to develop plays at various levels of complexity. Thus they can usually be adapted to very different ensembles and target audiences, e.g. children, teenagers, and adults. Using highly acclaimed books as examples, we will turn them into dramatic performances and reflect on what happens when we have a specific audience in mind. The spectrum of warm-ups, games, and impulses will be specifically geared towards the story dimensions suggested by the book. Thus each step in the workshop process will effectively supply material to be selected for a final performance. There are steps and basics that we believe are crucial for understanding the creation of action on stage, and for using them most effectively in training and rehearsal. These basic strategies trained can be adapted to drama work and theatre in general.

Coaching teams: Petra Rolke Lea Dunbar Dr. Karl Guttzeit

Working Hours Thurs Jan 30th 11 – 16 h Fri Jan 31st 10 – 16 h Sat Febr 1st 10 – 14 h

Melanie Schöberl Rebecca Reaney Michael Gonszar

1. Agnès de Lestrade: Phileas's Fortune. A story about self-expression Phileas lives in a town where a factory produces all of the words. You cannot speak a word until you have bought it (or found it) and have eaten it. Of course all of the fancy and important words are very expensive. How will he ever get the right words to say to the girl he loves? How can Phileas express himself to Cybele when he doesn`t have the right words to say? How can he tell her how he feels when he doesnt have enough money to buy the words? Phileas`s Fortune reveals the power of language and self-expression. Words are important, but what is more significant is the sincerity and character behind what is actually being said. True self-expression comes from deep inside. And, in the end heart is always more meaningful than money.

2. Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Christopher Boone is a fifteen year old boy who has a psychological disorder called asperger. Christopher lives with his father in Swindon and has a far from normal life. His dad told him that his mother died in hospital from a heart attack and Christopher had always accepted that. Although, there are things that Christopher doesn't accept. He will not eat yellow or brown foods, as he doesn't like those colours; won't eat anything that has touched each other on the same plate; and he decides on how his day is going to be by the amount of yellow and red cars he sees on the way to school in the morning. Everything in Christopher's life was content and moderately happy. Until he sees Wellington (Mrs Shears' dog) with a garden fork through his chest on her front garden. Christopher decides to investigate (after he has been arrested for hitting a policeman) who is to blame for the murder. As Christopher starts to unravel the mystery, he is beginning to open a few other blank bits in his own life. Where has Mr. Shears gone? Why doesn't his own father want him to investigate Wellington's death? As he discovers a box on top of his father's wardrobe, Christopher realizes that his life isn't what he thought it was.