Workshop @Lokadharmi with David Studwell and Kathleen Mulligan

A one day Theatre workshop is to be oraganised at Lokadharmi on Sunday, the14^th February 2010. The resource persons are Mr. David Studwell, an actor from USA, and Ms. Kathleen Mulligen, an actor trainer, and assistant professor of voice and speech at Ithaca college, USA.

The workshop will focus on the Meisner technique of actor training, and also on Voice and Speech for an actor in a play. Informal discussion and exchange on the contemporary theatre scenario of USA and India will also be a part of the workshop.

Meisner technique is based on a series of progressively complex exercises to develop an ability to improvise, to access an emotional life, and finally to bring the spontaneity of improvisation and the richness of personal response to text. The technique develops the behavioural strand of Stanislavski's 'system'. The technique asserts that by emphasizing "moment-to-moment" spontaneity through communion with other actors, behaviour that is truthful under imaginary circumstances may be generated.

The workshop will take place from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm with a noon break at Changampuzha park edappalli, Kochi, Kerala. Admission is restricted to 20 actors, on first come first serve basis. For reserving seats and other details, contact Harikrishnan, the workshop coordinator (mobile 09995197238) or Chandradasan, the artistic director of Lokadharmi (mobile 09447414200).

Kathleen Mulligan is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Speech at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. From 1992-95 she was a Resident Professional Theatre Associate at Cornell University. She spent the past 10 years on the west coast, where she served as a Resident Actor/Teacher at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a Resident Artist at PCPA Theatrefest in Santa Maria, California, where she taught Voice and Speech for the Stage. She spent a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice and Acting at The University of Illinois, and taught voice and Shakespeare at The Iolani School on Oahu, Hawaii. While teaching young people at Iolani, she became interested in how non-actors could benefit from the voice training and exercises used by people in the performing arts. She is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) and received her BFA in Acting from Boston University and her MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University.

David Studwell is a member of Actors Equity Association the union for professional stage actors in and the Screen Actors Guild the US. Representational professional credits: Off Broadway; New York City Center’s Encores! production of Applause with Tony award winning director Kathleen Marshall and staring Tony award winning actress Christine Ebersol. Regional theatre: Falsettos (Mendel) at The Alliance Theatre, Atlanta; As You Like It (Oliver), Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio), Pal Joey (Joey) at The Goodman Theatre; Chess (Anatoly), South Pacific (Emile) at The Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre, Chicago; Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), Fiddler on the Roof (Tevya), My Fair Lady (Henry Higgens )at PCPA Theatrefest, Santa Maria, CA. Resident Equity Actor/Teacher – The Oregon Shakespeare Festival 98’-00’, PCPA Theatrefest 00’-07’. Awards/Honors: Four Joseph Jefferson nominations, Chicago; two Indy Awards, Santa Barbara; Irene Ryan Award – national winner. BFA –SUNY Fredonia; MFA – Purdue University. David lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife Kathleen, a recent Fulbright recipient, an equity actress and Assistant Professor of Voice and Speech at Ithaca College.