"Thank you so much for the education and experiences you provided my students. They learned so much and had a wonderful time doing so. Their love of stage combat and entusiasm for making it look real is very moving. They are willing to spend countless hours perfecting the craft. . . . You will always hold a special place in their heart!

                                           --Terri Martyn, Drama Department, Arlington Middle School

"I LOVE when Holly Adams comes to visit my theater classes! Her unique mixture of historical knowledge and infectious energy make for sessions that are pure fun and very informative. If you're looking for a delightful workshop that addresses most of the NY State Theater Standards, Holly's a perfect 10!

                                            --Laura Rebecca, Garden City High School Theater Dept.

 Workshops 

 The Body Electric: using physical theatre techniques to breathe new life into performance

What goes with the magical "if?" This experiential workshop is designed to give theatre teachers new tools and exercises to draw out and hone the performances of students. You will amaze yourself as you explore the uses of breath, energy and movement qualities, focus, and gesture. Fun, revelatory, and useful for any discipline!

A Touch I Do Confess: choreographing interesting stage combat without losing students, audience attention, or your mind

This workshop not only introduces the basics of hand-to-hand, weaponry, and choreography, but also clarifies what makes something safe and how to communicate that. Participatory and fun—feel free to bring props and/or “alternative weapons” (umbrellas, pillows, canes, et cetera), although props are not required.

Shakespeare’s Clowns: servants, fools and touchstones

All clowns are thought to be the touchstone of society. This class is an exploration of the verbal and physical antics of Shakespeare’s clowns, as well as the purpose of the clown scenes in a play. It can be specific to a production, comparative analysis of two or more plays or an intro to Shakespeare using several scenes from one play.

The World Upside Down: 50 years of theatre in a tumultuous world

From 1850 to 1900 Western Europe and North America saw great cultural upheavals. Not surprisingly, the need to make sense of an ever-changing socio-cultural environment was reflected in performed art. Today’s workshop will focus specifically on the relationship between historical forces and theatre in England and the United States (please note that the presenter can tailor future workshops to focus on other countries).

The Gentle Art of Clowning- finding your own clown

This is not a how-to course to be a birthday clown but an exploration that focuses on the comic timing, honesty, poignancy, slapstick and joy necessary for the successful comic actor or anyone looking to find their own clown. Participants will develop clown characters and practice creating clown moments with each other. These “clown moments” are not always funny, but emphasize connection to each other and to the narrative.

When Push Comes to Shove: stage combat for youth

In this safety-driven class, students learn to glorify technique rather than violence. Students will begin with learning the basics of control: tucks, checks, and timing that are the ground rules for any safe and exciting stage fight. They will then learn hand-to-hand, basic weaponry (staff, long and short sword, saber) and simple rolls and tricks (tumbles, lifts, falls, throws). Students will also create their own sequences!

The Accident Prone Butler

Similar to “When Push Comes to Shove”, but with an emphasis on comedic combat—the ‘Inspecter Clouseau’ version, as it were.

About Face: The Art of Maskmaking

Maskmaking has deep histories across the world and is still practiced many places today. This workshop focuses on designing performance masks, drawing on the traditions of Celtic, Balinese, N. American, Asian and African works. With these inspirational models, participants can create their own masks or produce a mask for a specific play.

Depending on need, workshop may be 1/2 day or even week-long (1/2 day may stretched over two days to accommodate class times).

Mask making workshops can focus on the use of “found materials”, papier mache, or aquaplast.

Performing the Mask: The discovery of Taksu

The Balinese say that masks are spirit houses, and that the level of attention and respect given the creation and performance of the mask will make the “house” more inviting to the spirit. This workshop focuses on performing the mask to bring it to life. Can be geared for beginners, but most effective with more advanced students.

Melodrama Lives!: Heroes, villains and victims.

Heroes, villains and victims. . . good and evil. . . and an awakening social responsibility . . . these were the undercurrents of the most popular form of English and American theatre of Victorian times. In this workshop we will meet the characters and then be introduced to the physical performance elements of Melodrama. We conclude by performing scenes from “Above the Clouds.”

Commedia dell’Arte: Performing techniques for the actor’s toolbox

Explores the physicality of focus, of characters’ drives/hungers and of comedy. Important work as preparation, not only for traditional commedia dell’ arte, but also for other masked performances as well as unmasked commedia style or clown-like characters.

Who’s Who and What’s What: introduction to Commedia dell'Arte

This workshop introduces traditional archetypal commedia dell’arte characters. Participants are given brief historical context to commedia’s origins and explore the physical and verbal repertoire of the characters. Participants then develop character-driven structured improvisational scenes based on classic commedia situations.

Needs at least 90 minutes- intended for high school and adults but can be adapted for middle school students.

Can be used as the prep for Moliere, Shakespeare, Goldoni, and others or as the starting point for an original work.

Create An Original Work!: Commedia dell'Arte by you, yourself, and you

Using the improvisation and the classic archetypal commedia characters, the group will create an original work that will include music, a socially relevant topic, comic lazzis and classic humorous love relationships.

The sky’s the limit!

Note: the production can be a) maskless, or b) the performers can crate their own masks or c) the performers can borrow/rent my masks. (Borrow if holly is on-site to care for them; rent if I am not present for most rehearsals/ performances.)

PRESENTATIONS

*NOTE: These presentations are described in their broadest terms, can be adjusted for narrower time frame with more in-depth analysis and discussion.

*Arlecchino’s Cousins -- West Africa, Bali and the Silk Road.

The character of Arlecchino has ancient origins in a tumbling, singing, satirical clown archetype performed by itinerant players who usually traveled along the merchant routes throughout Europe and Asia. The multiple cultural influences, the artistic borrowing and sharing, and the universality of many of this clown’s attributes led to a string of “brothers under the skin” characters in Asia, Africa and Europe.

*Commedia dell’Arte in England

This workshop/discussion focuses on the historical and social events and their consequences from Shakespeare’s day to the 1890’s (or any slice thereof). Included in the comprehensive historical context are the influence of the Church, the shifting economies and classes, scientific discoveries and beliefs, ripple effects of events in other countries, and the average person’s sense of the relationship between the self, the world/universe, and God.

*Signs of the Times -- U.S. history and theatrical genres before WWII.

Includes music halls, melodrama, the original “Uncle Sam”, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Federal Theatre Project.

*The Search for Indigenous Clown Forms in Afghanistan

This workshop is also available on dvd.

*Clowns of the Ancient Silk Roads

*Clown Therapy in Hospitals and Nursing Homes

Holly Adams received a Civic Fellowship from Cornell University to research “clown therapy” programs and create one for the Southern Tier region of central NYS. She spent over two years working with various people and projects (including Patch Asams and Ridere per Vivere) looking at beliefs, practices and systems before developing the Ray of Sunshine program, now in its second year. This workshop/presentation can be geared toward giving participants an instructive consultant –tpe experience or a travelogue experience, full of images anecdotes, and tastes of lives on the other side of the planet.

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