Virtuosi Master Class

By Invitation Only

Virtuosi is a master-class workshop series created by International Theatre New York that assembles professional actors from around the world for an experimental and creative journey into the souls of the most difficult characters in the most challenging plays ever written. Every Virtuosi takes place in a unique location designed to provoke new heights of imagination and artistry. As such, the setting of the workshop becomesas important as the characters themselves in revealing the full potential of an actor’s craft as well as the epic dimension of the theatrical oeuvre. Through total immersion and advanced scene work, the actor not only unlocks the essence of effective storytelling but also the nature of the universal human experience.

When Virtuosi’s first group of 23 advanced actors met in Weitra, Austria in May of 2013, they were allowed full and unrestricted access to WeitraCastle, provided to ITNY by private sponsorship from the House of Fürstenberg. Removed from the confines of a strict theatrical space, the actors tackled some of the greatest works of William Shakespeare and were fully submerged in rehearsals, scene work, improvisation, targeted vocal training, Imagined ExperienceTM, and presentations in and around the castle’s old stone walls. The experience proved both unforgettable and transformative as the actors pushed the boundaries of their craft.

In July of 2014, the second group of 21 actors gathered at one of Europe’s most important UNESCO heritage sites, the 860-year-old Convento de Cristo in Tomar, Portugal. There, the actors both worked and lived, and embraced the most timeless and c h a l l e n g i n g roles of the Western stage. Among timeworn fountains, dense gardens and crumbling open arenas, they resurrected frightening and sublime depictions of humanity first performed many thousands of years ago. Together with the generous backing of institutions such as ACCCA in Lisbon, a singular company of performing artists founded by Clara Andermatt, the convent provided a heightened reality that fueled a profound and unconventional process of discovery. No doubt, each actor left Tomar a deeply changed artist.
In 2016, the standard of excellence that ITNY established in the first two Virtuosi continued with a third installment of the master class series focusing on some of the most enduring pieces of Western Comedy and Farce. Hosted at the Chateau of Saint-Martin-de-Pallières in the stunning region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in the South of France, Virtuosi has once again received the support of local municipalities, the chateau proprietors, and private individuals.

This year (2018) we will return to our roots at Weitra Castle to embark on a new voyage of discovery: Virtuosi: Feminae. Great long-neglected female playwrights both ancient and modern!

Two Weeks on Location

By Invitation only

Price: 1200 €

English

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