SENTINEL NEWS SERVICE --Carolyn Neuhausen
Many Hats Collaboration will be leading a two-day performance workshop intensive July 26 from 1:30p.m.-6:30p.m. and July 27 1p.m.-6p.m. The workshop will be held at Performance Works NorthWest, located at 4625 SE 67th Avenue.
Because the theater company believes in mixing different arts disciplines, the workshop will educate participants in how to use different elements like lighting, staging, story telling, acting, movement and song to create a theater piece.
"The idea behind it [the workshop] is for actors or directors or playwrights interested in original performance to go through a process where they can make something from scratch," said Jessica Wallenfels, director, choreographer and co-founder of Many Hats Collaboration.
Many Hats is a local theater group that mixes different artistic elements into its productions. The group’s play “Mutt,” which debuted fall of 2006 at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, brought dance, acting and puppetry together in a performance about racial identity. For that production, the company spoke with various groups in North and Northeast Portland communities to discuss issues on race and racial identity.
In line with Many Hats’ ethic, Wallenfels will guide participants in a variety of creative activities in timed writing exercises, movement, dance and song. She will also discuss the pillars of storytelling such as plot, rising action, conflict and resolution.
After the exercises, workshop participants will generate story ideas for their theater pieces. Participants will discuss their ideas and get feedback from the group. Saturday's workshop will end with rehearsing each participant's material.
Sunday's workshop will start with a highly structured short production exercise where the participants can show what they've created so far. After comments and feedback the performers will work more extensively on their pieces. By the end of the day they will be able to perform their acts and they are welcome to invite family and friends to view their acts.
Lava Alapai, co-founder of Many Hats Collaboration will take still photographs and video record each act. Performers will receive a still photo and a DVD of their performance, which is included in the workshop price on a sliding scale of $90-$120. The idea is for the performers to have documentation of a 2-5 minute performance; the photo and DVD will come in handy if they decide to market or expand their performance in the future.
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