The Summer School for Historical Acting gives students the chance to learn the basic techniques of acting from the long eighteenth century.
Attitudes, gestures and rhetorical declamation suitable for the stage will be practiced using exercises from the period. Facial expression and affect will be studied in the context of short theatrical scenes. The goal is to give students tools for expressing spoken texts using appropriate historical techniques, which will in turn affect the sound, timing and impact of their performances. The daily lessons on gesture (Austin, Chironomia), declamation (Walker, The melody of speaking, delineated), walking, standing, sitting and even sleeping on stage (Jelgerhuis, Theoretische lessen) will all be based on historical sources. All faculty members are musicians and HIP musicians as well as actors are welcome. The focus will be exclusively on spoken texts, but musicians are encouraged to translate their experience in declamation and gesture into a rich and varied musical performance style.
To apply please complete the online application form.
Course fee €500
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