JEAN-LOUIS RODRIGUE works with HEATHER RAFFO in "9 PARTS OF DESIRE" AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE, September 6 - October 16, 2005
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Photo by Irene Young |
Heather Raffo first performed Nine Parts of Desire in August 2003 at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. It later moved to the Bush Theatre in London's Off-West End, where critics hailed it as one of the five best plays in London in late 2003. Nine Parts of Desire was next developed and performed as a reading at The Public Theatre as part of their New Work Now festival in Spring 2004. The play then was presented at The Manhattan Theatre Ensemble for nine months, October 2004 – May 2005, where Raffo received thunderous applause by both press and audiences.
Nine Parts of Desire was inspired by Raffo's trip to the Saddam Art Center in Baghdad in 1993 where she saw only billboard-size portraits of Saddam Hussein. However, in a back room she discovered a painting of a nude woman clinging to a barren tree with her head bowed. There was a light in front of her, like a sun. Raffo took a photo of the painting in hopes of finding the artist, only to discover she had been killed during an American-led bombing raid in Baghdad earlier that year (1993).
Jean-Louis was brought in by director Joanna Settle to help Heather deal with the larger theatre and the vocal and physical requirements of the play. Heather describes the experience: " I had been performing my one-woman show for 9 months in New York City in an off-Broadway venue that sat about 150 people. The Geffen show however was being performed at the Brentwood theatre that seats approximately 500 people. Our process was nothing short of life changing for me. I simply could not have done the show without him. Had I brought my old patterns to this larger space it would have inevitably exhausted me far beyond the New York run. Jean-Louis helped me to expand in a way imperative to work in this larger theatre and at this larger stage of my process."
Visit Heather Raffo's website at www.heatherraffo.com
JULIETTE BINOCHE stars in MICHAEL HANEKE'S "CACHÉ"
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Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche Photo by Marion Stalens - Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. |
Long time student of Jean-Louis and the Alexander Technique, Juliette Binoche is currently starring in Michael Haneke's film"Caché", co-starring with Daniel Auteuil. A tense thriller-drama, the film won best director awards at the Cannes Film Festival as well as receiving world acclaim for its stars and creative team. The film delivers with superb directing from Haneke and great leading performances by Auteuil and Binoche. Audiences were more than engaged by the film's storyline , mystery, and analogy to today's modern political world dynamics. Bravo Juliette!
To watch a trailer of the film visit www.sonyclassics.com/cache/
PICCOLO TEATRO DI MILANO RESIDENCY AT UCLA - JEAN-LOUIS RODRIGUE Hosted A Series Of Workshops Taught By The Celebrated Theater Company From Italy, October 18-21, 2005.
As part of their world tour of Carlo Goldoni's "Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters", Jean-Louis Rodrigue in collaboration with UCLA Live arranged for
members of the company to offer workshops and lectures to the students at the UCLA Department of Theater as well as members of the
acting community in Los Angeles. The worshops were taught by Paolo Bosisio, Professor of Drama at State University, Milan and the Sorbonne in Paris, Ferruccio Soleri, the lead actor playing Arlecchino, and Stefano de Luca, Assistant Director.
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Ferruccio Soleri teaching mask work. Photo by Todd Cheney, Copyright UCLA |
Prof. Bosisio's shared his knowledge and passion for the history of the Commedia Dell'Arte in Italy and the theatrical mission of Il Piccolo Teatro under the direction of Giorgio Strehler, one of the most celebrated directors of the 20th century. Stefano de Luca and Ferruccio Soleri worked with the actors on the demanding physical requirements in creating and moving the characters of Arlecchino, Pantalone, Brighella and the Doctor. The sold out performances of "Arlecchino" at the Freud Playhouse were brilliant and unforgettable.
As Ferruccio Soleri recounts: "Harlequin is thus enriched by "life", just as Goldoni wanted of his theatrical writings, life shown to the public through the skill of a company of wanderers who stop, for some reason or another, to enact Harlequin. The spectators therefore find themselves before a double show, the life of a group of actors of the commedia dell'arte, and the true art of acting. As Strehler said in the spirit of his beloved Goldoni, one observes the world and creates art from it."
Visit their extensive website at www.piccoloteatro.org
Photo by Todd Cheney, Copyright UCLA
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Johnny Clark and cast in
"Beggars in the
House of Plenty" |
KRISTOF KONRAD prepared JOHNNY CLARK in the west coast premiere of JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY'S "BEGGARS IN THE HOUSE OF PLENTY" at the VICTORY THEATRE CENTER,
September 10-October 9, 2005.
Clark is the co-founder and artistic director of the VS. Theatre Company which is dedicated to presenting new plays. Kristof assisted Clark in creating in a believable way the voice and the physicality of the main character as he ages through the play from a 5-year-old boy to adulthood. The play received glowing reviews and was extended beyond its closing date. Kristof is the Alexander Technique teacher in residence for the VS. Theatre Company.
Visit their website at www.vstheatre.org
In 2005 the faculty will include Ana Chumachenco, Nobuko Imai, Gary Hoffman, Dmitri Bashkirov, Thomas Quastoff, Georges Appaix and Larry Moss. The world-class artists performing this summer at the Festival include Michael Tilson Thomas, Evgeny Kissin, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Kiri Te Kanawa, Martha Argerich, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Joshua Bell. Read More |
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Joshua Bell |
LARRY MOSS’ BOOK “THE INTENT TO LIVE” IS PUBLISHED.
The much awaited book based on his acting and teaching experience, “The Intent to Live” is a must for all actors and anyone interested in the theatre. Larry offers in a very generous and creative way a necessary education which is badly lacking in our young actors today. To quote Larry “Sometimes we feel we have a gift to give that no one can see because we don’t have the tools or the confidence to reveal it. Sometimes we have a raw talent that comes out every now and then, maybe even brilliantly, but because we lack technique we don’t know how to consistently give the gift to its greatest effect.” Inspired acting education and love for the theatre is at the heart of this book and we recommend it wholeheartedly. Buy it at Amazon.com
KRISTOF KONRAD PREPARES ZILAH MENDOZA AND ELISA BOCANEGRA
IN “ELECTRICIDAD” AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM - March 27- May 15, 2005
In playwright’s Luis Alfaro’s “Electricidad”, Elisa Bocanegra plays Ifigenia opposite Zilah Mendoza as Electricidad (Electra) in this adaptation of Sophocle’s play transposed to east Los Angeles, the largest Chicano/Mexicano barrio in the U.S.
Kristof Konrad prepared both actresses for their physically and vocally demanding roles, both from 
the classical greek drama point of view and the cholo gang lifestyle behavior.
“Electricidad” had a very successful run with critical acclaim and the Los Angeles Weekly called “Bocanegra’s Ifigenia a marvel of confused, bruised pride- a hawk-eyed, brooding tomboy with matted black hair, a gang-chic vinyl jacket over Catholic nuns’ garb aching for the capacity to do good, to be good.” Congratulations to both Elisa and Zilah for their exceptional performances.
RODRIGUE PRESENTS A MASTER CLASS ON THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
AT THE HIGH FALLS FILM FESTIVAL
November 2004
Catherine Wyler has spearheaded the High Falls Film Festival since 2001. Sponsored by the Eastman Kodak Company, the festival showcases exceptional work by women in film and independent filmmakers. It is exciting to see the HFFF reach its fourth year with such an excellent track record and high movie industry buzz. Cathy has studied the Alexander Technique and is familiar with the application of the work to acting in film. For the second year, the festival presented a Master Class with Jean-Louis Rodrigue on November 14 at the George Eastman House to a packed audience. Other lectures were given by Mira Nair, Sally Kellerman and Joan Allen.
Check their official website: www.highfallsfilmfestival.com