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In The Telling a workshop on “Telling” theatre
5-day drama workshop: May 14-18, 2012, Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm
Location: Library of Congress-Veterans History Project, Washington, DC
Leaders: Jonathan Wei and Max Rayneard, The Telling Project, with support from Veteran Artist Program
Open to: service members, veterans, and military families; as well as directors and advanced directing students who are currently working, or hope to work with military communities.
Limited to 24 participants Register
EARLY registration for veteran/family member performers closes at midnight on May 2, with interviews (mandatory for all veteran/family member performers) on
May 1-3. Interviews will be with director Jonathan Wei and there will be a performance on Friday, May 18th, as part of the Closing Program.
Registration for directors closes when general registration closes.
Workshop Description: Participate in a drama workshop. Learn to explore, voice, and shape experiences of combat and of having a family member in the military. Delve into the ways in which combat effects family and relationships. Jonathan Wei and Max Rayneard, The Telling Project, with support from the Veteran Artist Program, offer military families a means of expressing their shared experiences by connecting with other military families and the broader civilian world, which often struggles to understand the personal meaning and impact of military service, and in particular, war- and combat experiences. Wei and Rayneard have produced workshops nationwide with veterans groups and families, as well as a documentary film, In The Telling.
"In The Telling" will be a workshop in which an original 'Telling' play will be created. 'Telling' plays are plays scripted from interviews with military veterans and their family members, and performed by these same individuals. Workshop participants will comprise 2 groups: veterans and veteran family members who will participate as performers; and directors and advanced students of directing who will participate as performance trainers and directors.
For Veterans and Family Members: Veterans and family members who will be performers are required to participate in a one hour interview concerning their military experience. Interviews will be conducted by The Telling Project director Jonathan Wei, and will take place at the Library of Congress from May 1-3, 2012. Those registering for the workshop will be contacted directly by AMH team to schedule a time slot and to learn exact location of the interview. Some work will be required during the evenings of the workshop (script memorization). After the performance at the close of the event, interviews will be ceremonially presented to the Library of Congress for inclusion in the collections of the Veterans History Project, an ongoing legacy of our nation. There will be 16 slots open to veterans and family members wishing to participate as performers.
For Directors: Directors will collaborate with a team of no more than 3 other directors to design lessons and exercises in performance for a group of no more than 8 veteran and family member performers, and to then direct 10 minutes of a 20 minute play to be performed as part of the closing ceremony. Some evening work will be required to design the following day's exercises and lessons and to prepare for the following day's rehearsals. Directors will work with Max Rayneard and Jonathan Wei of The Telling Project. There will be 8 slots open to directors and advanced directing students. There will be 8 slots open to directors and advanced directing students.
Summary: The atmosphere will be highly collaborative -- experimentation will be encouraged. This will be an opportunity to find out what works and what doesn't, to push limits, to form great bonds and have a lot of fun.
Workshop Host: Monica Mohindra,Head, Program Coordination and Communication, Library of Congress, Veterans History Project, Library of Congress
Limited to 24 participants Register
Download one page overview of project
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