Theatre Playground - Playfull possibilities for extra-daily connections

 

Masterclass to introduce the ‘Theatre Playground’ technique, created by Ramiro Silveira, and subject of his PhD thesis at University of São Paulo, Brazil. It proposes a creative space filled up with stimuli for triggering connections and creativity. Its goal is to minimize gaps, creating a fluid path towards performance by suggesting a common ground of commitment. A territory is built and under a specific awareness, a clear set of tasks is proposed. The experience underlines the awareness of the ‘here and now’, resonating accordingly to individual characteristics such as: experience, background, personal references, desires, etc. The ‘Playground’ is built to provoke creativity in a playful way, finding connections that could lead towards performance. It is literally a playground where embodied forms and an environment carefully prepared give the ‘ground’ for the performers to ‘play’ upon. The idea is to establish a working space with no hierarchy, where the practitioners respond to stimuli, grounded in physical routines and action. The ‘extra daily quality of being’ intends to trigger relations and realisations, creating and redefining rules for ‘players’ and ‘facilitators’, offering a safety net that allows the participants to dive deep in the experience, opening their creative channels to perceive and connect with the other and with themselves. The understanding of the playfulness as the bridge for such connections opens endless possibilities for applying the Theatre Playground technique not only as a tool for devising and creating performance but also as a suggestion of a contemporary pedagogic approach on performance training. 

 

Technical resources needed: 

• sound system with a cable for connecting a smart phone 

• room appropriated for physical work 

• few pieces of set such as chairs, tables, etc. 

• possibility of blackout and change of lights (ideal, not mandatory)