from 31st of October to 5th of November 2007
with the assistance from
THE GROTOWSKI INSTITUTE Wroclaw, Poland
www.grotcenter.art.pl

The Project

The first part of the project called Regula contra Regulam started in November 2003 and was closed in April 2006. Its original objective was the development of a practical inquiry about the border lines between formal exercises and physical action, according to the experiences of different traditions and techniques of physical and vocal training for actors, both on individual and group level.

This inquiry was based on the structure of the Studies on different ‘Classical’ approaches to training. The Studies are a structure worked out by Raul Iaiza under the guidance of Mario Barzaghi (Teatro dell’Albero) and Torgeir Wethal (Odin Teatret) between 1999 and 2005.

The expression called “Regula contra Regulam” can be understood in two ways. A paradoxical way: “[A] Rule against [The] Rule”, that is, a rule that is given in order to fight rules. Or else, in a clearly oppsite way, “one rule against the other”.

Regula contra Regulam evokes the relationship between training and actor’s dramaturgy.

As part of the vocal work, in this first part of the work the group focussed on choral singing based on the repertoire of Laude of low Middle Ages, and specifically on the Laudario di Cortona (Cortona 91). At this point, a new period of the research started.

Regula contra Regulam, Second hypotheses
A project of theatre research of Teatro La Madrugada
in collaboration with The Grotowski Institute

Preliminary statements
The project’s objective is the development of a practical inquiry on the relationship among three fields of the actor’s work: training, actor’s dramaturgy, choral singing.
As for actor’s training, the starting point will focus on fields that we can call classical: plastics, acrobatics, rhythmics.
As for choral singing, there will be three sources of the repertoire: the Laudario di Cortona (Cortona 91) / paraliturgical songs from Italian tradition; syllabical songs linked to physical training; ‘Vallisto’ songs from the north-west regions of Argentina.
The development on the level of actor’s dramaturgy will be based on the work on songs, in particular on the Laudario di Cortona.

PROGRAMME of the Open Session

Physical training (from warming up to work-in-succession)
Plastics and body orchestration (segmentation, dissociation, coordination, composition)
Balance/loss of balance, dynamics and impulses, relation exercises.
Body rhythms, rhythm in segmentation, accent and counterpoint, space choreography.
Pre-acrobatics and grammar exercises (going down, getting up, counterimpulses, jumps and falls).
Floor acrobatics and dynamic acrobatics (exercises, composition, improvisation), dynamic use of space.

Vocal training
Accents, syllables, word-movement dynamics.
Breathing and vocal emission techniques, registers and location of timbers.
Vocalization, dynamics and agogic, training songs, relationship of song with movement, relationship of words with physical training techniques.

Singing
Extracts from various musical and cultural sources, useful for practice.
Monodical and choral songs, harmonization of three and four parts.
Intonation and dynamics of octaves, techniques of transposition and modulation.
Techniques of vocal-instrumental arrangement.

On physical actions
Processing of structures and dramaturgy of person-in-acting.
Montage and dramaturgy of a group, levels of attention and perception.

The sessions will take place in the forest base of the Grotowski Institute in Brzezinka – the place of realization of paratheatrical projects of Jerzy Grotowski and the Laboratory Theatre.

SESSIONS’ LEADERS
Raul Iaiza (Argentina/Italy)
Roberta Secchi (Italy)
Juan Vieira (Spain)
Members of the Research Programme Regula Contra Regulam

TYPES OF SESSIONS
All sessions will be of practical work. Nevertheless, in the second half of the week some meetings will take place to talk together. The aim of such meetings is to open a space to exchange thoughts about questions that the work may arouse, related to the profession and also to daily life.

SCHEDULE
Work sessions will take place every day from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00; according to the development of work, individual sessions will be planned in other hours and in different spaces. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be organised by participants, leaders and students in turns. The same will occur for cleaning up needs and maintenance of working spaces.

LANGUAGE
The leaders will speak Italian and Spanish and there will be immediate translation into English.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
Maximum 15.

COST
350 EUR (200 EUR for participants coming from Central and Eastern Europe) including lodging and food.

APPLICATIONS
Participants will be selected on the basis of their application form.

DEADLINES
Sending of application forms directly to La Madrugada at: teatrolamadrugada@tiscali.it by 8th of October 2007
Confirmation will be sent to selected participants by 9th of October 2007
The fee should be transferred, in euros only, by 17th of October 2007

INFORMATION
Detailed information is provided by Roberta Secchi (0039.2.54102094; teatrolamadrugada@tiscali.it). 
The person responsible in the Grotowski Institute is Magda Mądra (magda@grotowski-institute.art.pl).