Marat Sade Workshop

"The important thing is to pull yourself up by your own hair, to turn yourself inside out and see the whole world with fresh eyes”
- Jean Paul Marat

*with support from OAC creators Reserve grant from Modern Times Stage Company and the Theatre Centre Residency Program

Process: The process will undertake 3 distinct explorations in search of a physical style; deepen our understanding of the text and connecting with today’s relevance of the play. With an ensemble we will explore international techniques through training, exploration and textual investigation. We welcome our new associate Mike Wighton to the project who has spent the last 6 years in Russia and trained in the Russian program of the Moscow Art Theatre while working as a member of A.R.T.O an innovative physical theatre company in Russia. Mike has trained with the originators or all of these systems, or in the case of Meyerhold, the inheritors of the training systems.

Training: We will be exploring Russian, Greek, Polish, Japanese and French Trainings.

Greek: Terezopolous
The foundation of the training, which was developed by Terezopolous who is a Greek theatre practitioner who was a student of Hiener Muller. In his exploration of Ancient Greek theatre and performance he developed a system that explores the body in relationship to the Gods. A highly physical training system developed to achieve what the Ancient Greeks called “Ecstatic Revelation”.

Russian: Meyerhold
Through use of basic etude’s of Meyerhold, we will use the technique to develop various choreography. There will be a specific focus on the etude known as the “knife” in relation to the character of Charlotte Corday.

Polish: Gardenize
Widely known in Europe for their use of traditional and ancient songs and unique vocal techniques, we will be exploring their work in order to discover a new life to the music in the play. A physical way to find new sounds, which are more organic and linked to the ancestors of the past.

Japan: Suzuki
A Physical approach to the voice developed by Suzuki Tadashi in Japan. This technique will be explored in order to train our bodies and seek a level of physicality that goes beyond everyday life.

France: Lecoq
The Buffon is a style of theatre that explores the life of characters that are outside of society and mock those who make up society. This mockery is at the heart of Wiess’s writing and is essential for the comedy and biting social commentary that is in this play.

The project was a fantastic success and will be in development as we explore these intensive physical forms over a gradual period of time with the amazing actors who came along for the ride.

Led by Ravi Jain and Mike Wighton