Teaching and Training

Introduction to Teaching and Training Services
What people are saying about our Workshops
Dramatic Solutions Workshops and Classes

Introduction to Teaching and Training Services

This wing of Dramatic Solutions aims to equip people with the skills to face the challenge of communicating to a visually oriented society.

What People are Saying about our Workshops

Want to know what you're getting yourself into? For testimonials about Grant and Trevor, go here.

Dramatic Solutions Workshops and Classes

Each of the following workshops can have been adapted to a number of environments, including schools, churches, businesses, and community groups.

"Discovering your Clown"

Finding your clown is an inspirational process and sometimes profoundly healing. During this workshop you will discover your very own clown through improvisation, theatre games, ensemble work, and just a dash of laughter!

This workshop comes in versions from 1.5 hours to an entire day in length. In the educational setting, emphases differ depending on the age group. For junior primaries, the emphasis is on dress-up and respect for the "nose", walks, voices, and tricks. For older primaries, the themes are comic stage business, walks and voice, building on their own personality, and dress-up. For secondary students, the stress is on the character-building process, dress-up, pairs scenarios, and theory related to Commedia dell' arte and lazzis. Notes included.

"Mask Making and Performance"

We will look at the specific theatrical techniques of stillness, focus, and amplification of expression through the use of masks. Participants will also explore group processes in the devising of new work.

A minimum of 2.5 hours is required for this workshop, more when younger children are involved. With more time and older participants, processes for embellishing masks with features can be explored. In school settings, secondary students explore the mask-making process with design principles and character development in mind. Design process notes are available.

"Masks and the Wearer"

Does the mask hide or reveal? Be surprised at just how true it is that "less can be more." The principles discussed in this workshop are designed to enhance mask work but can be applied to any discipline.

In educational settings, upper primary students explore emotions through movement and naming, and they use character masks for character development work involving pairs scenarios. Secondary students explore the neutral mask as well as character masks focusing on tempo, character, and stillness, while also exploring exercises related to Stanislavski's 'emotion memory' work. Consideration is given to differences between full and half masks (i.e. Greek/Asian versus Commedia). Notes included.

"Circus Skills"

This workshop covers balances, juggling, unicycles, slack rope, and various other skills, including ensemble scenarios. The focus is on team work, quality, and perseverance. With older participants, the framework is the street theater setting.

The workshop can last between 1.5 hours and an entire day. One arrangement is to have an all-day workshop with performances by Rivet 'n' Tuft followed by skills workshops, culminating in a performance in the late afternoon. This works especially well for summer camps or for children whose parents pick them up in the late afternoon. The minimum age for these workshops is about 8 years.

"Playback Theater"

Playback theatre is improvisational story re-telling, community-theatre style. It draws on all expressive art forms in an attempt to capture the "essence" of a story. The participant’s own experiences and stories are the raw material for this workshop. Several playback forms will be explored through the practice of improvisational skills. Participants will develop improvisational and other dramatic skills, sharpen their ability to detect and express the essence of a situation, tell and listen to their own and others' stories, develop ensemble skills, and exercise empathy and express laughter at our common foibles.

This workshop runs from 1-3 hours. In educational and business settings, the playback process is stunning when used to explore live issues (bullying, discrimination, race differences, changes, etc.). With secondary school students, the connection with other improvisational theater forms is made with reference to drama versus drama therapy.

Visual Communications

This workshop is designed for any person who has to exercise an up-front leadership role, whether it be in business presentations or services of worship. The workshop focuses on the skills of presenting, building confidence for presenting, and developing high-quality content for presenting.

This workshop runs for 2 hours. No experience is needed, just a desire to have fun learning with a group of eager participants.

Specialist Theater Workshops in Devised Theater, Stage Design, Directing, Lighting and Sound

The aim of these workshops is to focus in depth on an aspect of theater production.

Master Classes in Improvisation, Commedia, Mask Usage, Mime, Clowning

These workshops are master classes, which is to say that they presuppose at least some introductory work in each area. However, they can be customized to pick up on whatever skill level is present in the group and then to move deeper into the skills and techniques associated with each dramatic form.