- News Update
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Embodying The Character Workshop, Milan 2010More than 75% of human communication happens through the body. In a three day intensive workshop of Embodying the Character in FILM, Kristof's students where able to learn practical tools with which to create the characters for the film. Through the creative use of the principles of the Alexander Technique, the actors were taught the effective ways to tune up their instrument, so the natural, free and creative impulses had a chance to flow through their body. The ease and availability in actor's craft comes from a deep understanding of the importance of the organization and the distribution of the effort. Too often we see the actors going through their laundry list of actions, intentions etc... all in their heads.
Authentic Movement Exercise, Milan 2010The believable acting in film is a result of actors being present in their bodies. The Italian actors were encouraged in the workshop to create the character's lives in every cell of their bodies and not only in their heads. If the body is not at ease, there is very little chance for the actor to be able to actually listen to another character or to create a heightened state of awareness which facilitates the ability to be easily affected by environment, circumstances, people and things in the character's life.
As Alan Rickman beautifully said:
"With the best of intentions, the job of acting can become a display of accumulated bad habits, trapped instincts and blocked energies. Working with the Alexander Technique to untangle the wires has given me sightings of another way; mind and body, work and life together. Real imaginative freedom."
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CHRIS PINE OPENS IN "THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE" AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM, June 30-August 8, 2010.
Chris Pine, who has been studying with Jean-Louis, opens in "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"Martin McDonagh began writing "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" in the 1990's as a response to the bloodbath early 1987 that wiped out over a dozen Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) and the revenge killings continued well into the 1990's. McDonagh noted that "Having grown up Catholic and, to a certain degree, Republican, I thought I should tackle the problems on my own side, so to speak. I chose the INLA because they seemed so extreme." Chris Pine, currently studying with Jean-Louis Rodrigue, plays Padraic, the play's terrifyingly absurd protagonist, described as "too mad" for the IRA, embodies perfectly the INLA's psychopathic tendencies.
"Martin McDonagh's production at the Taper is the most mad and hysterically funny evening I have ever witnessed. The company of actors is excellent, and of course, Chris is absolutely magnetic and deliciously insane. Do not miss this one!" – Jean Louis Rodrigue
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Juliette Binoche as poster girl for Cannes Festival 2010The Best Actress prize to this year's Festival de Cannes went to Juliette Binoche for her role in Abbas Kiarostami's "Certified Copy". Set in a Tuscan village cafes and churches, the film depicts an intense encounter between a man and a woman who have never met. Or have they? As Joan Dupont of the New York Times explains "it is Mr. Kiarostami's first feature film made outside of Iran and with an international star, Juliette Binoche. Yet it remains true to his focus on veiled appearances and human contradictions."
Javier Bardem (Best Actor) and Juliette Binoche (Best Actress) at the 2010 Cannes Film FestivalThis character was definitely a challenge for Juliette and I remember her saying to me, "Abbas didn’t tell me much about the character. At first I thought that perhaps she was supposed to be crazy, and started reading up on neuroses. Abbas said 'No, the character is you; she's just you. There's no difference between reality and fiction' So I had to find another way of working."
Juliette Binoche and Jean-Louis RodrigueJuliette is next set to star in "Relative Insanity", a film based on Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" to be directed by Larry Moss. Jean-Louis Rodrigue has also been invited by Larry to work with the actors of the film. Larry, Juliette and Jean-Louis have been working together for many years and this is a perfect opportunity to collaborate together.
Our warmest congratulations to Juliette and we look forward to seeing "Copie Conforme".
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVRwVadRIbo -
Rita Maffei in The Syringa TreeWhen Rita Maffei approached Pamela Gien with the idea of an Italian translation of her acclaimed award winning play "The Syringa Tree", Pamela was skeptical. It would be difficult to translate the many S. African dialects present throughout the play and the historical events that are interwoven within play. Adele Palmeri, an Italian playwright living in South Africa had already written a translation of the play into Italian. Pamela asked Jean-Louis to read the play and give her an honest opinion. The response was very positive, and Jean-Louis who is fluent in Italian, committed himself to supervising the translation in order to maintain the soul and technical requirements of Pamela's play. An agreement was reached and Rita Maffei would come to Los Angeles to rehearse the play with Larry Moss, Pamela, Jean-Louis, and producer, Matt Salinger.
Rita Maffei in The Syringa TreeIt was a joyful experience to join again after so many years to collaborate as the original artistic group on such a powerful and life changing play. Rita was extraordinary in being able to pick up the original staging of the play directly from Pamela, Larry, and for Jean-Louis to help with the physical requirements in terms of morphing from character to character.
In 2000, "The Syringa Tree" opened in New York at Playhouse 91, Off-Broadway where it ran to sold out performances for over a year and won the Obie Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards for Best Performance. In 2002, "The Syringa Tree" ran at the Royal National Theater in London and was broadcast on the Trio Network.
From L to R: Jean-Louis Rodrigue, Rita Maffei, Larry Moss, and Pamela GienThe play traces the journey of a vibrant and curious 6-year-old girl as she confronts the confusing horrors of apartheid. Rita portrays more than two-dozen characters, and the transformations required a high degree of physical and vocal flexibility and dexterity. Jean-Louis Rodrigue's work greatly enhanced the performance physically and vocally.
Rita Maffei and the CSS Teatro Stabile di Innovazioni in Udine is planning to tour the production throughout Italy.
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Kristof Konrad at Taormina Film Fest, June 12 to 18, 2010
Primo Reggiani, Kristof Konrad, and Giselda VolodiKristof Konrad was invited by Giselda Volodi – one of the stars of the film and long time friend and collaborator, to attend a world premiere of L'IMBROGLIO NEL LENZUOLO ( The Trick in the Sheet), a new Italian film directed by Alfonso Arau, and filmed by Vittorio Storaro, two icons of today's cinema at Italy's principal summer film event, the Taormina Film Fest.
The film is an intriguing story of Marianna, a woman that survives typhus and lives in a grotto in Neapolitan Province in 1905. One day, a young film director arrives to shoot his film. Unknowingly, Marianna becomes a protagonist of the film and provokes a huge scandal, when the film is being shown in a piazza.
L'IMBROGLIO NEL LENZUOLOThe outstanding cast includes: Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Anne Parillaud, Primo Reggiani, Geraldine Chaplin, Ernesto Mahieux, Giselda Volodi and Miguel Angel Silvestre.
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NcxFYFBJaU
The festival is a major showcase for film premiers from Hollywood and around the world. Each year the festival presents a careful selection of just 21 new features, chosen from the most significant recent productions. A number of the films first screened in Taormina have been subsequently chosen to represent their countries as Oscar © candidates.http://www.taorminafilmfest.it/home.asp?lang=1&an=10
The cast of L'IMBROGLIO NEL LENZUOLO -
Jean-Louis Rodrigue was invited again to be an expert at the Berlinale Talent Campus #9. He will present a major component of the new intensified hands-on program, Talent Actors Stage.
Berlinale Workshop
Berlinale Talent Campus 2010: Film and theater movement director Jean-Louis Rodrigue sharing his secrets with Talents at Meet the Expert.
Photo credit: Jakub Koncir © Berlinale 2010Offering a range of training opportunities for actors, from acting technique, dialogue training, to casting and camera acting, it also provides interdisciplinary collaborations with other hands-on programs at the Campus to facilitate networking with directors, producers and screenwriters.
The Berlinale Talent Campus is an annual event that takes place parallel to the Berlin International Film Festival. The Campus and its participants benefit greatly from their proximity to the main festival centre and the European Film Market (EFM).
Berlinale Talent Campus 2010: Mexican actor Gael García Bernal talking about his working experience in film.
Photo credit: Peter Himsel © Berlinale 2010The 350 young students or graduates from film schools and/ or film professionals early in their careers are invited to learn from top experts through lectures, seminars and workshops, and have the opportunity to build international networks.
Berlinale Talent Campus 2010: Jean-Louis Rodrigue in 'Embodying The Character' workshop.
Photo credit: Jakub Koncir © Berlinale 2010
Berlinale Talent Campus 2010: Composer Alexandre Desplat before his master class.
Photo credit: Peter Himsel © Berlinale 2010
Besides Rodrigue, film experts this year included among many others Stephen Frears, Stephen Daldry, Alexandre Desplat, Mike Medavoy, and Hanna Schygulla. Dieter Kosslick, the Artistic Director of the Berlinale, confirms that "The Berlinale needs Talents just as cinema needs talent.
The correspondent motto of this year's Berlinale Talent Campus is 'Cinema Needs Talent: Looking for the Right People'. This motto refers to an extremely important moment in filmmaking: teaming up with the right people. The pleasure of being creative and the quality of its results are closely connected to the people you are surrounded by." -
August 23rd, 2008 cover of BMJA recent study funded by the Medical Research Council and the NHS Research and Development fund finds long-term pain can be relieved through study of the Alexander Technique. The study published in the British Medical Journal, tested different back pain treatments using patients from 64 general practices in England . A total of 579 patients with chronic pain or recurrent low back pain participated; 144 were given “normal care”, 147 had massages, 144 took Alexander Technique lessons. Half of each group was also prescribed an aerobic exercise plan, primarily walking.
The team of researchers, from the University of Southhampton and the University of Bristol , evaluated participants before and after treatments by two primary measurers. First, researchers measured disability, based on questions about activities limited by pain. Secondly, researchers asked about the number of days in pain in the past four weeks. After a year of treatment, patients receiving Alexander lessons reported experiencing just three days of pain, compared to 21 days for those given normal care by their doctor. The patients who saw the biggest improvement were the ones who took the Alexander Technique lessons and also were prescribed an exercise plan. The improvements still held after one year, while massage’s benefits waned after three months.
Leaders in the field of mind/body medicine and behavioral sciences throughout this century have supported Alexander’s innovative research. Clinical studies have shown that the Technique improves breathing capacity and posture, modifies stress responses and is, for those who suffer from chronic pain, the preferred method for long-term relief.
BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL STUDY:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/aug19_2/a884ARTICLES ABOUT STUDY:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7568948.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/(...)reducing-back-pain.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/(...)/health.healthandwellbeing
http://www.webmd.com/(...)back-pain?src=RSS_PUBLIC
http://news.yahoo.com/(...)/back_pain_dc
http://uk.reuters.com/(...)idUKLK32331020080820
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- Schedule for Classes and Courses 2010 - 2011
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2010-2011 GROUP CLASSES IN THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AT OUR NEW HOME- THE ODYSSEY THEATRE ENSEMBLE.
Since last November we have moved our teaching venue to the spacious theatres of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Los Angeles. Guided by artistic director Ron Sossi, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's mission remains firm: the creation of new work, the revitalization and re-exploration of classical material, consistent experimentation with the most current developments at the forefront of the "state of the art" in the international theatre world, ongoing investigation of the "process" of creating theatre, and continuing development of new acting, directing, and writing talent via the Actor's Laboratory, Play Development Program, and Emerging Directors Plan. Ultimately, the institution moves toward the creation of a larger International Experimental Theatre Center, facilitating the crosspolination of artists from different countries, cultures and disciplines, and the exposure of this collaborative work to the Southern California audience.
For more information visit their website: www.odysseytheatre.com
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Alexander Technique
Jean Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad teaching musicians.