Killing, Death & Consequences

Contrary to what we see in many films these days, to take another’s life always has a cost and consequences. This acting focused seminar will look at the physical, psychological and emotional responses to killing and dying. This is an uncomfortable subject, but it is imperative to acting violence well.

As Rocco Dal Vera said in “The Voice in Violence:” Just as real warriors perform an essential though anguishing service for society, actors also serve as courageous soldiers of the psyche. When we dig deep into the dark underbelly of the human ego and express our shadow selves truthfully in performance, we are helping the audience process that side of their natures, too. Society needs its stories in order to understand itself, and since drama is centered around conflict, violence lies at the heart of many great plays. Human beings kill. We make war. We rape, pillage, torture, and terrify. We can be brutal and animalistic. We even have the capacity to take joy in and revel in these horrors.

This seminar will begin with a look at the physiological reactions of the body in violence. Focus will be given to the “actable” physical reactions of dying. Next, the seminar will go into the psychological and emotional reactions of being attacked, wounded and/or killed. Not only will we discuss the victim, we will talk about what it does to the killer/murderer. Shakespeare wrote a whole play around the difference between killing and murder, so there’s a variety of options to explore on both sides of the coin.

The seminar will culminate in a short bit of choreography allowing participants to explore expressing all they have learned in the context of scenes. The goal will be to get the audience (your fellow participants) to understand the relationship between both characters with no words.

WHERE:  Ripley Grier Studios at 520 8th Ave. Room 16H
WHEN: Noon-4pm