This summer I hosted a weekly Physical Theatre jam in my backyard on Sundays from 12-3pm! The group was made up of 10 participants from a variety of creative backgrounds—acting, writing, clown, object theatre, musical theatre, stand-up comedy, puppetry.
Originally, I had planned to share the facilitator role, but all the participants were eager to learn, and I was happy to take the lead. Recently I have been studying Corporeal Mime, a technique developed by Etienne Decroux. I taught some foundations of this technique as well as other styles of mime. I’ve instructed theatre workshops for many years, but the Physical Theatre Jams this summer gave me an opportunity to experiment with teaching some new material which I hadn’t taught until now.
I started every session with a movement warm-up—stretching, strengthening, and fluid movement. Then, we worked on Corporeal Mime, isolations, illusions, and mime walks. For the last hour I proposed devising prompts, and we worked individually or in groups to create original mime pieces which we presented to the group. Often, we used recorded music to accompany our movement.
At 3pm, I encouraged the participants to stay and socialize. We served huge platters of fruit (local berries, watermelon, peaches, grapes) and vegetables! After 3 hours of movement all the participants were hungry. The sharing of food is an important custom, leading to conversation and deeper social connection.
Many of the participants didn’t know each other before these events, but throughout the summer they developed bonds through this shared experience! Being a performing artist can feel isolating: auditioning, applying for grants/residencies/opportunities, waiting for the next project. The Physical Theatre Jams helped us connect with the feeling of joy and freedom of expression that initially drew us to this creative field.
One participant left me a voice note that said, “It’s been a benefit to my life. […] You are such a brilliant person and fact that you are able to share your brilliance with other people is a real gift.”
I’m grateful that the Physical Theatre Jams have made a positive impact on the community. This experience has brought me a deep sense of fulfillment.
