Fall Action Theater Beginner 3-Week Intensive
Saturdays 10:30am-3pm (lunch break 12:30-1):
Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 9
Come join us for a 3-week deep dive training in embodied improvisation! We’ll be exploring physical, vocal and verbal expression that opens you up to what lies beneath and beyond our normal day to day perspectives. In this Action Theater Beginner Series we’ll be tuning in to the body’s expression and its inherent connection with the imagination in order to create improvisations that are alive with truth and oddities of existence.
Participants will learn the basic terms of Action Theater; practice exercises in ensemble, small groups and solo, and have opportunities to perform for each other.
People who take this class range in experience with performance. Some take it to boost their performance skills, others for the positive change it has on their daily life. There is always a strong sense of playfulness and exploration in the room, which leads to a feeling of community.
Limit of 12 participants.
COVID safety: Participants are welcome to wear masks, but we will not be requiring masks unless there is a public health mandate. Air purifier will be in use. Those experiencing any cold symptoms are asked to not attend.
Cost for series is $280 due at first class. To hold your spot, please pay in advance a deposit of $50. Payment plans available – please inquire
PCC Community Education 8 Week Class
Thursdays Oct 3rd thru Nov 21: 6pm-8:20pm
Location: PCC Southeast Campus, Mt Tabor Hall, Room 102
This Fall we’ll be teaching an Action Theater class through the PCC Community Ed department! And we’ll be doing something we’ve wanted to do for a while: follow the progression of Ruth Zaporah’s book! For those of you who don’t know, Ruth is our teacher and the creator of Action Theater. We’ll work our way through the first 8 weeks of it and of course riff in our own ways too. All levels welcome! Keep your eyes peeled for the fall registration for PCC Community Ed on the SE campus. The class capacity is 18.
Registration is now open!
Level 2 Half Day Intensive – Focus on Frames
In 2024, Portland Action Theater will offer a variety of 4-hour intensive workshops one Sunday a month that explore improvisation topics in more depth.
The frame is one of our foundational building blocks in Action Theater – a constellation of constantly reorganizing elements of form, where mood is boss. In this class, we will explore different aspects of using frames in our improvisation practice:
- developing and deepening them while staying true to their boundaries
- exploring how different types of frames can respond to one another
- practicing remembering and bringing back frames in longer improvisations
- reframing the known to reveal the unknown
If we’re feeling skillful and adventurous, we may even venture into the land of transforming frames…
Cost for this 4-hour class is $94 due at first class. To hold your spot, please pay in advance a non-refundable deposit of $25. Payment plans available – please inquire.
Happensdance
Schedule Change!
In October, we’ll be starting our new schedule of 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Upcoming Happensdance dates:
- October 1, 15
- November 5, 19
- No classes in December
- January 7, 21
1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings 6:30-9:30pm – class & jam.
Happensdance is a playfulness-forward opportunity for all of the young at heart to discover what comes into being when vocal and verbal channels of expression and imaginative play are available alongside movement and contact. In other words, we’re playing with the territory where Action Theater and Contact Improvisation meet! This is designed more for people who have some experience with Contact Improvisation as we will not be teaching principles of CI. That said, beginners are welcome to come and explore and ask questions about contact. And, there is no requirement to do contact at Happensdance. You can lean more towards the AT side of improvisation or more towards CI. Totally up to you. You can also find beginner CI classes listed on the Portland Contact Improvisation Facebook Group.
Our agreements for this space:
- To respect peoples boundaries, verbal and non-verbal
- This is a non-sexual space
- To take care of yourself
- You can say no or end a dance at any time, for any or no reason
$25 for class & jam, $15 for only class or only jam