First, we learn to laugh at ourselves

Ten to 18-year-olds will be encouraged to shed their inhibitions and be spontaneous, as part of a series of five-day theatre workshops in the city

Actor-director Faezeh Jalali will be conducting a series ofu00a0theatre workshops for 10 to 18-year-olds at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). u00a0The focus of the workshops is to introduce young people to key concepts of the craft. “The sessions will help them understand the stage, (how to use) space, characterisation, the ability to think on-the-spot and to allow themselves to be free of inhibitions,” says Jalali, who teaches drama at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School.

In Acting Between the Lines, Jalali will introduce kids to understanding, what she defines as “the physical aspect of the text” in which participants will discover the “unspoken action between the spoken word”.

“I hope that they will discover things about themselves that they weren’t perhaps so sure about,” says Jalali, who believes that children, in turn, have a lot to teach adults. “With children, their first instinct is comedy. From them, we can learn to always keep our inner child alive.”

Registrations open tomorrow. Workshops will be conductedat the Sea-View Room, NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point.

Call: 9920899485 (for registrations); 9819228935 (for enquiries)

Why So Serious? (workshop on clowning)
“Comedy comes from being who you are,” says workshop conductor Faezeh Jalali, who hopes that participants will be encouraged to get in touch with their inner Chaplin. “They will be given situations in which they will perform a character, but through which they will reveal themselves,” says Jalali about the workshop, which she says is an introduction to clowning. “The clown is the inner self;
it reveals the essence of who we are.”

Age group: 10 to 14-year-olds
From: 11 June, 10 am to 12 pm (10 am to 11.30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday)
Till: 15 June
For: Rs 5,000 (for 9 hours)

Don’t Revise, Just Improviseu00a0(workshop on improvisation)
The only ‘prop’ one needs to be able to improvise is the ability to trust, which Jalali says is one of the things she enjoys most about working with young people. “The idea is to be in the moment and to allow yourself to be spontaneous,” she says, adding that improvisation is a key tool in the theatre. “Kids will learn how to ‘play’ on stage, which is essential for interaction between actors.”

Age group:u00a0u00a012 to 18-year-olds
From:u00a0u00a011 June, 12 pm to 2 pm (12 pm to 1.30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday)
Till:u00a0u00a0u00a015 June
For:u00a0u00a0Rs 5,000 (for 9 hours)

Acting Betweenu00a0The Lines (character and scene study)
“One of the things that a lot of actors lack is the ability to read between the lines,” says Jalali, who will encourage participants to develop a scene based on the text, as well as one based on “movement”. “There is a lot that can happen between two lines of a text,” she says, referring to the workshop in which participants will be introduced to characterisation, action and environment, with respect to a text.

Age group:u00a0u00a013 to 18-year-olds
From:u00a0u00a011 June, 3 pm to 5 pm (Monday to Friday)
Till:u00a0u00a0u00a015 June
For:u00a0u00a0Rs 6,000 (for 10 hours)u00a0

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