The Piccolo Conservatory

John Szostek
Artistic Director, Piccolo Theatre

Jason Martin
Artistic Associate, Piccolo Theatre

Christopher Marino
Freelance Director and Educator,
director of Piccolo Theatre's 2011 Production of The Comedy of Errors

Session Dates:

• January 9, Monday, 7-10 pm
• January 14, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm
• January 16, Monday, 7-10 pm
• January 21, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm
• January 28, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm
• February 4, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm
• February 10, Friday, 7-10 pm
• February 11, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm
• February 18, Saturday, 1-5:30 pm

The cost for all nine
sessions is $75.00.

Yup, total.

Applying to the Conservatory is a two step process consisting of an application and an interview. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request an application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but must be received by 12/30/11 in order to be considered.

Philosophy

The goal of Piccolo Theatre is to manifest the common spirit of humanity through creativity and laughter. We only do comedy. Creating an environment where laughter happens requires a generosity of spirit and an experience of heartfelt warmth on the part of the actors. This fundamental state of being is then combined with skillful training in the physical, emotional and intellectual realms of perfomance. Like Janus we look back to our comedic roots in the past and we develop new comedy for now and the future.

We have been influenced by and are grateful for our relationships with Donato Sartori, Antonio Fava, Geoffrey Buckley, 
Marcel Marceau, Jacques LeCoq, 
Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Oscar Ichazo, Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing, Ann Rudolph and Carlo Mazzoni-Clementi.

Advanced training is only open to Ensemble Members. To become an Ensemble Member one needs to complete the Piccolo Theatre Conservatory Program and be invited to join. Completion of the program does not guarantee acceptance.

From time to time, Piccolo Theatre offers the title of Piccolo Artistic Associate to actors, directors, designers and staff.

Piccolo offers training in three ways.

• By bringing International artists to Piccolo and offering workshops to the profession.
• By offering the Piccolo Theatre Basic Training.
• By offering the Piccolo Theatre Conservatory Program.

Workshops

To be kept informed about workshops offered by international artists request to be placed on our email list, or read about our current and upcoming masterclasses.

Piccolo Theatre Basic Training

This 19-hour course is taught by the Piccolo Ensemble in a variety of time formats throughout the year. It is open to the public and requires an application.

The Basic Training introduces the student to a sample of the Piccolo Theatre Conservatory work.

Students will learn the complete Psychocalisthenics® conditioning program, experience a session of Chua K'a Bodywork™, learn the fundamentals of Piccolo's Body Work, and explore the first levels of mask work, the Neutral Mask, Expressive Mask, Larval Mask and the masks of the commedia dell' Arte.

The work of Jacques LeCoq is central to the Piccolo Theatre Conservatory course of study. In this workshop we will begin exploring the domain of the Neutral Mask. Here we experience the state of calm, serene equipoise in the pre-dramatic state of Being. All our work begins in stillness, silence and spaciousness. Next the Expressive Mask work explores the realm of the passions.

In the commedia dell'Arte sessions, students experience the gestural language, walks, voice, and psychological orientation of each mask with an emphasis on the five elements and humours. Students will participate in improvisations and traditional commedia scenarios as well as devising original scenarios.

Psychocalisthenics® is a sequence of twenty-three movement and breathing exercises which activates the flow of vital energy through all muscle groups, organs, glands, and tissue. Psychocalisthenics is easy to learn and can be completed in sixteen minutes.

Chua K'a Bodywork™ is a form of deep bodywork that evolves the body to its highest degree of sensitivity and awareness.

The philosophy behind this bodywork is that our life experiences create networks of muscular tension (pain) that are actually stored fears. Working the tissues with precise hand and finger positions and a stick called a ka, we transmit vital energy (chi: Chinese, ki: Japanese) to the bone, releasing the held tension. When we release physical tension, we also release psychic tension. Psychocalisthenics® and Chua K'a Bodywork™ were developed by Oscar Ichazo in 1972. Piccolo Theatre Artistic Director, John Szostek, learned Chua K’a Bodywork™ at Arica Institute in 1975 and is a member of Arica Institute and a certified Chua K’a Bodywork™ instructor.

Anne Rudolph, dancer and movement educator, developed a system of body training using conscious, slow movements to retrain the body for optimal balance, grace, harmony and strength. This fundamental system is integrated into the Piccolo Body Work.

To be kept informed about when the Piccolo Theatre Basic Training is being offered join our email list.

Piccolo Theatre Conservatory Program

Is offered periodically and requires an application and an interview. This forty-hour program is a more in-depth study of the material in the Basic Training and it includes other course work from the Piccolo Theatre curriculum.

To be kept informed about when the Piccolo Theatre Conservatory Program is being offered join our mailing list.

 The Arica School
 founded by Oscar Ichazo

Chua K'a Bodywork™ Training is a trademark of Oscar Ichazo
Psychocalisthenics® is a trademark of Oscar Ichazo