​Upcoming Workshops​

​Ira Seidenstein's European Teaching Tour 2020

​​Please note: The following dates were confirmed before the worldwide corona pandemic. We expect/hope to be able to maintain them all. Check in with the local organisers for more information.

•  Porto, PortugalSep 14-18
​•  Pula, CroatiaSep 21 to Oct 4
​•  Paris, France
Oct 7-11

If you are unable to attend any of these workshops and are interested in organising another one in your home city or home country, please write directly to Ira.

​C​LOWN/ACTING FROM THE BODY

​Taught by Ira Seidenstein
Location: Porto, Portugal
Dates: September 14 to 18, 2020
Five days Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

Early Bird Deposit by April 1. Applications open now to reserve your place.

Director of the workshop is Ira Seidenstein - formerly with Cirque du Soleil & Slava’s Snowshow. He has worked in more than 140 live productions including numerous original theatre shows. Ira worked as a classical actor, acrobat, mime, slapstick and physical clown. He mentors directors, teachers, choreographers, actors, clowns, and physical performers internationally.

Ira’s method integrates acting/clown/movement/creativity. You will learn his training and creative template The Four Articulations for Performance​.

To apply please send:
   a) cv/biog
   b) photo
   c) brief Letter of Interest
   d) short video of yourself in performance or training


Bookings are limited so please apply as early as possible.
Send a/b/c/d to the organiser José Pedro Fortuna (Porto, Portugal).

​​​​​​​MASTERING CLOWNING
THE ISAAC CREATIVE STUDIO

​​Taught and Directed by Ira Seidenstein
Location: Pula, Croatia
Dates: September 21 to October 4, 2020
Two weeks Monday thru Friday, 10am to 4pm

This workshop will replicate my actual studio working method. Daily disciplined creativity from a thorough warmup, to training, to rehearsal, to in-house studio presentations with feedback.

The Participants will be assigned established routines, scenes, and other material to create with. This material is all tried, tested, and is superb.

In ballet one learns a well established set of exercises at the barre, then on the open floor, and then one learns short excerpts of classical repertoire. Then one works creatively and collaboratively with other dancers, the choreographer, the director, the composer, the designer.

Every great clown that I know of, began by imitating the master creative routines of Chaplin, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Marcel Marceau. Lotte Goslar taught all of her new clowns the company’s well established routines.

The creation period for Cirque du Soleil’s shows is nine months. In the shows the clown performs perhaps 20 minutes of material, for years. When the replacement clowns come in, they learn the exact material with no variations. When the new clowns come into Slava’s Snowshow they perform material that has been developed and performed for twenty years.

None the less, this will be a highly creative and playful workshop.

Whenever I have taught and directed this material selected for this workshop the Participants are guided into the deepest levels of the actual lineage and heritage of stage and circus clowning.

​Ira Seidenstein as Green clown in Slava's Snowshow.

Ira Seidenstein in Cirque du Soleil's CORTEO.

Priority for early registration is given to actors/directors
    •    who know “The Four Articulations for Performance, and/or
    •    who were participants of the Pula/Zagreb Workshops, and

    •    who will attend the full two weeks, and

    •    who make a non-refundable deposit payment by April 1st

Note:
    •    Each participant will be assigned either duo, trio, or solo material or a combination and will be expected to work to memorise the material.
    •    There will be a long lead up time, but, the participant must come to the workshop prepared to work creatively with the rehearsed/memorised material on the first day.
    •    The process is collective, so even though one may be working on a maximum of three routines or scenes, participants will learn the remaining material by observing the material being developed daily.

To apply, please provide the following:
   a) a  cv/biog  including non-performance related education, training, work/life experience
   b) a photo
   c) a brief Statement of Interest
   d) a brief video of yourself in performance, training, or rehearsal

If you are interested, please send a, b, c, d to the organiser Frane Meden (Pula, Croatia).

Your application should be presented as soon as possible.
Further details of the workshop, including schedule and fee will be presented to you via e-mail following your application inclusive of cv/bio; photo; letter of interest; short video of yourself.

​​PHYSICAL COMEDY

​Taught by Ira Seidenstein
Location: ​Paris, France
Dates: ​October 7 to 11, 2020

Specific details TBA. If you want to be updated, send an e-mail to Caspar Schjelbred (Paris, France).

Ira Seidenstein