1425 North 2nd StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19122

(215) 873-0883 office(215) 873-0884 fax

www.pigironschool.org

Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training

Student Catalogue

Developing the next generations of artists who will change the face of world theatre

Date of Publication: January. 1, 2011

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Table of Contents

The SchoolEducation Philosophy……………………………………………3Education Objectives…………………………………………….3Teaching Methodology and Subjects Offered.…………………..3Program Description……………………………………………..4

Student Life……………………………………………….4Program Length…………………………………………...5Diploma in Advanced Performance Training……………6Grading system……………………………………………6Requirements for Graduation……………………………..6Transfer of Academic Credit……………………………...6Observed Holidays………………………………………..62011-2012 School Calendar ……………………………...62012-2013 School Calendar………………………………7Equipment………………………………………………...7

Facilities……………………………………………….8

Course Descriptions…………………………….…….9

Faculty…………………………………………………17School Director…………………………………………………...17Core Faculty………………………………………………………17Adjunct Faculty…………………………………………………...18

Policies and Procedures………………………….........19 Admissions Requirements and Procedures.……………...………..19Cancelation/Withdraw Policy……………………………………..21Refund Policy……………………………………………………...21Attendance…………………………………………………………22Leave of Absence and Make up Work policy……………………..23Tuition and Fees…………………………………………………...23

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The Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training

Our Education Philosophy

The Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training will re-draw the lines of artistic ownership in theatre and overturn the traditional norms and power structures embodied by the current regional theatre model. Instead of working with pre-established texts, the school will advocate the idea of creativity as dialogue rather than monologue; actors and directors working together in an improvisational framework in order to create characters and plays wholly “owned” by creative ensembles. Instead of building new work around the spoken word, we will focus intensively on the body and a physical approach to creating characters and theatrical ideas.

Education Objectives

Our primary goal for the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training will be to expand and nourish the local, national, and international communities of forward-thinking theatre artists, and to encourage the creation of groundbreaking original work. We believe that the only way for theatre to stay viable as an art form — and bring in new audiences hungry for innovation — is to re-discover the special qualities of live performance, and to think in new way about the role of the body and the voice onstage. It is our intention that the actors, directors and creators who graduate from our program will create new work both inside and outside of the regional theatre circuit, and help to profoundly impact the tone of the American theatre.

Teaching Methodology and Subjects Offered

As a school leveraging a variety of disciplines and focusing on Lecoq pedagogy, APT will offer several channels of exploration each week. Generally, structured courses will focus on the three main arteries of physical theatre:

Movement. Students will be training their bodies each day through courses on acrobatics/gymnastics, movement analysis, dance and movement improvisation, movement composition and Pilates/Yoga/Core Training.

Improvisation. Students will be working on a variety of themes, some lasting a week, some lasting up to a month. The work will involve daily improvisation to train the performers to trust the impulses that arrive in the midst of performing. The body and mind collaborate to learn how to be an actor-writer, deeply in touch with the moment-to-moment choices of the actor as well as the large arc of the scene or play.

Ensemble creations. Each week, students will work in collaborative teams to develop original pieces based around the week’s theme(s). This is a chance for the students to answer the artistic and technical

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questions for themselves. It presents an opportunity to work through the myriad problems that the themes present, ultimately showing the work to the faculty at the end of the week for feedback and critique.

Seminars in Contemporary Performance. APT will investigate trends in contemporary performance, and will focus on broadening the students’ knowledge of theatre making across the globe and to inspire the students about the vast possibilities of the stage. Each year, the school will engage texts that will pervade the class work throughout the program. For instance, the program might turn to the plays of Chekhov or Crime and Punishment or Agamemnon. When appropriate, small fragments of the text will be used in order to deepen the relationship of the student with the given work and will demand original and sometimes personal encounters with old masterpieces. Rather than trying to honor the text, students will use them as source material toward new and alive performance works.

Business and Entrepreneurial Training. In addition to these course themes, APT will strive to ground students’ artistry and to provide inspiration for their future work. This will include business seminars on starting one’s own company and/or producing one’s own work (and will address all the practical concerns of making a living as a theatre artist). There will also be opportunities to train directly with the Pig Iron ensemble and to meet and work with professional local artists and visiting artists in Philadelphia.

Program Description

APT will be a center of creation – dynamic, energetic, messy, collaborative and passionate. The students will give the School its life and its vitality. All aspects of APT will be custom-built to facilitate the student’s journey and his or her desire to push the boundaries of what live performance can be.

Each day, students will be in class between 4 and 7 hours daily, taking classes that are designed to train the “total theatre artist”. Each week, students will train in acrobatics, movement analysis, core physical training, voice, ensemble work and improvisation. Throughout each trimester, students will be working collaboratively on projects, practicing theatre-making with their peers for faculty evaluation. Additionally, students will pursue coursework that will look critically at contemporary art and performance so as to situate the school’s work in a modern global context.

Student Life

A typical day at APT might include working on the timing and physical control of a handstand, collaborating on translating a movement of a Shostakovitch Symphony into movement, tackling the performance problem of representing violence onstage, and preparing for a public showing of a clown piece about the end of the world. By design, APT will reject the traditional separation of artistic “disciplines” within theatre, asking a student to wear many hats at once: at times, students will be scouring the flea markets and inexpensive clothing shops for costume items and objects; at times, students will be using their “off” time to work out the precise choreography for a group creation. Students will be trained to work as a well-rounded theatre artist with skills in performing, directing, design, writing and theatre management.

Though APT classes will take up only 4 to 7 hours a day, the School is intended to be an immersive experience that is as much about the physical and ensemble training taught by the faculty as it is about

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transforming the way in which the students see the world. The rigor of the classroom work will naturally extend beyond the walls of the school and into the friendships and deep artistic relationships that are at the core of collaborative work. We intend that the ideas about performance taught at APT will permeate students’ daily lives, creeping into shared dinners with colleagues, sessions of collaborative work outside of class, and group outings to nearby State Parks, movies, drag cabarets, and musical performances.

That having been said, some students will also elect to seek part-time work to supplement their tuition and living expenses. Due to the fact that classroom hours will rarely extend into nights and weekends, this is a distinct possibility for students, particularly if they are organized and forward-thinking. We will provide students with a classroom schedule that is predictable and consistent enough to allow for a sustainable lifestyle while they are enrolled.

Students at APT will also be urged to become a part of the cultural community in Philadelphia, taking advantage of the thriving performance community here and seeing as much of it as possible. APT will help organize discounts to performances and will help alert students to artistic work which embodies similar values and aesthetics. Occasionally, APT will organize trips to New York or Washington, DC to see notable performances that are otherwise unavailable in Philadelphia. More broadly, we intend to promote Philadelphia as a case study in the way artists integrate into a community; students will have access to the artistic leaders of the ensemble theatre and dance communities in Philadelphia, and will be able to ask them about their career paths and daily lives. Students will also have the opportunity to publicly showcase their most polished class-work in settings such as cabarets, variety shows, and salon showings of works-in-progress.

Students at APT will have a very different artistic experience from students in a typical university program. There will be no papers to write, and there will be a reduced emphasis on theoretical discussion. Rather, the school is intended to turn philosophical questions into physical and dramatic answers; the goal is not merely to generate great ideas, but to translate great ideas into riveting performance. Additionally, there will be a single class incorporating all 15-20 students each semester, inspiring the kind of deep intimate artistic relationships that yield world-class theatre.

Nurturing these collaborations will be the primary focus of APT’s curriculum and activities, which will in turn provide the seed for life-long artistic partnerships and brilliant, innovative performances.

Program LengthThe two year program will consist of six trimesters that are ten weeks in length. Each week will schedule 26.5 clock hours of class time; the total program will consist of 1590 clock hours of instruction.

Certificate in Advanced Performance Training Upon completing the program, students will be awarded a certificate in Advanced Performance Training.

Grading SystemGrades will be assigned on a pass/non pass basis, which are determined by a system of grading rubrics and quantitative assessments. While the final grades will be issued at the end of the third trimester of each academic year, students will be aware of their “shadow grade”, or where they are in terms of measurable progress at the end of each trimester. Additionally, students and faculty will engage in weekly dialogue regarding student progress. While some quantitative tools will be used in certain skills based courses, grading will focus on qualitative evaluation of each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and artistic growth. Each evaluation will be followed by one of the four grading

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distinctions: Pass (P) – Reserved for sufficient mastery of course training, a decrease in a specified weakness, an

increase in a specified strength, and/or for general artistic growth in relation to course training (unless otherwise indicated in course syllabus, requires a 60% total score of grading rubrics and/or quantitative assessments throughout course)

Not Passed (NP) – Reserved for insufficient mastery of course training, inadequate decrease in a specified weakness, increase in a specified strength, and/or inadequate artistic growth in relation to course training

Withdraw (W) – Denotes that the student withdrew from the course before completion (see Withdraw policy on page 13 for complete details); a plan for make-up work and/or academic recovery will accompany this grade

Incomplete (I) – Indicates that the student did not satisfactorily complete course training, and did not withdraw from the course or program; at the discretion of the teaching faculty or School Director, a plan for make-up work and/or academic recovery may accompany this grade; in some cases, an incomplete grade may result in termination of training

Additionally, each instructor will provide a written evaluation of progress at the end of each ten week trimester, and will be generally available to address strengths and weaknesses throughout training.

Requirements for GraduationStudents must pass all courses to be eligible for graduation.

Notice of credit transferThe Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training offers training that is designed to be the equivalent to an MFA program. However, as a non-degree bearing post-secondary institution, the School cannot guarantee the transfer of credit to other educational institutions, and generally will not accept transfer of credit from other institutions into the School.

Observed HolidaysThe School and its administrative offices will observe all scheduled holidays of Pig Iron Theatre, Inc. This includes any of the following holidays:

Labor DayThanksgivingThe day after ThanksgivingChristmas EveChristmasThe Day after ChristmasNew Year’s EveNew Year’s DayMartin Luther King DayMemorial DayFourth of July

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2011-2012 School Calendar

1st TrimesterOct. 10, 2011 - Dec. 16, 2011

Scheduled Holidays: 11/25 Thanksgiving, 11/262nd Trimester Jan. 10, 2012 – Mar. 16, 2012 Scheduled Holiday: 1/16 MLK Day 3rd TrimesterApr. 2, 2012 – Jun. 8, 2012

Scheduled Holiday: 5/28 Memorial Day

2012-2013 School Calendar

4th TrimesterOct. 15, 2012 – Dec. 14, 2012

Scheduled Holidays: 11/22 Thanksgiving, 11/23

5th TrimesterJan. 7, 2013 – Mar. 15, 2013

Scheduled Holiday: 1/21 MLK Day6th TrimesterApr. 1, 2013 – Jun. 7, 2013

Scheduled Holiday: 5/27 Memorial Day

Equipment

Required Equipment Ratio Provenance4 Neutral Masks 5:1 Amleto and Donato Sartori

20 Character Masks 1:1 Balanese and Sartori10 Larval Masks 2:1 The Maskery20 Clown Noses 1:1 Industry Grade

Mask Making materials 1:1 Industry Grade6 Mensio Matts (5x10 feet) 3:1 Industry Grade

1 Piano 20:1 Yamaha

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FacilitiesAPT is housed in the newly renovated “Crane Old School”, a 19th century focal point of the infamous Know-Nothing Riots located at 1425 North Second Street (between Jefferson and Master) in Philadelphia. Set directly adjacent to St. Michael's Church, the building sits against the church's cemetery, with its beautiful sycamore trees creating an urban oasis. APT will be located in two studio spaces on the building's first floor. Each studio has been renovated to have more than 1,500 square feet.

The Crane Old School will also be a home to an eclectic array of visual artists, graphic design studios, and other arts organizations; together with the Crane Arts Building only a block away, it will form the centerpiece of a rapidly-emerging arts district.  The school is within a three-block walk to the nearest subway station, and students have easy access to the thriving cultural and nightlife opportunities located in nearby Northern Liberties and Fishtown.

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Course DescriptionsCourses are divided into five categories: Body, Voice, Ensemble Creation, and Seminars:

COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO ACROBATICS

COURSE NUMBER: 1.1B

INSTRUCTOR: Geoff Sobelle & Quinn Bauriedel

COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled between 9:30am and 10:20am, Tuesdays and Thursdays

COURSE LENGTH: 50 minutes, twice weekly for 30 weeks

COURSE OVERVIEW: Acrobatics is a physical discipline that is vitally important for the physical actor. The study of acrobatics helps the student deepen their understanding of the possibilities of the body onstage. The core principles are balance, risk-taking, flexibility, strength and movement analysis. Fundamentally, this course helps the student to find balance upside down and all the variations that come from the handstand. Creatively, this work is intended to help the student see the world from a different perspective.

There will be two assignments in this course that will result in in-class presentations. These are group projects: a movement-based partnering acrobatics piece and a play that emerges from the object manipulation and object juggling portion of the course.

COURSE TITLE: MOVEMENT ANALYSIS I

COURSE NUMBER: 1.2B

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Sanford

COURSE SCHEDULE: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30am – 10:30am

COURSE LENGTH: 1 hour per session, three days a week, over the course of 30 weeks

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COURSE OVERVIEW: Movement Analysis is designed to deepen one’s understanding of movement in all its forms and to train one’s body to be flexible, strong, precise, transformative, and articulate. The course will examine movement, the movement of the body but also the movement of objects, elements, materials, animals, light, sound and the earth itself. Far beyond a study of gestures and postures, the course will examine deeper questions about the origin of movement (the “motor”), the rhythmic possibilities of movement, and the impulses that guide movement on the stage. Students will be exposed to many core movements. All the work of APT is rooted in the study of movement. The course also asks students to become very careful observers of the world in order to draw inspiration from the limitless movements outside of their own bodies. The goal is to create a language of movement that each student speaks fluently and that can, ultimately, translate onto the stage. The course culminates with several projects including a solo movement piece utilizing the 20 movements learned during the course of the year as well as a group dance theatre creation in which a new movement vocabulary is created and debuted.

COURSE TITLE: VOICE I

COURSE NUMBER: 1.3V

INSTRUCTOR: Jean-Rene Toussaint

COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled for Mondays from 10:30am-12:30pm

COURSE LENGTH: One two-hour session per week for 30 weeks.

COURSE OVERVIEW: The Voice course is a complementary course to Movement in many ways. These two components of the performer’s “instrument” must be trained for full control but before that they must be opened up and explored. The first year of Voice does just this. Our socialized voice is very limited in its expressiveness because it is rarely required to move beyond a very thin band of pitch, tone, breath and articulation. The course intends to open up the socialized voice to discover the enormous potential that lies within. Through exercises designed to un-censor the voice, to make sounds that one might think are ugly, wild, frightening or other-worldly, and to expand the range of what is vocally possible, the student will be able to have control of and use the voice as a creative tool toward original performance. Often, the physical and vocal work are aligned so there will be considerable synergy between these two programmatic nodes.

COURSE TITLE: IMPROVISATION I

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COURSE NUMBER: 1.4E

INSTRUCTOR: Quinn Bauriedel & Emmanuelle Delpech-Ramey

COURSE SCHEDULE: Not yet available

COURSE LENGTH: 90 minutes or 2 hours per session, four days a week, over the course of 30 weeks

COURSE OVERVIEW: The Improvisation course focuses on the fundamental skill needed for devised theatre or actor-generated theatre: the skill of writing on one’s feet. Through daily practice on improvisation, the student will become adept at making all of the moment-to-moment choices that a creative actor faces to deepen the connection with the audience, to advance the drama, to further articulate the character, to build and release tension and to bring the audience on a theatrical journey. The course, itself, is an artistic journey winding through a variety of performance territories intended to train the student to become a fearless, curious, dynamic theatre-maker. The course begins with an examination of the poetic possibilities of theatre, then continues through the Neutral Mask and observations of the drama of nature. The work then situates itself on an examination of masks and an actor’s transformation and finally on to character, theatrical treatments, ordinary and extraordinary dramatic states and dance theatre work.

COURSE TITLE: CREATION I

COURSE NUMBER: 1.5E

INSTRUCTOR: All core faculty

COURSE SCHEDULE: Not yet available

COURSE LENGTH: 90 minute sessions 4 times per week, 1 50-minute session per week and a 90 minute showing per week

COURSE OVERVIEW: Creation is at the very core of APT and is the synthesis of all the other courses that are part of the program. Creation allows students to take the vocabulary, themes, values, techniques and skills that are part of the other courses and apply them toward the making of original theatre. Students are placed into groups of various and will create an original work of theatre each week during the course of the program. The themes for the creation will be given out on Fridays and presentation of the creations will take place the following Friday. Creation is otherwise led by the students who work collaboratively in response to the assignment and show the finished results of the work on Fridays for faculty evaluation and feedback. The course is meant to give the students an opportunity to wrestle with the question of how to construct a vibrant, engaging piece of theatre in a collaborative ensemble. The journey of this course is a journey toward developing an artistic

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voice, not through discussion or reading, but through hand-making theatre. Failure is an ingredient in artistic discovery; the ultimate goal of the course is to engender rigorous and precise working methods for creative and collaborative theatre artists. The course will culminate in a public performance of works created during the course of the year.

COURSE TITLE: CONTEMPOARY ART & CULTURE SEMINAR

COURSE NUMBER: 1.6S

INSTRUCTOR: Dan Rothenberg

COURSE SCHEDULE: Tuesdays, 2-4pm

COURSE LENGTH: 2 hours per session, once a week, over the course of 30 weeks

COURSE OVERVIEW: This course introduces students to the contemporary art world in order that they can find their own place in it. The course looks at contemporary art from many different lenses and looks beyond the performance world, hoping that connections can be made between sculpture, for instance, and performance. The questions raised in different disciplines and the ways of approaching work in these artistic forms will spark a rich conversation among the students and faculty about the specific role that live performance plays and, even more pointedly, what contribution ensemble-devised theatre can play in the international conversation about art and society. Many of the individuals and groups to be covered have influenced Pig Iron’s work both directly and indirectly. Attempts will always be made to connect the seminar work to the classroom work.

COURSE TITLE: ACROBATICS AND DANCE

COURSE NUMBER: 2.1B

INSTRUCTOR: Geoff Sobelle & Quinn Bauriedel

COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled between 9:30am and 10:20am, Tuesdays and Thursdays

COURSE LENGTH: 50 minutes, twice weekly for 30 weeks

COURSE OVERVIEW: Advanced Acrobatics continues the work begun in Introduction to Acrobatics. The course trains students to have physical virtuosity that they can utilize in their creation projects. While the core

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principles of this course remain the same as in the first year - balance, risk-taking, flexibility, strength and movement analysis – the Advanced Acrobatics course is intended to offer students a movement palette so that they can become movement inventors rather than simply movement. There will continue to be considerable work on the handstand but the focus will move from stillness towards kinetic acrobatics, sequences, partnering and eventually acrobatic numbers that can be incorporated into clown routines.

There will be two assignments in this course that will result in in-class presentations. These are group projects: a movement-based partnering acrobatics piece and a clown acrobatics piece.

COURSE TITLE: DANCE THEATRE & CORE PHYSICAL TRAINING

COURSE NUMBER: 2.1B

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Sanford

COURSE SCHEDULE: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30am – 10:30am

COURSE LENGTH: 1 hour per session, three days a week, over the course of 30 weeks

COURSE OVERVIEW: Dance Theatre & Core Physical Training continues the work begun in Movement Analysis; though in this second year course, the emphasis is on using the body as a creative tool toward creation. Additionally, the course offers a daily physical training regimen that is intended to increase core strength and to help prepare the body for a healthy and long physically active artistic career. It is intended that this core physical practice will become part of the student’s regular routine. As in Movement Analysis, this course demands physical presence and a body that is flexible, strong, precise, transformative and articulate. The daily core physical training will involve exercises culled from yoga, Pilates, Alexander technique and Feldenkreis. This is an on-going work that builds throughout the year. It also serves to prepare students for a dance theatre exploration in which the body is the primary tool for communication. Much work explores the physical language onstage and the possibilities for expression. The work primarily involves movement; though at times the voice will also be introduced. Some of the assignments will work with music, others with silence. We define dance-theatre as the intersection between character and story on the one hand with gesture and corporal expression on the other. This course will work to further define the genre.

COURSE TITLE: VOICE & MUSIC– YEAR 2

COURSE NUMBER: 2.3V

INSTRUCTOR: Jean-Rene Toussaint

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COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled for Mondays from 10:30am-12:30pm

COURSE LENGTH: One two-hour session per week for 30 weeks.

COURSE OVERVIEW: The Voice & Music course Year 2 is both a deepening of the vocal work done in Year 1 as well as an exploration of music for live performance. Beyond continuing to train the performer’s voice, the course will also address creating musical ensembles to support theatrical work. Individuals with specific instrument skills will be asked to work with those instruments. Other will be given training on a variety of instruments including piano, drums, tuba and xylophone, among others. When possible, the Voice & Music course will align with the Improvisation and Creation courses.

COURSE TITLE: IMPROVISATION II

COURSE NUMBER: 2.4E

INSTRUCTOR: Quinn Bauriedel & Emmanuelle Delpech-Ramey

COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled daily, Monday through Thursday

COURSE LENGTH: 90 minute or 2-hour sessions 4 times per week

COURSE OVERVIEW: The Improvisation course focuses on the fundamental skill needed for devised theatre or actor-generated theatre: the skill of writing on one’s feet. Through daily practice on improvisation, the student will become adept at making all of the moment-to-moment choices that a creative actor faces to deepen the connection with the audience, to advance the drama, to further articulate the character, to build and release tension and to bring the audience on a theatrical journey. The course, itself, is an artistic journey winding through a variety of performance territories intended to train the student to become a fearless, curious, dynamic theatre-maker. The course begins with music, looking at the various possibilities of music onstage and the inherent power in music. We will look at melodrama, music theatre and ultimately commedia dell’arte and half-mask work. We will then continue in Trimester 2 with a study of the grotesque, satire (stemming from the ancient Greek satyr plays) and tragedy. Finally, the 3rd Trimester looks at clown, comic forms, the absurd and dance-theatre.

COURSE TITLE: CREATION II

COURSE NUMBER: 2.5E

INSTRUCTOR: All core faculty will teach Creation

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COURSE SCHEDULE: Classes are scheduled

COURSE LENGTH: 90 minute sessions 4 times per week, 1 50-minute session per week and a 90 minute showing per week

COURSE OVERVIEW: Creation 2 is an extension of the first year of creation and is at the very core of APT. It remains the synthesis of all the other courses that are part of the program. It is intended that Year 2 Creation will intensify the collaborations of Year 1 and will enable students to dive deeper artistically and to make far more complex, nuanced and rich theatrical pieces. The goal of Creation 2 is to prepare students to create work that can stand on its own outside of the school context. Thus, the public showings that are integrated into Year 2 are meant to raise the stakes of the creation and to learn from the encounter with a fresh audience. As in Year 1, Creation allows students to take the vocabulary, themes, values, techniques and skills that are part of the other courses and apply them toward the making of original theatre. Students are placed into groups of various sizes and will create an original work of theatre each week during the course of the program. In year 2, individuals will begin to explore artistic affinities so the creating of individual groups will be less random as in Year 1. The themes for the creation will be given out on Fridays and presentation of the creations will take place the following Friday. Some projects in Year 2 will last longer than a single week. The end of each trimester is a time to re-visit work created during the trimester and to prepare it for public showing. A great deal of emphasis will be placed on “finishing” pieces. Creation is still led by the students who work collaboratively in response to assignments and show the finished results of the work on Fridays for faculty evaluation and feedback. The course is meant to give the students an opportunity to wrestle with the question of how to construct a vibrant, engaging piece of theatre in a collaborative ensemble. The journey of Creation Year 2 is a journey toward opening up theatrical possibilities, exploring the breadth of theatrical expression and style and ultimately toward helping students create their own provocations and inquiries, processes of creation, and methods for self-evaluation and feedback. In this way, the course is a preparation for creating original work well after they have left APT.

The course will culminate in 4 public performances of works created during the course of the year.

COURSE TITLE: CONTEMPOARY PERFORMANCE & LIFE OF THE ARTIST

COURSE NUMBER: 2.6S

INSTRUCTOR: Dan Rothenberg & Pig Iron Administrators

COURSE SCHEDULE: Tuesdays, 2-4pm

COURSE LENGTH: 2 hours per session, once a week, over the course of 30 weeks

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COURSE OVERVIEW: This course continues the work of the Contemporary Art Seminar in Year 1 but in Year 2 the focus is a bit more practical. Individual sessions will focus on the professional non-profit theatre world, how to make a sustainable life in the theatre and how to produce one’s own work. There will be many guests in the course to hear from working professionals about their artistic process to begin to become conversant with specialists: dramaturges, designers, writers, etc. There will be multiple video showings to begin thinking about dramatic structures that are longer than the 5-10 minute Creation pieces presented each Friday. Considerable discussion time will focus on full-length pieces and the dramaturgy of a full-length work. There will also be a portion of the course dedicated to theatre history and to theatrical reference points from Shakespeare to Chekhov to the Greeks. Attempts will always be made to connect the seminar work to the classroom work.

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FacultyThe School Director

Gabriel Quinn Bauriedel is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of the OBIE Award-winning Pig Iron Theatre Company. Since 1995, Quinn and the company have created 20 original works of theatre, touring them to venues and festivals in Brazil, Germany, Scotland, England, Romania and Poland, among others. Quinn was a Henry Luce Fellow in Bali, Indonesia in 2000-2001 and was a Pew Fellow in Performance Art from 2002-2004. He teaches at Swarthmore and at Princeton University.

Core Faculty

Geoff Soebel is co-artistic director of rainpan 43, a renegade absurdist outfit devoted to creating original actor-driven performance. He has been a company member of Pig Iron Theatre Company since 2001. Geoff was awarded an Independence Foundation Fellowship and grants from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative to create all wear bowlers (Innovative Theatre Award, Drama Desk nomination), machines machines machines machines machines machines machines (Obie award for design), and Flesh and Blood and Fish and Fowl. He has been nominated for three Barrymore Awards and was named Best Theatre Artist 2004 in Philadelphia Magazine. Geoff received a 2006 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and is a 2009 Creative Capital grantee. He is a graduate of Stanford University, and trained at L'École Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

Sarah Sanford studied at École Jacques Lecoq prior to joining Pig Iron on Shut Eye in 2001. Since then she has appeared in PITC creations including The Lucia Joyce Cabaret, Hell Meets Henry Halfway, Love Unpunished, 365 Plays/365 Days, and Welcome to Yuba City. In addition to her Pig Iron work she has performed with BRAT Productions, the Lantern, the Wilma, the Arden, Theatre Exile, Mauckingbird, and in Jo Strømgren's The European Lesson. Sarah has also performed with Toronto company Volcano (The Four Horsemen) inVancouver and Victoria, B.C. She recently brought her original piece Appetite, a collaboration with Toronto dance and theatre artists, to Philadelphia. Sarah was a finalist for the 2008 and 2009 F. Otto Haas award and recently named Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly:Up-and-coming Theatre Artist.”

Emmanuelle Delpech-Ramey was classically trained at Ecole Superieur d’Art Dramatique de la ville de Paris, and studied physical theatre at Ecole Jacques Lecoq.  Emmanuelle has performed in Paris and throughout Europe in such productions as Lettres a Stalingrad (dir. by Laurent Terzieff).  A former member of Pig Iron Theatre Company for eight years, Emmanuelle has been a performer and co-creator of such critically acclaimed productions as Gentlemen Volunteers, Flop!, Hell Meets Henry Halfway (Barrymore nomination for best supporting actress) and James Joyce is Dead and So Is Paris, for which she won a Barrymore Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.  She performed in Interact

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Theatre’s world premier of Feast of the Flying Cow and other Stories of War and co-created and performed Madame Douce-Amere, a wordless duet at the 2005 Lives Arts festival (for which she received an Independent Foundation grant), which has been produced by 1812 Productions at the Walnut street theatre in October 2006. Emmanuelle has taught Clown at University of the Arts, Moliere and Racine at Swarthmore College and organizes clown workshops in Philadelphia for professional or non-professional actors. She currently teaches a 2 semester-Lecoq-Techniques-Class at Temple University for undergraduate and graduate students.

Adjunct Faculty

Jean-Rene Toussaint is a French actor, director, and internationally recognized theater/voice teacher. He is the founder and director of the Stemwerk International Centre for the Voice in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), founded in 1988. Here Jean-Rene offers guided vocal exploration for individuals, couples, and groups, as well as certification in his methods for aspiring voice teachers and theatre artists. In recent years, he also has established a center for summer intensive voice retreats in Avanos, Turkey. His unique voice work is the result of 25 years of research and development, stemming mainly from working with deaf adults and children and from extensive world travel researching the primitivevoice. His particular technique is based essentially on the movement of the body, on delineating the difference between 'voices to be' and 'voices to do', and listening based on bodily perception. He has directed theater groups and theater schools in France and the Netherlands since 1975 (in France 1975-1987; in the Netherlands 1988-2005) He has collaborated with artists such as Jerzy Grotowski, Robert Wilson, Annick Nozati and companies such as Theatre du Radeau, Theatre de Feu, The Living Theater, Bread and Puppet Theater and The Roy Hart Theatre, among many others.

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Policies and Procedures

Admissions Requirments and Procedures

Overview

The Pig Iron School is a post baccalaureate program, appropriate for students with an undergraduate education in theatre performance or its equivalent.

Process

Pig Iron does not have a formal application deadline, and will accept applications on a rolling basis. However, it is strong encouraged that applications are submitted no later April 22, 2011 to avoid waiting lists.

Upon receiving a complete application and $75 application fee, Pig Iron will send written notification of receipt. If the application is incomplete, Pig Iron will indicate which materials are insufficient or missing. Once Pig Iron has notified an applicant that a complete application has been received, the student will be notified within four weeks if they have been accepted to interview with the School Director and Director of Operations.

If an applicant is accepted as a student of the program, they will be required to sign an enrollment agreement. Full tuition is due within 30 calendar days of signing the enrollment agreement. In the event that a student withdrawals before the start of classes, the enrollment agreement describes the full terms of tuition refund. Please contact the school for any additional questions regarding enrollment or tuition refunds.

Entrance Requirements

For consideration, applicants must meet these minimal standards:1) Applicants must be a minimum of 21 years of age.2) Applicants must be able to ascend and descend stairs.3) Applicants must pass a basic physical and/or produce a letter from a physician that

indicates the student is in appropriate condition to pursue physical theatre training. 4) Applicants must have either a BA/BFA, an international equivalent, or possess

extraordinary artistic credentials* that are considered the equivalent of an undergraduate education.

5) Applicants who do not speak English as a first language—or do not have a BA, BFA or its equivalent—will be required to score a 15 on the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test, which may be issued on site or remotely.

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6) Applicants must present evidence of catastrophic health insurance. If the applicant wishes, they may purchase this insurance through a provider recommended by the Pig Iron Theatre Company.

*Extraordinary artistic credentials will be considered at the discretion of the School Director, and may include documentation of writing, creating or designing professional level productions, letters from known artistic authorities that recommends the student for our program, or a submission of materials that demonstrate the student has an exceptional mastery of performance, despite a lack of formal education or training.

Application Materials

Statement of Purpose: The statement of purpose should be a two page written statement expressing your interest in physical and ensemble based theatre training, how you intend to engage the work, how your current work will be influenced by this training, and how you intend to apply this training to your life and artistic career.

Additionally, we ask for you to summarize your assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as a creator, a generative performance artist, an ensemble player, etc. We also ask that you summarize your capacity to change, willingness to embrace new ideas to improve, and evaluate your receptiveness to criticism.

Artistic Statement:The artistic statement should describe the artistic values that guide your work. You may want to include your artistic inspirations and/or work that has had an impact on you. We want to get to know you as an artistic creator. What would a dream project look like? Please try to limit your artistic statement to two pages.

Resume or Curriculum Vitae:Your resume or Curriculum Vitae should include any performance, directing, writing, and devising experience, training, skills, and other such things that you feel are pertinent to this application.

Evidence of Qualifications: Enclose photocopies of relevant degrees, certificates or transcripts. Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent, although candidates with an exceptional artistic background may be considered.

Portfolio, Artistic Samples or Live Audition:Although the Pig Iron School does not require a formal audition, we are interested in reviewing a snapshot of an applicant’s artistic work, which may include a section of a play that has been written or created by the student, a video sample of a student’s performance, or a representation of a design project. If an applicant would prefer, she/he may choose to audition in lieu of producing a portfolio or representative artistic sample.

3 Letters of recommendation: Please include three letters of recommendation from former teachers, directors, or any other

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artistic or academic professional who can speak to your creative skills, your artistic promise and your capacity for growth. Letters may be sent to admissions@pigiron.org, or mailed to:

Pig Iron Theatre CompanyP.O. Box 17275Philadelphia, PA 19105Attn: Pig Iron School

Wonderlic Exam:This requirement is waived for students who speak and read English as a first language. The Wonderlic exam is a twenty minute test consisting of twelve questions that measures English reading and reasoning skills. This test can be taken remotely or in person, and will be conducted in English only.

Photo: Please provide an updated photo or headshot such that we might recognize you upon meeting you in person.

Financial Plan: Please include a short statement in how you plan on paying tuition and living expenses. All non-resident applicants who require a student visa, please provide a written statement outlining how living expenses will be met while in the U.S. This information is necessary when applying for a student visa.

Application Fee:You may pay your $75 application fee with a credit card via our website, or by calling 215-873-0883, or you may send a check or money order made payable to Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training with your application to PO Box 17275, Philadelphia, PA 19105, USA.

Contact

For questions regarding admissions procedures, please contact the school at 215-873-0883, or email to admissions@pigiron.org.

CANCELATION AND WITHDRAW REFUND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

If initiated by School…

Rejection:An applicant rejected by the school is entitled to a refund of all monies paid.

Probationary Review: All students are subject to a 10 week probationary review. The School reserves the right to terminate training at the conclusion of the probationary period if a student’s progress is determined to be unsatisfactory. If training is terminated during the probationary period, the student is entitled to a refund of all unearned tuition, to a maximum of a 66% tuition refund. Please refer to School Catalogue for full details.

If initiated by the student…

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Five-Day CancellationAn applicant who provides written notice of cancellation within Five (5) business days of enrollment, excluding weekends and holidays, of executing the enrollment agreement is entitled to a refund of all monies paid, including the $75 registration fee.

Other Cancellations: An enrollee requesting cancellation more than Six (6) business days after executing the enrollment agreement, but prior to the first day of class is entitled to a refund of all monies paid, less the $75 registration fee.

Withdrawal Procedure: A. In case of injury or if special circumstances arise, a student may request a leave of absence, which should include the date the student anticipates the leave beginning and ending. If the leave is due to injury, then the student must submit their request with a doctor’s recommendation of absence. The withdrawal date will specify the date the student is scheduled to return from the leave of absence but fails to do so. If a student requires an extension of the leave of absence, it is necessary for the student to communicate extension with the Director of Operations to avoid withdrawal. B. A student will be determined to be withdrawn from the institution if the student misses five consecutive instructional days and all of the days are unexcused. C. All refunds, if applicable to according to the below table, will be returned to the student within 30 calendar days of the withdrawal date.

Tuition refunds will be determined as follows: Please note that the following text provides the minimum refund policy pursuant to ACT 174 of 1986 and The Regulations of The State Board of Private Licensed Schools, Title 22, Ch. 73.134:

Proportion of Total ProgramTaught by Withdrawal Date Tuition Refund

Within 5 calendar days after enrollment 100% of total amount paidAfter 6 business days of enrollment and before class begins 100% of program cost, less $150

registration feeWithin first 7 calendar days of the school term 75% of program cost

Less than 25% 55% of program cost25% up to but less than 50% 30% of program cost

50% or more No Refund

Attendance PolicyRegular, punctual attendance is mandatory. Excessive unexcused absences or tardiness will result in academic probation, and may result in being withdrawn from the program.

Excused Absences. Students are required to notify their instructors prior to being absent. Students will be required to arrange make up during scheduled free periods, after scheduled class time, or after the official end of the trimester. If a student does not make up excused absences, the absence will be considered unexcused.

Unexcused Absences. If students do not notify their instructors prior to being absent, they will be considered unexcused. Three nonconsecutive unexcused absences will place the student on academic

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probation. Students will be determined to be withdrawn from the program if they accumulate more than six nonconsecutive or five consecutive instructional days and all of the days are unexcused.

Tardiness. A student will be considered absent from class if they miss more than fifteen minutes of class time. The absence will be considered unexcused if the instructor is not notified beforehand.

Academic Probation. If placed on probation, the student’s progress will be evaluated at the end of the trimester to determine their future in the program. More than two consecutive periods of academic probation will result in a student being withdrawn from the program.

Leave of Absence and Make up Work policy

Leave of Absence. In case of injury or if special circumstances arise, a student may request a leave of absence, which should include the date the student anticipates the leave beginning and ending. If the leave is due to injury, then the student must submit their request with a doctor’s recommendation of absence. If a student requires an extension of the leave of absence, it is necessary for the student to communicate extension with the Director of Operations to avoid withdrawal. If a student fails to return on the scheduled date and does not request an extension, then the student will be considered withdrawn.

Make up Work. When a student returns from a Leave of Absence, the School will make every effort to provide adequate and meaningful make up work that will be catered to the circumstances of the Leave of Absence. In general, this make up work will manifest as a student driven solo project that will be developed with scheduled one-on-one meetings with the School Director. When possible, a student will be expected to observe classes to minimize the amount of classroom and creation hours missed.

If the nature of the student’s absence—whether by serious injury, illness, or family emergency—does not provide a realistic make up work scenario, then the student and Director of Operations will arrange either a temporary hold, allowing the student to be reinstated in the following year’s class, or a permanent withdrawal, which will invoke the refund procedures and policies, and would require the student to reapply in order to be readmitted into the program.

Tuition and Fees

1. Tuition will be $12,000 annually for two years.2. A materials fee of $50 will be charged at the beginning of each year. 3. An activities fee of $100 will be charged at the beginning of each year. 4. There is one $75 application fee, due at the time of an applicant’s submission.

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