| Honoring humanity through creative self – expression. Dedicated to providing quality movement based theatre through performance, education and scholarships. |
Stephen Chipps Mime Theatre
Chipps will perform his extraordinary and eclectic fusion of mime, masks and
movement theatre at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri this
March 26th, 27th and 28th, of 2004. This highly theatrical and mesmerizing
performance is suitable for all ages and is presented through Byrd Productions.
Stephen Chipps Mime Theatre highlights include ‘Dragon dance’- an epic struggle
of opposing forces created using a dual mask and the hauntingly beautiful Sea of
Hands, a gorgeous exploration of movement and life in the ocean depths using
black light theatre. The Cleveland based artist has toured for over 21 years in 45
states throughout the US, Japan, Korea, Okinawa and Canada. The show features
elements of modern and corporeal mime, mask work, black light theatre, the
original music of Mark Kmit and the smooth solo guitar of Pete Cavano. Stephen
has studied with mime masters and artists from around the world including Marcel
Marceau, Stefan Niedzialkowski and The Goldston & Johnson School for Mimes
and The Saskatchewan Seminars for Mime and Movement Theatre. He is a faculty
member of The School for Mimes held each summer at Kenyon College in Gambier,
Ohio and is a member of the Ohio Arts Council’s Arts-in-Education Program.
Stephen also tours as part of Kapoot Clown Theatre, a three man comedy show he
co-wrote with partners Dan Griffiths and Jim Williams which appeared at the Just
off Broadway Theatre this last October. Stephen Chipps Mime Theatre recently
appeared as part of the Fall for the Arts Series at the Bristol Valley Theatre in
Naples, New York.
Chipps will perform his extraordinary and eclectic fusion of mime, masks and
movement theatre at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri this
March 26th, 27th and 28th, of 2004. This highly theatrical and mesmerizing
performance is suitable for all ages and is presented through Byrd Productions.
Stephen Chipps Mime Theatre highlights include ‘Dragon dance’- an epic struggle
of opposing forces created using a dual mask and the hauntingly beautiful Sea of
Hands, a gorgeous exploration of movement and life in the ocean depths using
black light theatre. The Cleveland based artist has toured for over 21 years in 45
states throughout the US, Japan, Korea, Okinawa and Canada. The show features
elements of modern and corporeal mime, mask work, black light theatre, the
original music of Mark Kmit and the smooth solo guitar of Pete Cavano. Stephen
has studied with mime masters and artists from around the world including Marcel
Marceau, Stefan Niedzialkowski and The Goldston & Johnson School for Mimes
and The Saskatchewan Seminars for Mime and Movement Theatre. He is a faculty
member of The School for Mimes held each summer at Kenyon College in Gambier,
Ohio and is a member of the Ohio Arts Council’s Arts-in-Education Program.
Stephen also tours as part of Kapoot Clown Theatre, a three man comedy show he
co-wrote with partners Dan Griffiths and Jim Williams which appeared at the Just
off Broadway Theatre this last October. Stephen Chipps Mime Theatre recently
appeared as part of the Fall for the Arts Series at the Bristol Valley Theatre in
Naples, New York.
You Can't Do That In A Mime Show
Byrd Production’s Movement Theatre is thrilled to bring Dean Hatton to Kansas
City audiences straight from his triumphant showing in the Minneapolis Fringe
Festival. His performances of You Can’t Do That In A Mime Show have been called
consistently clever and inventive, inspired art and the real thing. Local mime artist
and producer Beth Byrd will be aiding and abetting Dean in this endeavor.
Together, they are dynamically trained physical theater artists that take the art of
mime and skillfully make it their own by mixing a variety of different pantomime and
physical comedy techniques into a musical gross-ology that will send your mind to
places it is not allowed.
October 14-16, 2005
Byrd Production’s Movement Theatre is thrilled to bring Dean Hatton to Kansas
City audiences straight from his triumphant showing in the Minneapolis Fringe
Festival. His performances of You Can’t Do That In A Mime Show have been called
consistently clever and inventive, inspired art and the real thing. Local mime artist
and producer Beth Byrd will be aiding and abetting Dean in this endeavor.
Together, they are dynamically trained physical theater artists that take the art of
mime and skillfully make it their own by mixing a variety of different pantomime and
physical comedy techniques into a musical gross-ology that will send your mind to
places it is not allowed.
October 14-16, 2005
GEOMETRIES:
A Performing Arts Experiment By A Not-So Mathematical Genius
A sometimes wacky, sometimes beautiful mix of mime and monologue theatre,
GEOMETRIES follows the multiple alter egos of, Rick Wamer as he journeys
through the landscape of everyday stress. GEOMETRIES, debuted at the 1994
Fringe Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where it received excellent reviews.
Rick Wamer, the creator and performer of GEOMETRIES, has toured Poland with
the Invisible People Mime Theatre and Puerto Rico with the Alithea Mime Theatre
and is currently working with ATOM (A Theatre of Mime) as a consultant for
Universal Studios in Hollywood.
A Performing Arts Experiment By A Not-So Mathematical Genius
A sometimes wacky, sometimes beautiful mix of mime and monologue theatre,
GEOMETRIES follows the multiple alter egos of, Rick Wamer as he journeys
through the landscape of everyday stress. GEOMETRIES, debuted at the 1994
Fringe Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where it received excellent reviews.
Rick Wamer, the creator and performer of GEOMETRIES, has toured Poland with
the Invisible People Mime Theatre and Puerto Rico with the Alithea Mime Theatre
and is currently working with ATOM (A Theatre of Mime) as a consultant for
Universal Studios in Hollywood.
Hybrid:
The interaction of unlike things
Created by: Ingrid Andrea Geurtsen and Heidi Stubblefield
Hybrid is a collage of images and characters that orbits around tragedy and
comedy, beauty and the grotesque, cruelty and compassion. It’s set in an ageless
world of invention, laughter and foolishness. Come see it “through the famous
red nose – the smallest mask in the world which would help people to expose their
naïveté and their fragility.” – Jacques LeCoq
December 8-11, 2006
The interaction of unlike things
Created by: Ingrid Andrea Geurtsen and Heidi Stubblefield
Hybrid is a collage of images and characters that orbits around tragedy and
comedy, beauty and the grotesque, cruelty and compassion. It’s set in an ageless
world of invention, laughter and foolishness. Come see it “through the famous
red nose – the smallest mask in the world which would help people to expose their
naïveté and their fragility.” – Jacques LeCoq
December 8-11, 2006
Review: 'Fools' Fortunes II'
By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star
Clowning is an exacting art.
Or so it would seem judging from the opening-night performance of "Fools' Fortunes II," a showcase of clowns, actors,
illusionists and others whose disciplines can be grouped under the umbrella term "movement theater."
Clowns, for the purposes of this review, refer to artists working in the European tradition, not birthday-party clowns. So
you'll see no balloon animals or squirting lapel flowers. You will see theatre performers striving to create art, even if
some of them are a little under-rehearsed.
The inherent weirdness of an agreeably ridiculous performance by an ensemble called Boom! An International Lost
and Found Family Marching Band got my vote for highlight of the evening on opening night.
Led my Stephanie Roberts, who teaches physical theater at UMKC, the group proves, among other things, that it's
possible to perform Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" in a loose -- very loose -- arrangement incorporating ukulele,
bass drum, trombone, clarinet and melodica. Roberts, adopting the persona of a Germanic disciplinarian, is a
stone-faced exclamation point in her white plastic boots and red bodysuit/hot pants outfit as she barks instructions to
her musicians.
Jason Reynolds, performing as a clown in love named Chauncey, demonstrates nuance and impressive physical
performing skills in a very funny bit called "All By Myself."
Beth Byrd, who produced the show, performs several numbers in which she demonstrates real acting ability. The crowd
favorite on opening night was "What's in the Box?" performed by Byrd and a talented Boston terrier named Brutus.
Brutus, who happens to be the pride and joy of local actor Heidi Stubblefield, also makes a big impression in a routine
with juggler Jason Smith, in which Brutus eventually captures one of the juggling balls and runs off stage with it clamped
between his jaws.
Stubblefield presents a 10-minute excerpt from "The Coppellia Project," which she conceived and directed and will
stage in its entirety for the KC Fringe Festival this summer. Veteran actor Ric Averill plays the grizzled old doll-maker
opposite Kalen Compernolle as the doll who comes to life. The piece is rough around the edges but charming.
Indeed, it's fair to view "Fools' Fortune II" as a preview, at least in terms of spirit, of the Fringe Festival in July. If so, the
festival should be a lively affair.
"Fools' Fortune II" will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday May 17 and 2 p.m. Sunday May 18 at the Just Off Broadway
Theatre. Tickets: $12.
By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star
Clowning is an exacting art.
Or so it would seem judging from the opening-night performance of "Fools' Fortunes II," a showcase of clowns, actors,
illusionists and others whose disciplines can be grouped under the umbrella term "movement theater."
Clowns, for the purposes of this review, refer to artists working in the European tradition, not birthday-party clowns. So
you'll see no balloon animals or squirting lapel flowers. You will see theatre performers striving to create art, even if
some of them are a little under-rehearsed.
The inherent weirdness of an agreeably ridiculous performance by an ensemble called Boom! An International Lost
and Found Family Marching Band got my vote for highlight of the evening on opening night.
Led my Stephanie Roberts, who teaches physical theater at UMKC, the group proves, among other things, that it's
possible to perform Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" in a loose -- very loose -- arrangement incorporating ukulele,
bass drum, trombone, clarinet and melodica. Roberts, adopting the persona of a Germanic disciplinarian, is a
stone-faced exclamation point in her white plastic boots and red bodysuit/hot pants outfit as she barks instructions to
her musicians.
Jason Reynolds, performing as a clown in love named Chauncey, demonstrates nuance and impressive physical
performing skills in a very funny bit called "All By Myself."
Beth Byrd, who produced the show, performs several numbers in which she demonstrates real acting ability. The crowd
favorite on opening night was "What's in the Box?" performed by Byrd and a talented Boston terrier named Brutus.
Brutus, who happens to be the pride and joy of local actor Heidi Stubblefield, also makes a big impression in a routine
with juggler Jason Smith, in which Brutus eventually captures one of the juggling balls and runs off stage with it clamped
between his jaws.
Stubblefield presents a 10-minute excerpt from "The Coppellia Project," which she conceived and directed and will
stage in its entirety for the KC Fringe Festival this summer. Veteran actor Ric Averill plays the grizzled old doll-maker
opposite Kalen Compernolle as the doll who comes to life. The piece is rough around the edges but charming.
Indeed, it's fair to view "Fools' Fortune II" as a preview, at least in terms of spirit, of the Fringe Festival in July. If so, the
festival should be a lively affair.
"Fools' Fortune II" will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday May 17 and 2 p.m. Sunday May 18 at the Just Off Broadway
Theatre. Tickets: $12.
CYCLOPEDIA pushes the boundaries of theatre, merging the company’s highly dynamic physicality with state of the art multimedia to create the award-winning productions for which Kari Margolis and Tony Brown have earned their international reputations. Come see what the Washington Post hailed as... "so exciting, so original, so unexpected it renews your faith in the artistic future". CYCLOPEDIA explores a phantasmagorical world of endless words, countless symbols, piles of paper, broken pencils and mountainous stacks of books. In this strange and dusty world all the thoughts of mankind have accumulated in to an odd and ever changing room shared by two men -- and a shadow. They find themselves on an unpredictable search for knowledge, for answers to yet unknown problems and of course the greatest questions of all - who are we, why are we here and where are we going. Workshop – Monday, October 6, 7:00 – 9:00 PM – $25 (“merge vocal and physical expression through precise yet organic daily exercises that focus on the actor as central to the creative process.”) Performances are October 9 – 11 at 8:00PM and October 12 at 2:00 PM All take place at the Just Off Broadway Theater 3051 Central, KCMO 64108 |
Beth Byrd Brings Movement Theatre to Kansas City
by Bryan Colley
www.kcstage.com
For years, Beth Byrd has persevered to give mime a good name in Kansas City, and this month she's
taking a big step forward by bringing in the Minneapolis-based Margolis Brown Adaptors Company. Byrd
is an advocate for what is commonly called "movement theatre," a vague moniker for a broad range of
acting styles and methods that includes everything from clowning, mime, silent film acting, and commedia
dell'arte—a style of acting that's done with the body rather than the voice. It's a form of theatre that has
long been absent in Kansas City's theatre scene, despite its solid dramatic tradition and enormous
presence in European theatre.
Byrd Productions is currently the only local professional organization dedicated to the art form. Working
out of the Just Off Broadway Theatre, she has produced two works with local actress Heidi Stubblefield—
Hybrid and the recent KC Fringe Festival hit The Coppelia Project. She has also brought notable
movement artists such as Rick Wamer and Kapoot Clown Theatre to Kansas City, produced an annual
fundraiser offering a grab-bag of entertainment, and staged two Fools' Fortunes variety shows, in addition
to hosting several movement theatre workshops throughout the year.
One of the reasons that movement theatre isn't as popular as the traditional form of theatre more
commonly offered is that it requires considerably more time and rehearsal to create a movement
performance. Byrd says that movement theatre appeals to actors who are "looking for more process. It
requires more of a time commitment and a more personal creative contribution. It thrives in cities that have
a larger number of professional actors, like Minneapolis. It's for people who are more interested in the
creative process, and it's a process of distillation, minimized economy of movement, distilled down to the
finest quantity and minimal idea."
She points out that she can always spot an actor on stage who's had training in movement theatre.
"They're generally the actor you can't take your eyes off of, even when they're not speaking. They're
communicating everything through movement." She says her workshops attract not only actors, but
dancers, playwrights, and people interested in commedia and mime.
Byrd describes what makes movement theatre vital to her: "As human beings, man's purpose is to know
man. Self-expression is how we get to know ourselves. Movement as self-expression allows us to fully
explore ourselves. Language can be limiting, and limitations are death. Hopefully movement theatre will
make us able to communicate better." Movement theatre's ability to cross language barriers is well known,
and Byrd says she finds audiences very receptive to her work even if English is their second language.
She also says movement theatre thrives during hard times, adversity, censorship, and limitations, noting
how the lack of sound in the first decades of film forced a rich and complex form of visual acting for early
cinema. She explains, "It can create a bridge between societies, broaden the range of how we relate in
theatre and in society, and broaden the conversation between ourselves."
There have been others who have presented movement-based theatre in Kansas City, but nothing that has
been as widely embraced as the recent Coppelia Project. Nearly a decade ago, Beth Byrd formed the
group Thespianage with Eric Davis, Nick Miller Scheyer, Alex Kipp, and Martha Locke. Thespianage gave a
few performances and then morphed into the John Brown Clown Theatre before eventually disbanding.
During this time, there were several groups in Kansas City experimenting with movement theatre. Perhaps
the most notable organization is the now defunct Evaporated Milk Society led by Randall Cohn. Their work
was as inventive, layered, and precise as well as obtuse, pretentious, and arch, but they made an
impression with their avant-garde staging of Hamlet. Maria Antonia Perez-Andujar, a native of Spain,
produced a few politically-tinged theatre pieces with Theatre of Relativity, drawing heavily on European
theatre traditions. These groups are no longer producing, leaving a movement theatre void filled by Byrd
Productions and the occasional touring show. The KC Fringe Festival is also a place where alternative
forms of theatre are getting an opportunity to be seen by local audiences, including some movement-
derived works.
There is one other place in Kansas City where movement theatre is kept alive even if general audiences
aren't treated to performances, and that's in the theatre training program at UMKC. A promising newcomer
to the UMKC faculty is Stephanie Roberts, whose ensemble BOOM! recently performed with Byrd
Productions and at the KC Fringe Festival this summer. Largely through the influence of professor Ted
Swetz, the university has routinely brought in guest instructors from Europe who are skilled in movement
theatre. Most of them were trained by the renowned French artist Jacques Lecoq, who received his
training from Etienne Decroux, known as the father of movement theatre.
Kansas City audiences perhaps know movement theatre best through mimes—silent performers who
create imaginary obstacles and props with their bodies, often for laughs. The white face popularized by the
world's best known and most imitated mime, Marcel Marceau, is derived from an ancient tradition of masks
and face paint. Marceau was also a student of Etienne Decroux, although he received his training much
earlier than Lecoq and it was very different training. Decroux refined his technique continuously and was
able to spawn two separate movement disciplines through Marceau and Lecoq.
Very late in life, after his technique had evolved even further, Decroux trained two students named Kari
Margolis and Tony Brown. They met in 1975 and later used their training to form the Margolis Brown
Adaptors Company in New York City in 1983, eventually relocating to Minneapolis in 1993. They have
produced thirteen large-scale productions that have toured the world, and they train students in movement
theatre year round. Beth Byrd trained with them over a period of five summers. They're currently building a
training school in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Their technique begins with physics—the laws of nature that govern motion and therefore create conflict
and balance within movement. Their artistic statement further explains, "We see ourselves as visual poets
using our bodies to create living poetry.... We merge other media to create a modern theatre or spectacle
and celebration that is rich with metaphor, one that will grab an audience both emotionally and
intellectually and affect them for a long time afterwards."
Margolis explains that her goal with movement theatre is to "create a compelling, dynamic, total theatrical
experience. I want to discover the most exciting way to tell a story, whether it's with movement, or vocally,
or with multimedia, music, puppetry. I don't want there to be limitations. I want to make it as exciting as
possible." The process begins with by bringing a concept into their workshop where the idea is
developed with her students. She explains that, "we generate the piece from an initial seed, developing it
with research, training, improvisation, everything we practice with the art form until we've created an
original work." Text is added from their research, or from improv. Sometimes it will begin with a short
script, or a piece of music or other media.
Margolis Brown's latest work, which Byrd Productions will be presenting at the Just Off Broadway Theatre
this month, is called Cyclopedia. Kansas City is the third stop for Cyclopedia, after a preview in New York
City and a premiere in Minneapolis. Margolis said the piece will incorporate music and puppetry, and she
explains the concept: "Cyclopedia explores a phantasmagorical world of endless words, countless
symbols, piles of paper, broken pencils and mountainous stacks of books. In this strange and dusty world
all the thoughts of mankind have accumulated in to an odd and ever-changing room shared by two men—
and a shadow. They find themselves on an unpredictable search for knowledge, for answers to yet
unknown problems and of course the greatest questions of all: who are we, why are we here and where
are we going?"
Of course, explaining movement theatre verbally is inherently a challenge, which may be one reason why
descriptions tend toward the philosophical. It also may be why it's generally difficult to promote, critique,
and discuss movement theatre. It's not so much telling a story as it is performing a story, and what makes
it special—the movement—can't be related in words. Luckily videos of Margolis Brown's work can be
viewed online at their website, www.margolisbrown.org, and at www.youtube.com/user/margolisbrown.
This will hopefully give some idea of what they're all about, and provide a taste for what's coming this
October to Just Off Broadway.
by Bryan Colley
www.kcstage.com
For years, Beth Byrd has persevered to give mime a good name in Kansas City, and this month she's
taking a big step forward by bringing in the Minneapolis-based Margolis Brown Adaptors Company. Byrd
is an advocate for what is commonly called "movement theatre," a vague moniker for a broad range of
acting styles and methods that includes everything from clowning, mime, silent film acting, and commedia
dell'arte—a style of acting that's done with the body rather than the voice. It's a form of theatre that has
long been absent in Kansas City's theatre scene, despite its solid dramatic tradition and enormous
presence in European theatre.
Byrd Productions is currently the only local professional organization dedicated to the art form. Working
out of the Just Off Broadway Theatre, she has produced two works with local actress Heidi Stubblefield—
Hybrid and the recent KC Fringe Festival hit The Coppelia Project. She has also brought notable
movement artists such as Rick Wamer and Kapoot Clown Theatre to Kansas City, produced an annual
fundraiser offering a grab-bag of entertainment, and staged two Fools' Fortunes variety shows, in addition
to hosting several movement theatre workshops throughout the year.
One of the reasons that movement theatre isn't as popular as the traditional form of theatre more
commonly offered is that it requires considerably more time and rehearsal to create a movement
performance. Byrd says that movement theatre appeals to actors who are "looking for more process. It
requires more of a time commitment and a more personal creative contribution. It thrives in cities that have
a larger number of professional actors, like Minneapolis. It's for people who are more interested in the
creative process, and it's a process of distillation, minimized economy of movement, distilled down to the
finest quantity and minimal idea."
She points out that she can always spot an actor on stage who's had training in movement theatre.
"They're generally the actor you can't take your eyes off of, even when they're not speaking. They're
communicating everything through movement." She says her workshops attract not only actors, but
dancers, playwrights, and people interested in commedia and mime.
Byrd describes what makes movement theatre vital to her: "As human beings, man's purpose is to know
man. Self-expression is how we get to know ourselves. Movement as self-expression allows us to fully
explore ourselves. Language can be limiting, and limitations are death. Hopefully movement theatre will
make us able to communicate better." Movement theatre's ability to cross language barriers is well known,
and Byrd says she finds audiences very receptive to her work even if English is their second language.
She also says movement theatre thrives during hard times, adversity, censorship, and limitations, noting
how the lack of sound in the first decades of film forced a rich and complex form of visual acting for early
cinema. She explains, "It can create a bridge between societies, broaden the range of how we relate in
theatre and in society, and broaden the conversation between ourselves."
There have been others who have presented movement-based theatre in Kansas City, but nothing that has
been as widely embraced as the recent Coppelia Project. Nearly a decade ago, Beth Byrd formed the
group Thespianage with Eric Davis, Nick Miller Scheyer, Alex Kipp, and Martha Locke. Thespianage gave a
few performances and then morphed into the John Brown Clown Theatre before eventually disbanding.
During this time, there were several groups in Kansas City experimenting with movement theatre. Perhaps
the most notable organization is the now defunct Evaporated Milk Society led by Randall Cohn. Their work
was as inventive, layered, and precise as well as obtuse, pretentious, and arch, but they made an
impression with their avant-garde staging of Hamlet. Maria Antonia Perez-Andujar, a native of Spain,
produced a few politically-tinged theatre pieces with Theatre of Relativity, drawing heavily on European
theatre traditions. These groups are no longer producing, leaving a movement theatre void filled by Byrd
Productions and the occasional touring show. The KC Fringe Festival is also a place where alternative
forms of theatre are getting an opportunity to be seen by local audiences, including some movement-
derived works.
There is one other place in Kansas City where movement theatre is kept alive even if general audiences
aren't treated to performances, and that's in the theatre training program at UMKC. A promising newcomer
to the UMKC faculty is Stephanie Roberts, whose ensemble BOOM! recently performed with Byrd
Productions and at the KC Fringe Festival this summer. Largely through the influence of professor Ted
Swetz, the university has routinely brought in guest instructors from Europe who are skilled in movement
theatre. Most of them were trained by the renowned French artist Jacques Lecoq, who received his
training from Etienne Decroux, known as the father of movement theatre.
Kansas City audiences perhaps know movement theatre best through mimes—silent performers who
create imaginary obstacles and props with their bodies, often for laughs. The white face popularized by the
world's best known and most imitated mime, Marcel Marceau, is derived from an ancient tradition of masks
and face paint. Marceau was also a student of Etienne Decroux, although he received his training much
earlier than Lecoq and it was very different training. Decroux refined his technique continuously and was
able to spawn two separate movement disciplines through Marceau and Lecoq.
Very late in life, after his technique had evolved even further, Decroux trained two students named Kari
Margolis and Tony Brown. They met in 1975 and later used their training to form the Margolis Brown
Adaptors Company in New York City in 1983, eventually relocating to Minneapolis in 1993. They have
produced thirteen large-scale productions that have toured the world, and they train students in movement
theatre year round. Beth Byrd trained with them over a period of five summers. They're currently building a
training school in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Their technique begins with physics—the laws of nature that govern motion and therefore create conflict
and balance within movement. Their artistic statement further explains, "We see ourselves as visual poets
using our bodies to create living poetry.... We merge other media to create a modern theatre or spectacle
and celebration that is rich with metaphor, one that will grab an audience both emotionally and
intellectually and affect them for a long time afterwards."
Margolis explains that her goal with movement theatre is to "create a compelling, dynamic, total theatrical
experience. I want to discover the most exciting way to tell a story, whether it's with movement, or vocally,
or with multimedia, music, puppetry. I don't want there to be limitations. I want to make it as exciting as
possible." The process begins with by bringing a concept into their workshop where the idea is
developed with her students. She explains that, "we generate the piece from an initial seed, developing it
with research, training, improvisation, everything we practice with the art form until we've created an
original work." Text is added from their research, or from improv. Sometimes it will begin with a short
script, or a piece of music or other media.
Margolis Brown's latest work, which Byrd Productions will be presenting at the Just Off Broadway Theatre
this month, is called Cyclopedia. Kansas City is the third stop for Cyclopedia, after a preview in New York
City and a premiere in Minneapolis. Margolis said the piece will incorporate music and puppetry, and she
explains the concept: "Cyclopedia explores a phantasmagorical world of endless words, countless
symbols, piles of paper, broken pencils and mountainous stacks of books. In this strange and dusty world
all the thoughts of mankind have accumulated in to an odd and ever-changing room shared by two men—
and a shadow. They find themselves on an unpredictable search for knowledge, for answers to yet
unknown problems and of course the greatest questions of all: who are we, why are we here and where
are we going?"
Of course, explaining movement theatre verbally is inherently a challenge, which may be one reason why
descriptions tend toward the philosophical. It also may be why it's generally difficult to promote, critique,
and discuss movement theatre. It's not so much telling a story as it is performing a story, and what makes
it special—the movement—can't be related in words. Luckily videos of Margolis Brown's work can be
viewed online at their website, www.margolisbrown.org, and at www.youtube.com/user/margolisbrown.
This will hopefully give some idea of what they're all about, and provide a taste for what's coming this
October to Just Off Broadway.
| Byrd Productions Presents: Appetizing Artists! Monday, November 10th, 2008 at CALIFORNO's in Westport Enjoy: ~The Incredible Juggling of Brian Wendling with your salad~ www.brianwendling.com ~An excerpt of Princess X-mas by Dan Griffiths and Danielle Conover with your entree~ ~The Miles & Mareske Jazz Duo with your dessert~ |
| Once upon a time in a theater that used to be a castle a group of buffoons, mimes, fools and movement artists gathered to to perform their most amusing, stunning and fascinating stories. Jugglers juggled, fools were foolish, mimes were silent, clown bands played and all enjoyed each others company. Then one day they looked around and said “Hey, we should do this in front of people!” May 11, 2009 Clown Theater Workshop with Dan Griffiths This workshop is for anyone who is interested in creating a context for humor in front of a live audience by having an ACTUAL experience onstage. Not contriving it or acting it but by allowing an experience to affect you. How do you create spontaneity while maintaining truth in the moment? You RISK. This workshop is about you onstage in front of an audience. How are you affected by events? How does the audience affect you? How will you support your partners? How do you remain emotionally and physically receptive? I do not take as sacred the purity of forms or rules about what is and is not clown. In this workshop we will commit to making Clown Theater that is interesting to people through the HOW of storytelling and through our energy and presence. There are lots of approaches to the question "who is your clown?" Some focus on discovering the clown within you, some build it from the outside in, some create it through relationships with people, objects, the world. This workshop will introduce a range of approaches so you can figure out how you work and begin to access your clown presence/character/energy on stage. Dan Griffiths is a performer, director and educator who has been devising original work since1988. Dan has performed in over 45 states and 25 countries and is the Director of KAPOOT CLOWN THEATER. Dan has served as faculty for The School for Mime Theater, Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University and Indiana University Northwest, and is a regular lecturer at The Academy of Art University and The San Francisco Clown Conservatory. Dan has performed with the Klown troupe Die Hanswurste, served as a director, performer and educator with Chicago’s 500 Clown, and has worked as a clown doctor and trainer for The Big Apple Circus. Dan has studied with Marcel Marceau, Polish Mime master Stefan Niedzialkowski, and at The Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. Dan holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from New College of California and an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Art from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Locally, Dan is directing the World Premiere of The Miniature Housewife at The Kansas City International Fringe Festival and this October will premiere The Fontina and Gruyere Show, devised and performed with his wife and creative partner Danielle Conover. |
July 19 - 26 at the K.C. Fringe Festival The Miniature Housewife Original Script by Danielle Conover Directed by Dan Griffiths Created and Performed by Danielle Conover and Dan Griffiths as part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival The Miniature Housewife is a multi-discipline performance project using physical comedy, dance, video animation, original music and stream of consciousness monologue to explore the psychological and physical perils of the modern woman inside the home. Drawing on popular images and concepts of the classic 50’s housewife, and slogans from the 1970’s feminist movement this works seeks to bridge the gaps between concepts of feminism, femininity and the real experience of one American woman. In a full-length two act “play”, the heroine -The Miniature Housewife-, is put through a rigorous cultural confrontation by an alter-ego/villain named Monster Chicken- that forces her to explore and overcome all the obstacles of her manufactured identity. Using a make believe landscape of the fully equipped and perfectly mechanized modern house as a metaphor for an emotional soul searching journey, this story seeks to discover a truer and more satisfying meaning of hearth and home for everyone. Danielle Conover Danielle is an interdisciplinary artist who has been making original solo and collaborative performance work since 2000. She has studied extensively with artists in the Bay Area including Jubilith Moore, Joan Mankin, Jeff Razz, Dawn-Elin Fraser and The San Francisco Mime Troupe: Japanese Noh and Kyogen Theater, mask, Commedia, Shakespeare, Clown and voice. During her undergraduate studies at Sarah Lawrence College she studied dance and puppetry with Dan Hurlin. She is a graduate of the Jaques Lecoq International Theater School for physical theater. Recently, she has graduated with an MA in Experimental performance from New College of California and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from California Institute of Integral Studies. Danielle has created and performed over a dozen original performances exploring the themes of domesticity, rites of passage, childhood, Americana and socio- personal decadence using installation, original music, object-theater, puppetry and dance. Danielle is very excited to present the World Premiere of The Miniature Housewife at The Kansas City Fringe Festival, and will be just as pleased (or more) to premiere a new clown performance, The Fontina and Gruyere Show in October with her partner Dan Griffiths, also presented by Byrd Productions. Dan Griffiths Dan Griffiths is a performer, director and educator who has been devising original work since1988. Dan has performed in over 45 states and 25 countries and is the Director of KAPOOT CLOWN THEATER. Dan has served as faculty for The School for Mime Theater, Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University and Indiana University Northwest, and is a regular lecturer at The Academy of Art University and The San Francisco Clown Conservatory. Dan has performed with the Klown troupe Die Hanswurste, served as a director, performer and educator with Chicago’s 500 Clown, and has worked as a clown doctor and trainer for The Big Apple Circus. Dan has studied with Marcel Marceau, Polish Mime master Stefan Niedzialkowski, and at The Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. Dan holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from New College of California and an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Art from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Locally, Dan pleased to be directing the World Premiere of The Miniature Housewife at The Kansas City Fringe Festival and this October will premiere a clown performance, The Fontina and Gruyere Show, devised and performed with his wife and creative partner Danielle Conover, also presented by Byrd Productions Mime Inspired By Marcel Marceau - A Tribute Dean Hatton returns to the Kansas City Fringe Festival with Kirsten Stephens, A graduate of the Marceau School in Paris, To perform a collection of their favorite mime skits to celebrate the life and inspiration of their mentor Marcel Marceau. Who: Kirsten Stephens studied for three years with world-renowned Marcel Marceau in Paris, France and graduated from his school in 1997, earning a letter of special recognition and recommendation from Marceau himself. Following graduation from l’Ecole International de Mimodrame de Marcel Marceau, she toured France and Europe with four of her classmates in the company Mime de Rien, and taught mime classes in Paris. Kirsten moved to Minneapolis in 2000 and was thrilled to find a partner equally influenced by Marceau's genius in Dean Hatton. The teamed up in 2002 and together they have delighted audiences in the Twin Cities in the Fringe Festival, Foolfest, and in independent shows. Dean Hatton has been performing mime across the country for 20 years and has delighted audiences in the twin cities for 5 years. He was a hit at Foolfest, Minnesota Fringe and Kansas City Fringe festivals where audiences raved about him in blogs and audience reviews. "Fantastic!, Dean Is Minneapolis's Biggest Secret" - Phillip Low. In the 90's he was very fortunate to study with Marcel Marceau at The Goldston And Johnson School For Mime in Gambier, Ohio and at University Of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was through these intensive workshops where Mr. Marceau became a mentor to Dean and much of his work is based on the principles he learned. Dean said "He showed me the poetry and meaning behind theater, a very wise and gentle man. I thought of him as my Grandfather". A theatrical production called "Silent Poetry 2", A Tribute To Marcel Marceau. A Collection Of Mime Skits Inspired By work of Marcel Marceau. Part of The Kansas City Fringe Festival. To honor and celebrate the life and inspiration of the world’s greatest mime, Marcel Marceau. Presented In Part By Byrd Productions |
| August 10-14 CLOWN THEATER INTENSIVE BY DAN GRIFFITHS PRESENTED IN PART BY BYRD PRODUCTIONS AUGUST 10-14TH AT THE JUST OFF BROADWAY THEATER 5 – DAY CLOWN INTENSIVE WITH DAN GRIFFITHS FOCUS ON CHARACTER, STATE OF PLAY AND CREATION OF NEW WORK CULMINATING IN A FINAL PUBLIC PERFORMANCE AUGUST 14TH. TUITION IS $300. DESCRIPTON: In this week-long intensive we will expand our awareness to include the audience and ourselves in the same breath. We will be responsible, able and willing to respond onstage, to the audience and to ourselves while in a state of true play and discovery. We will risk vulnerability, explore improvisation and discover realms of beauty and grotesquery while devising original characters and new material. You will learn to confront the audience, find your breath, discover your body and play. How do you create humor in front of a live audience? By having an ACTUAL experience onstage. How do you create spontaneity while maintaining truth in the moment? RISK. The action is all for ‘them’ as it occurs to you. It is whimsical and everything is at once discovered and planned. The play is not a previously organized and envisioned set of circumstances unrelated to the audience. The play is pulled from the very desire to show them something, to string a bunch of images together that end up telling a very profound story. Don’t worry about things ‘making sense’. Whatever occurs to the character you are living in is the sense of that moment, and therefore undeniably true and acceptable. How do your partners affect you? How does the audience affect you? How do you remain emotionally and physically receptive? BIO Dan Griffiths is a performer, director and educator who has been devising original work since1988. Dan has performed in over 45 states and 25 countries and is the Director of KAPOOT CLOWN THEATER. Dan has served as faculty for The School for Mime Theater, Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University and Indiana University Northwest, and is a regular lecturer at The Academy of Art University and The San Francisco Clown Conservatory. Dan has performed with the Klown troupe Die Hanswurste, served as a director, performer and educator with Chicago’s 500 Clown, and has worked as a clown doctor and trainer for The Big Apple Circus. Dan has studied with Marcel Marceau, Polish Mime master Stefan Niedzialkowski, and at The Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. Dan holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from New College of California and an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Art from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Locally, Dan is directing the World Premiere of The Miniature Housewife at The Kansas City International Fringe Festival and this October will premiere The Fontina and Gruyere Show, devised and performed with his wife and creative partner Danielle Conover. |
| October 9 – 11 The Fontina and Gruyere Show Danielle Conover and Dan Griffiths See the great magician Gruyere and his beautiful assistant Fontina, survivors of a tragic accident! Shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean floating on a great piece of luggage, the pair struggles to make sense of their misfortune, reconcile their past, and conjure a way home. This original clown theater production for the whole family is a world premiere and will be presented in Kansas City by Byrd Productions at: the Just Off Broadway Theater 3051 Central (that's 31st & Wyandotte) KCMO 64108. Performance dates and times are: Friday, October 9 at 8:00 Saturday, October 10 at 2:00 and 8:00 Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 Tickets are only $12 |
| November 9 Appetizing Artists at Californos Enjoy: ~The Amazing Juggling & Fire Performance by The Amazin’ Jason with your salad~ ~An excerpt of L’Histoire D’Amour by Heidi Van & Matt Weiss with your entree~ ~The music of Eddie Glenn & Co. with your dessert~ ~The affair kicks off at 6:00 with hors d'oeuvres ~Fabulous balloon sculptures by Oh Wow! Balloons ~There will be an auction of art and artists beginning at 8:30 ~All of the sumptuous food and artists are available to you for only $40. |
| Byrd Productions Celebrates their fifteenth year with another Laid Back Fund Raiser Come join Byrd Productions and friends as they celebrate fifteen years of Physical Theater with their eleventh annual Laid Back Fund Raiser. This year’s festivities include beer by Boulevard Beer, hors d'oeuvres by Moxie Catering, cake by CakeGallery@Studio209 and the best darned silent auction and raffle in town. Enjoy performances of music, magic, comedy, performance art, slam poetry, clowning, belly dance, fire performance, vaudeville and burlesque (whew). So, don’t just sit there! Come on down to the Just Off Broadway Theater, 3051 Central, Saturday, April 10th from 7:00 – 11:00ish. The final hour is adults only – sorry kids. This year’s performances include, Last Free Exit & Friends – The House Band, Brian Wendling – Comedy Juggler, Jazzbo – The One-Man Junk Band, Ryan L. McCord – Performance Artist, Jack Phillips – performing excerpts from his play The Us & Them Reunion, Joshua Staley – Slam Poet, Coy Espinoza - object and fire manipulation, Doug Luther – Guitar Man, Mentoc the Mind Fuggler from bigcircusfuntime, M'chelle DeMars – Danse Du Ventre, Annie Cherry & Bindlestiff Willie – Burlesque & Vaudeville and premiering The Flock – a Company of Clowns. The suggested donation at the door is only $12. For more information call Byrd Productions at 816-305-8188 or go to www. byrdproductions.org (Byrd Productions is a member of the Just Off Broadway Theatre Association, which facilitates the artistic and professional development of performing artists and organizations by providing education and resources though a cooperative association. For more information, visit our website at www.justoffbroadway.org) |
May 10 Clown Workshop By Stephanie Roberts 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Just Off Broadway Theater 3051 Central, KCMO 64108 only $20! Call 816-305-8188 to reserve your spot “Clown characters are not created, they are uncovered.” Avner Eisenberg In this workshop students will begin the journey of uncovering their personal clowns. This type of clowning uses a red nose and is rooted in the teachings and techniques of Jacques Lecoq, which utilize the actor’s habitual mannerisms, walk, gestures and idiosyncrasies as tools to finding his or her unique clown character. No experience necessary—just an open heart and a brave soul! Stephanie Roberts is Assistant Professor of Physical Theatre for UMKC’s Professional Actor Training Program where she teaches Clown, Commedia dell'Arte, Epic Storytelling, and Mask Technique. She has toured nationally and abroad with companies such as Annex, Tears of Joy, Living Voices and Seattle Mime Theatre, and was also a team member of The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in Seattle. Ensemble-generated clown plays include Lunacy (Dell’Arte International), Pseudo Omega and 123 Fish Stories (Annex) and La Grande Faim (Cornish College of the Arts). This year she was awarded an ArtsKC Inspiration Grant to develop a one-woman mask play, and was chosen by the Charlotte St. Foundation for a one-year studio residency as part of the Urban Culture Project. She holds a BFA in Acting from Cornish College of the Arts and an MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. May 14, 15 & 16 Fool's Fortunes IV Byrd Productions Presents: Fools’ Fortunes IV Byrd Productions Movement Theater celebrates its 15th year with its 4th annual showcase of local Fools, Clowns, Vaudevillians, Jugglers, Musicians, Mimes and (gasp) Actors. It’s children’s theater for adults! This year’s production includes a performance of Samuel Beckett’s Act Without Words I by Coleman Crenshaw, Faces written by Damien Torres-Botello performed by Heidi Van & Matt Weiss, two Vaudeville style pantomimes by Artemus Vulgaris and Annie Cherry, a composite of the Fool from King Lear by Alan Tilson, Excerpts from Cirque du Gay, The Happy Circus by Dennis Porter and Peyton Westfall, Comedy Juggling by Jay & Leslie Cady, Musical Olios by Jazzbo the One Man Junk Band, Mime by Jim Voska and Foolishness by The Flock a Company of Clowns. Performances are May 14 – 16, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 and Sunday at 2: 00 at the Just Off Broadway Theater at 3051 Central, KCMO 64108. Tickets are $12 in advance $15 at the door. Also – May 10th 7:00 – 9:00 PM: Through the Nose, an Introduction to Theatrical Clowning Workshop. by Stephanie Roberts. Only $20 For reservations call 816-305-8188 Sponsored by KCStage Magazine. |
Byrd Production's 12th Annual Laid Back Fund Raiser
Come join Byrd Productions and friends as they celebrate sixteen years of gloriously fun existence with their annual
Laid Back Fund Raiser. This year’s festivities include beer by Boulevard Beer, hors d'oeuvres by Moxie Catering,
cake by CakeGallery@Studio209 and the best darned silent auction and raffle in town. Enjoy performances of
music, magic, comedy, performance art, tap dance, clowning, belly dance, home movies, vaudeville and burlesque
(whew). So, don’t just sit there! Come on down to our new location (for this year), 1730 Broadway – a.k.a. Fringe
Central, Saturday, April 9th from 7:00 – 11:00ish. The final hour is adults only – sorry kids.
This year’s performances include, The Beaux – The House Band with Jazzbo – The One-Man Junk Band, Patricia
Rusconie – Chanteuse AND Mime (how does she do it?), Nichole English – Gypsy Dancer, Members of The Flock –
Clown Troupe, Sunnie and Shmylore – Singing Duo, Michael Morales – Mentalist and Magician, Home Movies –
some of the best moments from Byrd Productions past 15 years, Members of The Kansas City Society of Burlesque
– uh, Burlesque (with possible surprise guests) and The Tap Dance Legend herself – Billie Mahoney and The Billie
Mahoney Dance Troupe!
The suggested donation at the door is only $12. Grab the whole family and some cash and make your way down to
the Laid Back Fund Raiser!!!
For more information call Byrd Productions at 816-305-8188 or go to www.byrdproductions.org
(All proceeds go directly toward the programs that Byrd Productions provides: classes, workshops, scholarships,
shows and showcases of Physical Theater.)
Come join Byrd Productions and friends as they celebrate sixteen years of gloriously fun existence with their annual
Laid Back Fund Raiser. This year’s festivities include beer by Boulevard Beer, hors d'oeuvres by Moxie Catering,
cake by CakeGallery@Studio209 and the best darned silent auction and raffle in town. Enjoy performances of
music, magic, comedy, performance art, tap dance, clowning, belly dance, home movies, vaudeville and burlesque
(whew). So, don’t just sit there! Come on down to our new location (for this year), 1730 Broadway – a.k.a. Fringe
Central, Saturday, April 9th from 7:00 – 11:00ish. The final hour is adults only – sorry kids.
This year’s performances include, The Beaux – The House Band with Jazzbo – The One-Man Junk Band, Patricia
Rusconie – Chanteuse AND Mime (how does she do it?), Nichole English – Gypsy Dancer, Members of The Flock –
Clown Troupe, Sunnie and Shmylore – Singing Duo, Michael Morales – Mentalist and Magician, Home Movies –
some of the best moments from Byrd Productions past 15 years, Members of The Kansas City Society of Burlesque
– uh, Burlesque (with possible surprise guests) and The Tap Dance Legend herself – Billie Mahoney and The Billie
Mahoney Dance Troupe!
The suggested donation at the door is only $12. Grab the whole family and some cash and make your way down to
the Laid Back Fund Raiser!!!
For more information call Byrd Productions at 816-305-8188 or go to www.byrdproductions.org
(All proceeds go directly toward the programs that Byrd Productions provides: classes, workshops, scholarships,
shows and showcases of Physical Theater.)
| Byrd Productions Presents: Fools’ Fortunes V Byrd Productions Movement Theater presents it's annual showcase of Local Fools, Clowns, Vaudevillians, Jugglers, Musicians, Mimes and (gasp) Actors. It’s children’s theater for adults! This year’s production includes performances by : Annie Cherry and Artemus Vulgaris, Caroline Oates and Katie Gilchrist, Jay & Leslie Cady, Patricia Rusconie, Jazzbo the One Man Junk Band The Flock - A Company of Clowns And special guest artist appearing Sunday only: Caroline Oates and Katie Gilchrist Performances are May 13 – 15 Friday and Saturday at 8:00 and Sunday at 2:00 at Fringe Central, 1730 Broadway, KCMO 64108. Tickets are $12 in advance $15 at the door. Also – May 9th 7:00 – 9:00 PM: A Theatrical Clowning Workshop. by Jay Akin. Only $20 (See Below for description) For reservations call 816-305-8188 or go to www.byrdproductions.org Sponsored by KCStage Magazine. |
| Finding Your Inner Clown A 2 hour workshop by lead by Jay Akin Join us for an experience in finding yourself through laughter. Red nose clowning can be the root of a person's personality or a minor character trait. You will never know unless you try. In this workshop we will play and uncover your clowns personality through simply being alive in the space. All ages welcome, no experience necessary. Monday, May 9th, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at 1730 Broadway (Fringe Central) Kansas City Mo, 64108 Only $20 admission to reserve your spot call 816-305-8188 or go to www.byrdproduction.org Jay Akin is a local professional Actor and Director(he's the goofy one on the far right) and a graduate of UMKC's masters program with an MFA in performance. He has studied clown with Stephanie Roberts at UMKC as well as Brian Byrnes at the University of Houston. He is also a recognized movement/stage combat instructor and would love to meet you. See you soon! |
| Byrd Productions and the Kansas City Fringe Present the The Fringe Academy |
From UMKC Theater Dept.'s "Twelfth Night" - Jay Akin as Sir Andrew, David Jones as Feste, and Ben Newman as Sir Toby
The Development of an Art Form - The Mask by Jay Akin
This class will trace the origins of the mask from its earliest stages into commedia dell arte into neutral mask finally
getting into our contemporary form of red nose clowning. We will work with some commedia archetypes and play with
full masks as well as half masks in the course. Then when we get into clown we will also experiment with a few forms of
creating a character as well as creating a physicality for that characer. Bring an open heart and an open mind because we
will have some fun!
Jay is a performance graduate of the MFA program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. He first studied mask
work and clowning with Brian Byrnes at the University of Houston and then studied intensively with Stephanie Roberts at
UMKC. He has been a student of movement for over a decade, achieving certifications in seven of the eight stage combat
proficiencies and teaching movement on both the Master's and Bachelor's college level. He has worked in Kansas city as
a movement specialist, actor and director for the past five years and is excited to be teaching clown.
Saturday, July 9 · 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Only $70
at the City in Motion Studios
3925 Main St.
Kansas City, MO
call 816-305-8188 to register
This class will trace the origins of the mask from its earliest stages into commedia dell arte into neutral mask finally
getting into our contemporary form of red nose clowning. We will work with some commedia archetypes and play with
full masks as well as half masks in the course. Then when we get into clown we will also experiment with a few forms of
creating a character as well as creating a physicality for that characer. Bring an open heart and an open mind because we
will have some fun!
Jay is a performance graduate of the MFA program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. He first studied mask
work and clowning with Brian Byrnes at the University of Houston and then studied intensively with Stephanie Roberts at
UMKC. He has been a student of movement for over a decade, achieving certifications in seven of the eight stage combat
proficiencies and teaching movement on both the Master's and Bachelor's college level. He has worked in Kansas city as
a movement specialist, actor and director for the past five years and is excited to be teaching clown.
Saturday, July 9 · 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Only $70
at the City in Motion Studios
3925 Main St.
Kansas City, MO
call 816-305-8188 to register
Not Your Mother's Mime Workshop by Kirsten Stephens
Byrd Productions Presents: Not Your Mother's Mime Workshop by Kirsten Stephens
This class will cover some of the most basic concepts of mime: weight, counterweight,
breath, levels and isolations. If you thought I was going to say "walls, ropes and
balloons", you need to take this class. Although we may cover some of that as well.
Mime is a great skill for dancers, improv actors, clowns, and traditional actors, as well
as thos...e interested in pursuing the art mime itself. This class will give you the basic
tools you need to create illusions and to physicalize your characters.
Only $30 OR $25 with a Fringe Button!
at the City in Motion Studios
3925 Main St.
Kansas City, MO
To register call 816-305-8188
Kirsten is a graduate of L’Ecole International de Mimordrame de Marcel Marceau in
Paris, France. She first discovered the magic of inclinations and rotations and triple
designs at a church in Oklahoma City, finally deciding to head for Paris to audition for
the school. She spent the next three years studying with Marceau, as well as the world’
s foremost practitioners of Corporeal Mime (which is to mime what ballet is to dance),
rounded out with classes in dance, fencing and acrobatics. Following graduation,
Kirsten spent another year and a half touring Europe with some of her classmates as
Mime de Rien in an original production titled Le Pese, le Flouze, le Blé. Returning to
the US, she moved to Minneapolis where she met Dean Hatton at the MargolisBrown
physical theater company. Discovering a common love of mime-based movement
theater, the two have been working together as Kirsten and Dean since 2001.
Byrd Productions Presents: Not Your Mother's Mime Workshop by Kirsten Stephens
This class will cover some of the most basic concepts of mime: weight, counterweight,
breath, levels and isolations. If you thought I was going to say "walls, ropes and
balloons", you need to take this class. Although we may cover some of that as well.
Mime is a great skill for dancers, improv actors, clowns, and traditional actors, as well
as thos...e interested in pursuing the art mime itself. This class will give you the basic
tools you need to create illusions and to physicalize your characters.
Only $30 OR $25 with a Fringe Button!
at the City in Motion Studios
3925 Main St.
Kansas City, MO
To register call 816-305-8188
Kirsten is a graduate of L’Ecole International de Mimordrame de Marcel Marceau in
Paris, France. She first discovered the magic of inclinations and rotations and triple
designs at a church in Oklahoma City, finally deciding to head for Paris to audition for
the school. She spent the next three years studying with Marceau, as well as the world’
s foremost practitioners of Corporeal Mime (which is to mime what ballet is to dance),
rounded out with classes in dance, fencing and acrobatics. Following graduation,
Kirsten spent another year and a half touring Europe with some of her classmates as
Mime de Rien in an original production titled Le Pese, le Flouze, le Blé. Returning to
the US, she moved to Minneapolis where she met Dean Hatton at the MargolisBrown
physical theater company. Discovering a common love of mime-based movement
theater, the two have been working together as Kirsten and Dean since 2001.
Move it! Yes, I mean you. (Physical Improv class)
This class incorporates elements of clowning, mime, and environmental work and applies them to improv scene work. By freeing
up the body, the student will discover new characters, different approaches to creating a relationship onstage, and tools to add
variety to their scene work. During the class, the student will be given the opportunity to do both solo and duo work as well as
participate in side coaching using some of the learned techniques. The class will begin with a group stretch, followed by exercises,
and solo/scene work-- please wear comfortable clothes and shoes and be prepared to move!
AT The Just Off Broadway Theater
3051 Central
Saturday, October 15
9:00 AM - Noon
only $50
To register contact Byrd Productions at 816-305-8188
or email us at bhahabyrd@comcast.net
Karen Eleanor Wight is a NYC-based actress, dancer, improviser, and teacher. She most recently co-starred in the Off-Broadway production of "The
Screwtape Letters", a two-person play in which she created and performed the role of a demon-creature, Toadpipe, as well as 7 additional characters all
portrayed using physical transformation. Karen also performed "The Screwtape Letters" at the Lansburgh Theatre in DC and on tour to cities including
San Francisco, Louisville, Phoenix, Austin, and Houston. Karen has been improvising for 17 years and is one-half of the wordless improv duo Imp with
Asaf Ronen--think Chaplin meets Looney Tunes. Imp performs long-form improv at festivals around the country including the Mainstage at CIF and the
Del Close Marathon. Imp has headlined at the Seattle Festival of Improv Theatre 4 consecutive years, Austin's OOB Fest, Oberlin Improv Conference,
San Francisco Improv Festival (Shaun Landry, Artistic Director) and Second City in LA (Dave Razowsky, Artistic Director) and many others. Karen is
also a founding member of goga and The Greenstone Players. In addition to performing, Karen teaches improv at festivals nationally and internationally
including Seattle, Toronto, New Zealand, Austin, Baltimore, Miami, and Los Angeles. For clowning, corporeal mime, and mime she has studied with
Christopher Bayes, Christopher Eaves, and Stanley Allen Sherman respectively.
This class incorporates elements of clowning, mime, and environmental work and applies them to improv scene work. By freeing
up the body, the student will discover new characters, different approaches to creating a relationship onstage, and tools to add
variety to their scene work. During the class, the student will be given the opportunity to do both solo and duo work as well as
participate in side coaching using some of the learned techniques. The class will begin with a group stretch, followed by exercises,
and solo/scene work-- please wear comfortable clothes and shoes and be prepared to move!
AT The Just Off Broadway Theater
3051 Central
Saturday, October 15
9:00 AM - Noon
only $50
To register contact Byrd Productions at 816-305-8188
or email us at bhahabyrd@comcast.net
Karen Eleanor Wight is a NYC-based actress, dancer, improviser, and teacher. She most recently co-starred in the Off-Broadway production of "The
Screwtape Letters", a two-person play in which she created and performed the role of a demon-creature, Toadpipe, as well as 7 additional characters all
portrayed using physical transformation. Karen also performed "The Screwtape Letters" at the Lansburgh Theatre in DC and on tour to cities including
San Francisco, Louisville, Phoenix, Austin, and Houston. Karen has been improvising for 17 years and is one-half of the wordless improv duo Imp with
Asaf Ronen--think Chaplin meets Looney Tunes. Imp performs long-form improv at festivals around the country including the Mainstage at CIF and the
Del Close Marathon. Imp has headlined at the Seattle Festival of Improv Theatre 4 consecutive years, Austin's OOB Fest, Oberlin Improv Conference,
San Francisco Improv Festival (Shaun Landry, Artistic Director) and Second City in LA (Dave Razowsky, Artistic Director) and many others. Karen is
also a founding member of goga and The Greenstone Players. In addition to performing, Karen teaches improv at festivals nationally and internationally
including Seattle, Toronto, New Zealand, Austin, Baltimore, Miami, and Los Angeles. For clowning, corporeal mime, and mime she has studied with
Christopher Bayes, Christopher Eaves, and Stanley Allen Sherman respectively.
THE FLOCK
performs at The KC Fringe Festival
This troupe of terribly troubled troubadours tossed together
in a tangled twist that tickles your tush.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you’ll pee.
If I told you more I'd have to kill myself…
4 performances - Fri. - July 22 @ 10:00, Sat. - July 23 @
7:00, Thurs. - July 28 @ 7:00, Fri. - July 29 @ 10:00
Tickets ate only $10 + a Fringe Button
The Living Room
1818 McGee
Kansas City, MO
go to www.kcfringe.org for more details
| Thank you to all of our Kickstarter Campaign Contributors!!! |
Byrd Productions & Kirsten Stephens Present:
iMime, There's an App for That
by Kirsten Stephens
...A one-woman romp through the human condition, from the
timeless tumult of a vulnerable soul, to the ubiquitous modern-day
struggle with technology. Kirsten brings something of her mentor,
Marcel Marceau, and her iPad to the Kansas City stage.
A graduate of L'Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Marcel
Marceau, in Paris, France - and an iPad owner - Kirsten Stephens
presents iMime, There's an App for That. This skit-based show
uses the timeless art of physical comedy to explore the quirks of
modern American society. From the addiction of Angry Birds, to
the annual gathering of human curiosities that is the State Fair; from
underwear to Sunday morning soul searching, no subject is too
sacred, too deep or too silly for this show. And all delivered with a
technical expertise born from years of training and experience.
http://www.kirstenanddean.com/
www.byrdproductions.org
A Part of the KC Fringe Festival
at: The Living Room
Fri, Jul 22nd 8:30pm
Mon, Jul 25th 8:30pm
Wed, Jul 27th 9:00pm
Fri, Jul 29th 7:00pm
For tickets go to:
www.kcfringe.org
