DESCRIPTION

Join us for an immersive journey into the world of object puppetry, where imagination meets innovation. Open to adventurous artists from all disciplines, this dynamic intensive will introduce participants to new ways of interacting with and animating objects to create compelling, symbolic, and poetic theatre. Through hands-on exercises and collaborative experimentation, you'll explore how objects can drive storytelling, performance, and design.

Led by Ghost River Theatre’s Artistic Director, Eric Rose, and transdisciplinary artist Robin Leveroos, this workshop builds on the powerful creative relationship they developed during GRT’s acclaimed productions of STRUCK and GIANT. Together, they will guide participants through techniques designed to spark creativity and unlock the rich possibilities of object puppetry in performance.

Workshop Highlights:

• The power of Metaphor and Symbology in object theatre

• Exploring the Dramaturgy of Objects as narrative tools

• Fostering a Collaborative Creation Process within a group

• Emphasizing Healthy Creation Practices for sustainable and fulfilling artistic work

This intensive is perfect for artists looking to challenge their practice and reimagine the role of objects in theatre-making. Whether you’re a performer, designer, or creator, you’ll leave with fresh perspectives and skills to apply to your future work.

DATES AND TIMES

February 20-23, 2025

Thursday and Friday: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm (with a half hour break at ~7:30 pm)

Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (with an hour break at ~1:00 pm)

LOCATION

West Village Theatre, 2007 10 Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T3C 0K4

PRICING

Early Bird Discount (cut-off is January 10, 2025) $450.00+GST

Equity Rate $450.00+GST

Regular $550.00+GST

This intensive is limited to a maximum of 12 participants. Spots are given on a first come, first served basis and often fill up quickly. We recommend registering as early as possible. Full balance must be paid by January 13th to access the Early Bird Discount.

Register

About the instructors

ROBIN LEVEROOS (she/her), the GRT 2024-25 Artist-in-Residence, is an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and insatiable tinkerer. Her practice focuses on queer use of objects, experimental animation, and playfully questioning how we see and experience the material world around us. In addition to producing Macromatter works, she also collaborates with other artists and companies as a performer and scenographer.

Some presentation highlights include: Schaubude, Berlin, Festival de Casteliers, Montreal, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Vancouver, Macau Puppet and Object Theatre Festival, Macau, Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design, Prague, World Stage Design ScenoFest, Taipei, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

She was the Puppets, Sets & Props Designer of Ghost River Theatre’s acclaimed production GIANT (2019) and the Set & Properties Designer of STRUCK (2023).

Originally from Minneapolis, MN, Robin immigrated to Canada in 2005. She graduated from The National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal and holds an MFA in Performance and Design from Simon Fraser University. She served three seasons running the youth programming at The Cultch in East Vancouver, and continues to work with youth and young artists of all ages. Now residing in Berlin, some passions include reading, cycling, farming, sewing, jewelry design, and rave dancing.

ERIC ROSE is an award-winning director, deviser, playwright, educator, and the Artistic Director of Calgary’s acclaimed Ghost River Theatre (GRT). His work is characterized by a striking audio-visual aesthetic that embraces the impossible; constantly reframing and rediscovering what theatre is and is capable of. Mr. Rose’s passion for the creative process has inspired the diversity of his theatrical experience spanning large scale contemporary and classical theatre, site-specific and immersive performance, experiential design, installation, performance creation, devising theatre, new play development, physical theatre, and dance.

As a sought-after teacher, Mr. Rose has shared his unique approach to theatrical creation with professionals and students all over the world. In addition to leading GRT’s 4-Day and National 3-week Devised Intensives in Calgary, he has taught for the Young Vic in London UK, Prague Quadrennial of Performance and Design, Kathy Knowles Theatre Company in Accra, Revolutions International Festival in Albuquerque, across Canada and at various post- secondary institutions and festivals. Mr. Rose has been honoured to be the Playwright in Residence at Alberta Theatre Projects, to be named to Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 and to have received the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Artist Award for his body of work as a theatrical innovator.

Recent GRT credits include: playwright /director STRUCK; director/co-playwright SensoryBox; director/co-playwright GIANT (Betty Mitchell Nomination Outstanding Director & New Play – Award for Outstanding Ensemble); concept/direction/co-creation of Intuition Project; co-adaptor, sound designer and director Tomorrow’s Child, directing/co-playwright The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (Betty Mitchell Awards for Outstanding Production, Direction, New Play and shortlisted for the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Prize in Playwriting).

Additional credits include: directing a lab workshop of Troilus & Cressida for Stratford Festival; Concept/Co-Creator I am Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Concept/Co-Creator TropiCalgary, GLOW Festival; directing/co-creating A Date With The Night for The Globe Theatre; directing/dramaturging a new version of Hannah Moscovitch’s The Huron Bride for Vertigo Theatre; directing the Canadian premiere of The Kite Runner for Theatre Calgary/Citadel Theatre; directing/co-writing Once Upon an Atom Bomb with Jennie Esdale and David Rhymer for the Green Fools Physical Theatre; directing/co-writing Peril in Paris with Ethan Cole (Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play), a new musical for Lunchbox Theatre; directing/dramaturging The Forbidden Sacrifice for the Kathy Knowles Theatre Company in Ghana.

For Film and TV, Mr. Rose recently co-wrote a feature length documentary for New Path Influence, and is currently co-writing a new streaming series, So Dark the Sky with Jason Patrick Rothery which is scheduled to shoot this summer with co-producers North Country Cinema.