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Book one of Geoffrey's exciting and informative workshops for your School or Theatre.
Visualizing Shakespeare
Oh, I am Slain! - Sword Fighting & Shakespeare
Hugger Mugger - Basic Stage Combat
Auditioning for Shakespeare
Build Your Own Workshop
Cowboy Gun Spinnin' & Trickin'
Yee-haw! A class for anyone that wants to be a cowboy or just look like one. Similar to swashbuckling, when Hollywood got its hands on a leather holster and a colt 45 they broke all the rules and created a style of gun tricking that was all about flash. This class concentrates on the basic concepts of Hollywood fast draws including spins, thumb-busting, "the border shift", and many others. Perfect for anything from stunt shows to Cowboy-themed Shakespeare. Class concludes with a Wild West showdown. Who will be left standing?
Shakespearean Swashbuckling
After a brief introduction to Shakespeare, the time in which he wrote and a description of iambic pentameter, the students are led through exercises to "stage" a performance of one of Shakespeare's monologues. Participants are broken into groups to act out and physicalize the text as they attempt to "suit the word to the action, the action to the word." Speeches from comedies, dramas and histories can be chosen.
A great angle to provoke interest in Shakespeare is to explore the action scenes abundant in all of his plays. This workshop includes the basic concepts of staging fights for the stage and the opportunity to view period weapons from the time. Students and teachers then have an opportunity to test their mettle as they learn the basic moves of swordplay and stage their own duel to the death with "period pool noodles."
Shakespeare frequently calls for his characters to enter into physical conflict. His actors, similar to actors today, used various tricks to create pieces that were fun to watch but safe to perform. This workshop introduces the basics of performing staged fights including safeties and how to be a good partner. Techniques include falling down, hair pulls and fisticuffs. This workshop is high energy and leaves the class buzzing for weeks to come.
This workshop provides the tools necessary for the actor to prepare a professional-looking Shakespeare audition. A participatory tutorial, "Auditioning" covers how to find a monologue, what to do with it when you find it, how to rehearse it and finally, how to open, close and perform the created audition piece. Fun, "chock-full" of information and useful at any age.
You need a large group to all learn nothing but how to fall down, and you want it done in one day. You are in charge of an improv show with a bunch of clowns in it. You've got twelve executives in need of some confidence training. Whatever your need, The Fight Guy can help you create a bang up workshop to meet your goals.
They say, "God created man and Sam Colt made 'em equal." —Cowboy Proverb
For educators... Looking for a hook to pick up interest in your Shakespeare curriculum? This workshop will offer ideas and exercises to help you bring those brawls and duels in Bill’s plays to life in the classroom. Techniques on how to incorporate acting and story as well as suggestions on what “swords” to use will be addressed in this hands-on workshop.
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