HELIKOS | DREAMBODY THEATRE II : GROTESQUE and BOUFFONS

DREAMBODY THEATRE II : GROTESQUE and BOUFFONS

18 Marzo, 2017 → 19 Marzo, 2017 - Portland, Oregon, USA

Extreme States of Expression
and the ecstasy of Inner and Outer Critics

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The Background: my studies of Process Work

Welcome to the final step of my research and study of Process Work, also known as Process Oriented Psychology.
Over the last two years I have been studying Process Work at the Portland Process Work Institute, within the frame of a self-paced Certificate.
The aim of my study has been to explore the PW theory and practice, in order to learn new ways of understanding and developing my pedagogic practice in theatre and with theatre. And, of course, as always, to learn more about myself and the fellow human beings whom I love dearly and hate fiercely.

PW and Theatre are a great match: a very fertile encounter. They both have a lot to teach to each other and even more to learn from each other.

PW brings some profound insights on the process of being human and on the shapeshifting nature of our psyche. Theatre is a wonderful tool to explore, in an embodied and fun way, many of the principles of PW: dreams, dream figures, edges, edge figures, symptoms, altered states, polarities… all can be manifested in theatrical forms. Theatre play engages many dimensions of the individual in an integrated way, and with great fun.
Awareness proceeds from the conscious activation of the Dreambody and Theatre is a wonderfully powerful tool to facilitate this process.
An ecstatic catalyst of awareness.

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My research in a nutshell

Identity is a process.
Each one of us is many.
The psyche is a theatre stage and so is the world.
Identity is a play
let’s play with identity.
Each role in human condition
the loving ones and the destructive
the painful ones and the exciting
are moved by an intimate necessity.
Like theatre characters
moved by dramatic drives.
Trauma is drama.
Actions with consequences
in space and time.
The victim and the abuser
write the story together:
co-creation of a drama.
Playing a character or a role
brings connection with the drives
and detachment from the drama.
Theatre
is conscious and playful re-enactment of the trauma
Play turns trauma into a drama.
and playing drama is fun.
The ability to play is awareness in action.
Personal and Poetic Awareness is the tool
to have fun writing, staging and playing good stories.
In life and on the theatre stage.
Let’s play.

THE SEMINARS

These two seminars are thought as a celebration of my research time and a sharing of its fruits. A playful epistemological banquet.

In a SEMINAR the focus is on the THEORY that stands behind a practice. It is a space of reflection and intellectual elaboration: it creates a field of discussion, analysis, examples, questions and synthesis. Experiential exercises are integrated by moments of discussion and intellectual and emotional integration. A seminar gives food for the mind, references, history of ideas, articulation of principles, awareness of awareness.

Etymology tells us that the word theory means something you observe, a spectacle, and it is connected with the word theatre. They both contains the element thea: to look at, to see. A theory is a choreography of ideas and principles moving in the mind space and seen by awareness. An intellectual performance to attend and enjoy. A theory that can’t be performed in space is, most likely, not that good.

Each seminar will include different ingredients:

- Lectures on pedagogic theory and practice
- Collective Exercises
- Individual work and play in front of the group
- Work in small groups or dyads
- Pedagogic analysis of the exercises
- Discussion on the questions from the participants

DREAMBODY THEATRE SEMINAR II:

GROTESQUE & BOUFFONS

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THEORY

History of Satyric Drama and Grotesque: theatre as a ritual of collective ecstasy.
Expression, excitation, excitement, jubilation: the somatic of Joy.

Altered states and extreme states as non ordinary states of perception.
States of consciousness and states of awareness.
Play as a non-ordinary state.
Consensus Reality and Consensus Trance: the Bouffons as the state-shifter.

Amplification and grotesque.

Death as a Trickster.

Mocking as knowledge.

PRACTICE

Levels of expression and levels of playing.
Collective games and the Satyric States.
Playing with the wound: the excitation of the Hurt.

Inner critics as Bouffons.

Mocking oneself, mocking others, mocking the world.

Into the wild: amplification as empowerment.

The non dualistic mind dance: the Psyche as a feast.

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PRACTICALITIES

LOCATION
Process Work Institute
2049 NW Hoyt St.
Portland, OR 97209

SCHEDULE
Classes are from 10 to 1 and from 2:30 to 5:30
Classes will start and finish on time.
Doors will close at 10:00 and late comers will not be admitted.
The workshop is a whole so it is not possible to attend it only in parts.

ENROLMENT
The seminars are presented within the setting of a students’ final work.

Therefore there is no tuition fees. However, DONATIONS are welcome, in the form of money or other gifts.

The size of the group is limited to 30.
To register, please send an email to

The two workshops are autonomous, but the two forms are designed as a continuum.
If you want to choose to attend only one, I advise to attend the first one.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

This seminar is open to every person wishing to explore the connection between movement based theatre and Process Work, both on an intellectual level and in an experiential way. The experiential part of the seminar will offer tools of self-awareness through the power of expression, embodiment and humor. Previous experiences and knowledge in Process Work will be helpful but they are not required.
The seminar is open to any person interested in exploring her-himself with humor and depth; to anyone involved in the arts, education, social work, health care (educators, social workers, therapists...). Theatre artists will discover a way to work with very personal raw emotional states and turn them into great poetic material and physical comedy.
The emotional work will be intense and ecstatic: the body will reveal what it needs to experience and express, in a dynamic of amplification, play, letting go and insights.
Shadows, angels, demons, archetypes, physical symptoms, dreambody processes will appear and will be welcomed in the alchemical power of the group.

A strong and playful desire of diving in one’s own folly is required !

As the final step of a research project, the seminar is in part experimental, and participants will be part of a pedagogic creation, in which new exercises and approaches will be explored.

The seminar will provide a variety of insights, knowledge, exercises and tools for practitioners (therapists, teachers, facilitators…). All material will be shared for the common good of individual and collective awareness and as a celebration of pedagogic research and creation.
As a creator of these seminars, I ask that, if you will use, develop or integrate the material of the seminar into your practice, as I wish, you will quote its source.

See you in the playing field.

Giovanni

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 Photo credits

(1): Pablo Picasso MUSICIEN, DANSEUR, CHEVRE ET OISEAU (1959)
 (2): Friedensreich Hundertwasser - Silver Spiral (1988)
 (3): La Danse Macabre, 15th Century
 (4): Stefano Borghi for Helikos School, 2014 
 (5): Bouffons Workshop, Celebration Barn Theatre, 2016

Giovanni Fusetti