Announcing Aquila’s New 2023-24 Residency Offerings
For over thirty years, Aquila Theatre has been known for theatrical productions that change the way people think about classical theatre through its commitment to represent multiple perspectives and cultures. This inclusive approach has also been integral to their extensive educational and applied theatre programming with veterans, refugees, and teens from marginalized communities across the United States and Europe, including being company-in-residence at Lincoln Center Institute and New York University. Under the leadership of Desiree Sanchez, Aquila continues its commitment to diversify the classics and develop new ways to expand the cannon. This 2023-24 season, Aquila will offer three new educational residencies.
To learn more about or book an applied theatre residency, please email aquila@aquilatheatre.com.
DEVISING APPLIED THEATRE – PLANTING THE SEED IN YOUR COMMUNITY
This residency is for students, faculty, and community members interested in learning about applied theatre and/or how to develop a program for their own community. Aquila will share their own experience in developing their award-winning applied theatre programming which have been supported by the National Endowment for Humanities, from which they received a chairman’s special award, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Humanities NY and numerous foundations. Participants will be guided to develop a blueprint for their own applied theatre program in their community.
Duration: 1 to 5 days
Residency may include public talks, class visits, seminar discussions and workshops, and a capstone presentation of the participant-developed blueprint of a new applied theatre program.
DIVERSIFYING THE CLASSICS – NEW WAYS TO APPROACH THE CLASSICS
Aquila’s Artistic Director, Desiree Sanchez, will guide participants through her process of adapting and devising a classical play or story and on how she incorporates diversity into each step of development. Select scenes from authors like Shakespeare, Austen, Sophocles, and Euripides will be chosen for students to work on.
Duration: this workshop can be scaled up or down and can range in length from a three-hour workshop to a week-long residency.
Interest groups: University Theatre, Classics, English literature, and creative writing departments as well as theatre artists and producers.
Residency includes class visits, seminar discussions and workshops, and a capstone performance of the work developed by the participants either performed by students or by Aquila artists.
WARRIOR CHORUS – A VETERAN / CIVILIAN ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM USING GREEK DRAMA TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE
In this 2–3-day residency, a member of the Warrior Chorus, will work with between 6 and 12 veterans from the local community or university in reading, discussing, and presenting several works of ancient Greek literature that speak directly to the veteran experience both then and now. These works will include Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Antigone, Euripides’ Herakles and Homer’s Odyssey. Participants will meet and work on scenes from these plays and relate them to their own experiences then prepare them under Aquila’s guidance to be presented in a public presentation of readings and a public discussion.
Interest Groups: Local veterans, family members of veterans, college veteran groups, local community members
Duration: 2 to 3 days
Residency includes, public talks, class visits, workshops, veteran meetings and rehearsal and the final public presentation.
Theatre Breakthrough & Workshop America
Education on Tour
Theatre Breakthrough provides a unique opportunity for school age children to witness a live performance at a professional theatre and offers workshops and masterclasses around the USA during the annual Aquila U.S. National Tour.
2023-24 Workshop Offerings
Shakespeare Masterclass
The Shakespeare Masterclass is a participatory masterclass that explores the beauties and difficulties found while acting Shakespeare’s texts. Students will be shown the clear directions and choices that Shakespeare gives the actor within the text and will be introduced to some of Aquila’s methods of classical acting. This textual analysis will include examples of verse structure and rhythm and will focus on exploring the demands and rewards of verse speaking. It is devised to give participants a strong comprehension and illumination of a Shakespearean text from a performance perspective.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Participants: 8-30 advanced high school and/or college-level students and adults
Suggested Focus/Majors: Drama/Theatre, English, Literature
Physical Theatre Masterclass
This masterclass is designed to allow participants to experience the requirements and disciplines of working and performing in a physical theatre company. It focuses on forming an ensemble style of acting that will interpret and serve the text as a whole as well as explore the ways in which kinesthetic empathy operate. By sharing some of the Aquila Theatre Company’s rituals in the form of movement and improv, the participant will explore the imaginative and physical resources that the company uses in order to create its own unique theatrical style.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Participants: 8-30 advanced high school and/or college-level students and adults
Suggested Focus/Majors: Drama/Theatre
General Drama WOrkshop
A participatory workshop that explores some of the vocal and movement acting techniques used by Aquila in rehearsal and performance. This workshop is a fast, energetic introduction to acting that involves the whole class. A company member will be available for a question and answer session with students at the conclusion.
Running Time: 45-60 minutes
Participants: 8-30 high school or college level students; workshop may be amended for middle school students with advanced notice.
These educational offerings are funded in part by the generous support of the Whiting Foundation.