Speech and Drama as Living Arts
A Course by Séamus Maynard & Meaghan Witri
with contributions from Christopher GarvEy, Ted Pugh, & Fern Sloan
Inspired by teachings and indications from Rudolf Steiner and Michael Chekhov, among other speech and drama practitioners and teachers, this year-long course offers a foundation for training one’s soul capacities towards greater and more conscious participation within the evolution of the arts. Embodied and experiential artistic exercises, accompanied by inner development exercises, comprise the monthly lessons. Out of the wisdom of spiritual science and inspired by the muses of the arts themselves, working in these areas can support the inner and outer growth and development of the human being. Participants can begin any time and work at their own pace.
This course is open to Waldorf teachers, artists and anyone who is interested in taking new steps to begin or further an artistic practice as well as those who wish to deepen their relationship to artistic activity. Deepening our understanding and ability to participate in realms of soul and spirit through the arts, serves in strengthening our relationship with the spiritual world and our surrounding community.
Participants can work directly with the course authors as tutors when submitting their journal/diary sheets. Additionally, add-on sessions are available with individual lesson authors/tutors.
LESSON PLAN
Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
This course is designed to be experiential and practical with many exercises to integrate into an individual artistic practice. This practice will encompass speech exercises, movement exercises, imaginative exercises, study of the principles of the dramatic arts as well as contemplative exercises to orient and train oneself. Each lesson is an assignment in itself, based around bringing the content into daily thoughts, reflection, and actions, as well as keeping a diary/journal.
Cost to Enroll
Standard Enrollment: $450 AUD (~$320 USD)
This includes
12 PDF lessons via email, sent monthly
Individual feedback on lesson submissions
Séamus Maynard completed his degree in acting at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. While there, he studied speech, classical acting and Shakespeare with Patsy Rodenburg. Prior to that he trained intensively in the Michael Chekhov Technique for several years studying and performing with Ted Pugh and Fern Sloan who founded the Actor’s Ensemble based in Hudson NY. Séamus co-founded a two year acting training entitled Shakespeare Alive! which was based on the teachings of Michael Chekhov and Rudolf Steiner’s indications for speech and drama. Alongside Shakespeare Alive! Séamus studied speech formation with renowned speech artist Christy MacKaye Barnes. He then attended Artemis School of Speech and Drama in West Sussex England where he studied speech formation with Christopher Garvey. Currently, Séamus teaches the art of speech at Inner Work Path workshops and retreats (www.innerworkpath.com). Séamus also supports and facilitates the arts program on behalf of Developing the Self Developing The World (www.developingtheself.org).
Séamus has taught acting, speech and movement at Emerson College in England, Stephens College Missouri, California State University’s Summer Arts program, The New School NYC, Saint John’s College in Istanbul Turkey and is a faculty member for The Michael Chekhov School Hudson, as well as MICHA (the Michael Chekhov Association).
As an actor and musician Séamus has worked with Improbable Theatre (London), The Belgian National Theater, Triple Shadow (La Mama NYC), Heads Theater Company (NYC) and The Actors Ensemble (NYC & Hudson NY). Séamus is a co-founding member of Third Wheel Collective – a collaboration based theater company. As a musician, Séamus studied classical guitar and composition with classical guitarist and composer Ed Flower. Séamus composes for and co-founded Quiet In The Head, a music group that composes original, instrumental music for violin and classical guitar. He also writes and performs with an acoustic folk group called Living Roots. He is the author of the book Parzival A Journey of Initiation.
Meaghan Witri is a New York based actor, singer, and teaching artist with a degree in theatre, performance and english studies. Meaghan’s work explores how music and story support inner and outer striving in the human being. Meaghan has lead singing, drama, and acting workshops in various contexts for children, teenagers and adults.
In addition to professional work in plays and film, Meaghan has toured internationally as a soprano soloist performing in cathedrals and sacred spaces. She also co-founded Third Wheel Collective - a collaboration based theatre company.
Christopher Garvey met the work of Rudolf Steiner when he was 21 and experienced a calling to take up the training in Speech Formation. Prior to this, he trained at the Bristol Old Vic Drama School. After graduating from Artemis School of Speech and Drama (formerly the Speech School), he worked as a freelance speech and drama teacher and performed numerous parts in Shakespeare. He began teaching at Artemis in 1985 and was given directorship by Maisie Jones as Principal in 1990.
Ted Pugh is the co-artistic director of The Actors’ Ensemble of New York and has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regional theaters around the United States. After having trained at the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York City, Mr. Pugh was certified as a teacher by Beatrice Straight and Deirdre du Prey in 1983, and was on the faculty at the Studio for the last seven years of its existence.
Mr. Pugh has also taught workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Russia and Australia. A founding member of the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut under the direction of Jon Jory, he began his career at Arena Stage in Washington DC in 1962. Along with Ragnar Freidank and Fern Sloan, he is co-founder of The Michael Chekhov School in Hudson, NY.
Fern Sloan, an actress for over 40 years, is co-founder and co-artistic director of The Actors’ Ensemble and has performed and taught the Michael Chekhov technique in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Along with Ted Pugh and Ragnar Freidank, she is also co-founder of The Michael Chekhov School in Hudson, NY. Fern was certified by the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York City to teach the work of Michael Chekhov and was on its faculty for the last three years of its existence. She was co-director and on the faculty of the Speech and Drama Program of Sunbridge College. Prior to founding The Actors’ Ensemble, Ms. Sloan played leading roles in numerous regional theaters in the US and Off-Broadway. Together with Jessica Cerullo, Ms. Sloan wrote the MICHA Workbook to assist those practically studying the Chekhov technique.
Primary course image at top of page by John Barker courtesy of Rudolf Steiner Press
