The workshop consists out of theoretical seminars and practical exercises. It is divided into two online seminars and an 8-day in-person workshop phase.
The first Online Session will take place 4th of March 2026 in the evening between 6-9 pm over Zoom. In these three hours we will discuss organizational issues, answer all your questions about the in-person-workshop in Ballenstedt, the financial support of the Erasmus funding and provide you with scenes and other materials to read in preparation for the workshop.
On Friday the 19th of June you will arrive in Ballenstedt. The in-person-Workshop will start on Saturday 20th of June and end on Saturday 27th of June 2026. On the first day Mark Travis will give you an overview and demonstration of his directing technique. On the following day you will explore how to break down a scene or script to identify and define the roles and goals of the protagonists. Mark will explain the essential steps a director takes to move from the script to the actors‘ performance.
The second part of the workshop will focus on staging the actors. Questions that will be answered include: How do I even begin staging a scene? How do I create conflict, power, and tension between the characters? How do I stage comedy, fear, intimidation or chaos? What role does choreography play in the staging of actors? What is micro-staging? First, the techniques of staging are discussed theoretically, then you work practically and very specifically on individual scenes.
The third part of the workshop focuses on the technique of interrogation. Mark Travis developed this technique so a director can help an actor discover the character that he is playing and bring it to life. The interrogation technique consists of various exercises, such as switching and voices, questioning, monologues, insertion and doors, simultaneous dialogue, reframing and building history. In the workshop, you practice these techniques. This way, you learn which techniques you can use in specific situations to enhance and support the actors‘ performances.
On Sunday, 28th of June you will depart from Ballenstedt and travel home again.
The second and last online session will be held on 8th of July 2026, also in the evening between 6-8 pm over Zoom again. This Online-Seminar after the workshop will serve as a platform for evaluation, reflection and discussion about what has been learned.