“The Circle of Life”
Understanding the Double Event- Revealing an Actor’s Humanity within Animal Portrayal.
Monday November 24, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday November 25, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
at the Electric Theater
Through this workshop, students will develop an understanding of connection to self, nature, and community as we study themes and techniques used in The Lion King.
In this hands-on workshop, we will dive into mask work by exploring the history, learning why and how storytellers have used masks, and the ways that informed the design and process in this breathtaking adaptation.
This workshop will better prepare students to understand choices made beyond the spectacle of costumes, masks, and puppetry and find the intention behind each choice and how that serves the story.
The Lion King is a tale of consequence and relationships and aims to help the audience consider their role in society by offering two philosophies.
“Hakuna Matata” vs. “The Circle of Life,” a worry free existence vs. purpose and duty. We will explore these themes in an open discussion with a focus on how stories can help us learn and grow in our humanity.
With an understanding of mask work and the main themes found in The Lion King, our focus will turn toward putting these into practice by creating small ensemble pieces that encapsulate moments from the story.
This will help to put us in the headspace of the actors by building an understanding of how they created these moments through the double event- connecting the actor’s humanity within animal portrayal.