Three-Day “Poetic Theatre Research” Workshop with Raymond Bobgan May 15–17

This Spring, Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan will hold a free, three-day Poetic Theatre Research Workshop to share his process, further develop his ongoing creative work, and broaden the pool of artists for future projects. This workshop will serve as an introduction (or reintroduction for past collaborators) to Raymond’s unique approach to physical, experimental theatre—what he calls “Poetic Performance.”

More About the Workshop

Poetic Performance is a style of theatre and a process for creating theatre that is intense, deeply personal, and gives primacy to physical and vocal expression, poetic and nonlinear storytelling, use of poetic and abstract text, use of song as a means for transformation and impact, and multilayered experiences.

Welcoming artists of all experience levels and disciplines (dance, spoken word, performance, song, theatre, music, etc.) who are curious and dedicated to deepening their craft.

This workshop is intended to be a rigorous creative research space, for artists interested in the potential of working on future CPT Cleveland CORE Ensemble projects, while currently, primarily focusing on the creative research process within an ensemble.

To Apply

Please email headshot (or recent photo) & resume along with answers to the questions below.

1. Name
2. What is the most important thing for you about being in theatre?
3. How could theatre work in unconventional, bold, immersive and/or interactive settings support your current artistic journey?
4. Could you share why you would particularly be interested in being a part of this workshop focusing on ensemble creation process?

Please send materials to rbobgan@cptonline.org and aurozhaeva@cptonline.org. We will respond to your application within 48 hours. Please submit by May 9.

Details

Who: This workshop is for actors who are interested in alternative approaches to performance and creating theatre that will involve intense physicality (similar to a dance workshop), enduring presence, and expansive yet focused imagination.

Workshop Dates and Times:
Friday, May 15 at 6:30–10pm
Saturday, May 16 at 2–10pm
Sunday, May 17 at 2–10pm

Participants must attend all sessions, and priority will be given to artists who can attend all three days. However, if you are interested but have limited availability, please let us know, and we will consider your application.

Why: Raymond is offering this workshop freely to deepen his own work and further his research around theatre creation practices and principles. This workshop can benefit performers interested in exploring new avenues of expression in theatre, alternative creation techniques, and developing their personal presence (onstage and off). This workshop is also offered to meet new potential collaborators and deepen relationship with past collaborators.

About Raymond Bobgan

Raymond Bobgan creates new, bold, multilayered, and highly physical performances through an ever-evolving ensemble process. Raymond formed Cleveland CORE Ensemble in an effort to sustain the conditions to develop unique theatre practices, investigate the potential of the craft of acting, and create a distinctive body of theatrical works. The ensemble’s performances feature dynamic movement, poetic texts, original music, and an entrancing, dream-like style of their own.

Raymond’s work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and has been featured in American Theatre magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal, and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research.

Raymond has created many works for CPT, including Dream Rust Workshop (a hypothesis project) for CPT and Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America, Frankenstein’s Wake with Holly Holsinger, Feefer Rising with Faye Hargate, Rusted Heart Broadcast, Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves with Holly Holsinger and Chris Seibert, and Blue Sky Transmission: A Tibetan Book of the Dead, co-produced by CPT and La MaMa ETC (Off-Broadway).

Raymond was the first recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in the discipline of Theatre. He is a two-time winner of the Creative Workforce Fellowship (theatre and composing) and a recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Fellowship. He is an alumnus of the National Theatre Artist Residency Program (Pew Charitable Trust and TCG).

This is Raymond Bobgan’s 20th season as the Executive Artistic Director at Cleveland Public Theatre.

“What Raymond is endeavoring to do is not just a performance, but the creation of ritual. When an audience is able to experience ritual making… well that’s something that the audience can take with them outside into their everyday lives.”

—Daniel Gray-Kontar

“Raymond has brought his spirit of innovation to Cleveland that doesn’t stop at creativity. And he does not try and tie things up in a pretty little package and offer a lot of answers. So people are challenged to come up with their own answers to huge life issues and sometimes silly things.”

—Anne McEvoy