Performing arts students from three universities in the U.S. attend actor’s workshop at ‘Adishakti’ near Puducherry. more-in Six students from US take part in acting workshop at Adishakti PUDUCHERRY: Attired in their casuals, a pair of eight people stood facing each forming a circle inside a hall at Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research. Grabbing a quick breakfast, they had just begun to warm up for the fourth session of the actor’s workshop. Amongst the participants of the actor’s workshop, six students were from the California State University at Long Beach, Brown University and Naropa University from the United States. In ‘breath and emotion’ session that was scheduled after the breakfast, participants were taught eight emotions of Kodiyattam and to explore the various degrees of emotions . Shanti Piallai, a faculty from Theatre Arts Department of California State University at Long Beach, said the students were attending the workshop at Adishakti as part of the programme abroad. “A couple of years ago when I attended the workshop, I had the idea that this would be an ideal place to bring students. It is a quiet peaceful, safe campus,” said Ms. Pillai. She added that it would an enriching experience for her students to share space with Indian students and learn about their motivations and aspirations. “The workshop has a different approach to actor training than in most universities in the United States. It is physically based while the actor training in the United States is what is called psychological realism and lot less emphasis is placed on rigorous training of the body and the physiological basis of reproducing and communicating. The actor’s training here has a very different orientation to the subject of stage craft,” said Ms. Pillai. The workshop conducted by Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research aims to equip the participants in their new performance methodology by training them in breath, emotion, rhythm, centres and voice.

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