TH 352 - Soundings From the Fringes

This course complements the Direct Enrollment option at the Gaiety School of Acting/National Theatre School of Ireland (GSA/NTSI), and takes place during the first several weeks of the Fall GSA/NTSI program.

This course draws its content from the annual Dublin Fringe Festival to examine fringe theatre in both its practical and aesthetic elements in the context of Ireland’s rich theatrical tradition. Offered as an intensive introduction to the full-time conservatory acting program at the Gaiety School of Acting/National Theatre School of Ireland, the two components of the course are arranged around four themes – the past, mythmaking, storytelling and performance. Students will attend 5 to 6 performances of as varied a nature as possible, including physical theatre, site-specific work, ensemble and nonnaturalistic drama.

As a vital element, students will enroll in an intensive acting program, experiencing some of the key differences between Irish acting styles and preoccupations, and those in the US. Mindful of the emphasis on “devising” in the Irish theatre scene, students will partake in guided improvisations, as well as working with established Irish dramatic texts. The academic aspect will address the broader cultural implications of the actor’s work and provide an understanding of contemporary theatre-making within a European dramatic tradition.