La Mama Umbria Will Host 26th Year Of International Symposium For Directors

This Summer, as La MaMa Umbria celebrates the 26th year of its flagship program, directors and playwrights will have an opportunity to learn from some of the most renowned theatre-makers in the world. The focus of the 2 sessions are: physical theatre, puppetry, spatial design and finding the danger in creation. According to Co-Producer, David J Diamond, "We approach this year's Symposium to highlight the ways in which theatre and the performing arts can have a significant and lasting effect on the way we see "the other" as we confront polarization and conflicts around the globe.

July 16 - August 6, 2025 - Symposium
August 9 - August 19, 2025 - Retreat

"The artists leading workshops have dedicated their artistic lives in the pursuit of greater understanding, deeper meaning and diversity of thought that enriches our selves and serves our communities.

"For 25 years, the La MaMa Umbria Symposium and Retreat have given artists the tools and community that enrich their artistic practice allowing them to reach audiences in innovative ways. Inspired artists lead to more effective performances, which lead to a more engaged public." Details about the artists and the focus of each workshop offered are outlined below. More in-depth information is available on the website: https://www.lamama.org/programs/umbria-international

The 26th International Symposium for Directors Workshops

Physical Theatre Perspectives with Stefanie Batten Bland
The workshop will address the scaling of kinesthetic awareness in immersive theatre settings. This genre-blending workshop explores devising and directorial skills necessary for moving, acting, sound, and text to defend abstract and linear narration. The week's scenic devising in multiple spaces, will be shown at the end of the week.

The Art of Curiosity with Liesl Tommy
Looking at process through both new works and reframing classics, exercises will be structured around the questions: How deep is the artist going? How dangerous is their work every step of the way? Are we making space for the magic of imagination to lead?

Approaches to Theatre-Making Seminar with Simon McBurney

Using Puppets to Convey Ideas in Performance with Dan Hurlin
How to use puppetry to serve a narrative and the dramaturgical requirements of a particular performance. Rather than just as a medium, how are puppets used to convey ideas? When does a puppet work in a performance, and when does it not? What are puppets' limitations and how can we capitalize on their
strengths? After looking first at a variety of types of puppets (marionette, Bunraku style, shadow, etc.) we'll spend time learning "how to use a puppet" in the sense of manipulating them, making them work.

Spatial Design and Narrative with Wesley Ruzibiza
By integrating spatial design with narrative development, this workshop offers a fresh perspective on storytelling. It highlights the potential of physical space as both a canvas and a catalyst for creative expression and story design that resonate far beyond our personal experience.

Approaches to Theatre-Making Seminar with Milo Rau

Registration for Symposium Workshops closes on May 15th.

Over the past quarter century La MaMa Umbria has hosted hundreds of directors and theatre scholars who come to the Symposiums to refresh their skills, experiment with new forms of theatre -- both aesthetic and cross-cultural, and most specifically to absorb the many, very different approaches that master directors use to create their work.

Each year, La MaMa Umbria gathers a cohort of some of the most notable directors and playwrights from around the world to share their inimitable practices with the participants. Past years' artists included Thomas Ostermeier (Germany), Iman Aoun (Palestine), Romeo Castellucci (Italy), Yoshi Oida (Japan), Yuri Lyubimov (Russia), Ellen Stewart (USA), Andrei Serban (Roumania), Moisés Kaufman (Venezuela), Lynn Nottage (USA), to name a few. The tradition continues with this year's extraordinary artists.

For decades La MaMa Umbria and La MaMa NYC -- both founded and guided by the legendary Ellen Stewart -- have been recognized for building a 'home' for International Artists and the art they make. Inviting artists to come together from all over the world at La MaMa Umbria honors Stewart's lifelong philosophy of building community -- "a unified global community."

When Ellen Stewart won the MacArthur ('genius") grant, she knew she had to use the funds to create an international haven for artists. La MaMa Umbria hosts artist residencies, and organizes workshops led by internationally renowned theatre professionals whose work is impacting the contemporary landscape of performative arts. Immersed in the creative, natural and regenerative environment of Umbria, culturally diverse artists live together at La MaMa's historic villa, while working on productions or participating in workshops to develop their artistic skills. The spirit of Ellen and her vision continues to touch everyone who visits. Artists from dozens of countries have found their way to La MaMa Umbria and have been changed by the experience. The world of theatre comes together here and provides inspiration, sustenance and freedom to create.

For more information: https://www.lamama.org/programs/umbria-international
 

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