NO AIDS, NO MAIDS: Stories I Can't F*ckin' Hear No More
A one-woman documentary performance about changing media narratives, streaming FREE for Theatre School students November 9-15th
A workshop with the creators, Director Thomas Murray and actor Dee Dee Batteast,
on Sunday, November 15th from 2-3:30 pm.
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About No AIDS, No Maids:
In this 55 minute one-woman performance, actress and teacher Dee Dee Batteast crafts a darkly humorous exploration of the obstacles minority storytellers face in the American media. No AIDS, No Maids looks hard at the archetypal and two-dimensional characters women of color have played for over 50 years and disassociates gay men from the pervasive narrative of disease. As we consider the roles that race and gender play in our political and cultural lives, Batteast's work points out the poor nutrition of deficient narratives.
This performance is presented by the Waltzing Mechanics, which specializes in documentary performances launching public dialogues and directed by Thomas Murray. Thomas Murray is a documentary theatre maker, director, and teacher. He serves as executive director of Waltzing Mechanics and program manager for Storycatchers Theatre's Word Warriors Ensemble, where he collaborates with incarcerated youth at the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville.
This performance will be presented in a private stream for the The Theatre School through a special educational broadcast agreement and support from the TTS Discover program.
Comedy 101: Intro to Sketch Comedy
with new TTS Comedy Arts Professor Liz Joynt Sandberg
October 25 12:00pm-1:00pm CDT
In this 60 minute workshop, TTS Head of Comedy Arts Liz Joynt Sandberg will take you through the basics of sketch comedy. This workshop will help you gain the structural tools to be better equipped to create containers for your original work. It will also provide language and framework for using improv to solve real world problems through communication based collaborative practices.
This workshop is intended for students of all levels and experience with comedy.
Self-Branding Roundtable
Hosted by MFA2 Director Emil Thomas
Mondays at 6pm CST - September 21, 28,
October 5, 12, 19, 26 + November 16
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5 Interactive Sessions + An End of Quarter Celebration
of Work
A student-run and led workshopping group that will explore questions of self-branding for virtual platforms. Members will create new personal content and constructively critique their peers' work in this interactive series of sessions. There will be a weekly challenge for participants to build and develop their personal brands.
This roundtable is your opportunity to explore your personal brand. Maybe you don’t have a brand yet, or maybe you aren’t sure what your brand is, maybe you're great on social media but your social media is currently your social life and not your professional life. Wherever you are in your process, this roundtable will allow you to ask a safe collective of colleagues questions and explore what your brand is.
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Please note: while we hope participants will join for all sessions, we ask that any potential members commit to at least 3 sessions. This is a group that builds on itself week-to-week through peer support and feedback.
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Intimacy Facilitation
Led by TTS Movement Professor Kristina Fluty (assisted by TTS Alum Amanda Pulcini)
Sunday, September 27th from 12-3pm CST
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Learn techniques and language to stage and perform onstage intimate contact in ways that are safe, professional, dynamic, and focused on storytelling. Whether you're an actor wanting to find strategies to advocate for themselves or a director wanting to expand their knowledge base for working safely with actors, this workshop is for you.
This is a hands on workshop custom designed for TTS students. Students will have the option to register as a participant or a viewer. There are only 15 participant slots, so sign up today!
"Ask Toy Anything..." Q&A Session for DIY Sound Design
Led by TTS Head of Sound Design Toy Deiorio
Sunday, October 11 at 12pm CDT
Bring questions, big or small, to this working session and ask TTS Faculty Toy Deiorio anything about sound. This session is designed for any student working on a project for FORTS and/or classes this quarter where they need to create their own virtual content because great sound can make a huge difference!
This session will cover three free sound editing software programs: Audacity, GarageBand, and Ableton. Check out the FORTS Resources page for information about these programs and helpful videos and tips. We recommend playing around with the software on your own before this session in order to bring in the best and most specific questions.
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Video Editing Workshop
Led by BFA3 Zoe Gray Mazza
Sunday, October 18 from 12-2pm CDT
This workshop will introduce or offer the opportunity to learn new skills in video editing. It will consist of an editing demonstration with careful explanation and a Q&A session. The editing session will focus on iMovie and the Q&A session is open to questions about iMovie, Premiere, and Final Cut. You should leave this session with a basic understanding of how to put together footage you can take on your phone professionally. This is a great opportunity for any student working on a project for FORTS and/or classes this quarter where they need to create their own virtual content. It is open to students of all levels.
This workshop will cover:
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What and where iMovie tools are and what they do
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Creating a story through film
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Different shots and what they mean
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Cutting on action
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Rushing and dragging shots
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Continuity of action
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L cuts and J cuts
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Editing dialogue
Check out the FORTS Resources page for information about these editing programs and helpful tips. We recommend playing around with the software before this session in order to bring in the best and most specific questions.