Ensemble creation and actor training
Life, work and teaching
Ariane Mnouchkine's work at the Théâtre du Soleil joins theatre creation with the transmission of acting knowledge. The company describes its preparation for new productions as beginning with large workshops that welcome actors and aspiring actors from around the world.
Its L'École Nomade shares collective working practices: how the company searches, tries, fails, and begins again. In 2015, Mnouchkine and ten company actors brought a four-week session to Chile for more than one hundred actors and apprentices. The school's record also includes sessions in India, Britain, South Africa, and Ukraine.
The actor's study
This is actor training through the work of an ensemble. Learning takes place in shared theatrical investigation, supported by the knowledge that a company develops across productions. The teacher's contribution includes directing, rehearsal, and the conditions that allow actors to explore together.
For your study, ask how your individual discovery serves the whole performance. Follow a production's working process as well as its finished result. Mnouchkine's practice offers a substantial example of training carried through the life of a troupe.
