KCACTF Region 5 Festival 57: Full Schedule

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7:00am CST

Irene Ryan Headquarters

Monday January 20, 2025 7:00am - 5:00pm CST

Marriott Salon A (2nd Floor)

Headquarters for Irene Ryans

Festival Leadership

Cara Phipps

Irene Ryan Coordinator, Graceland University

Cara is a queer director, educator, and writer based in Saint Paul, MN and Lamoni, IA. She recently directed the world premiere musical, THROUGH THE SUNKEN LANDS, by Avi Amon and Tim J. Lord for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Cara's national work includes credits with... Read More →

Heather Tinker

Irene Ryan Assoc. Coord, MidAmerica Nazarene U

Monday January 20, 2025 7:00am - 5:00pm CST
Marriott Salon A (2nd Floor) 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

Festival Events, Irene Ryans

Audience Everyone
Area Acting and Directing

8:00am CST

Power of the People: Mastering Ensemble Performance

Monday January 20, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am CST

Marriott Salon D (2nd Floor)

How do you know the actor who walked onstage is a Queen? How do you know that Hamlet's response to his mother's wedding is not just impolite but dangerous? It's the ensemble. The whole room shifts when it happens. In this workshop, we will use Russian Ensemble exercises to practice stage awareness, understanding circumstances, and creating impactful events. We'll play ensemble games and create short etude performances to test and practice the skills.

Presenters

Kassy Skoretz

Anoka Ramsey Community College

Kassy Skoretz is a faculty member at Anoka Ramsey Community College. Their PhD as a scholar-director is from Wayne State University and they have been directing and performing in the twin cities for 8 years. They trained with the Moscow Art Theatre and East West Players; their doctoral... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 8:00am - 9:15am CST
Marriott Salon D (2nd Floor) 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

Workshops

Audience Students Only
Area Acting and Directing

9:30am CST

Acting in Masks

Monday January 20, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST

Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

The workshop will help students awaken their imagination and liberate themselves from physical and psychological inhibitions.
Playing with Character Masks grants students the freedom to explore different personas and express their inner thoughts and emotions, and guides students toward making bold physical and vocal choices on stage.
The workshop includes:
Physical and vocal warm-up.
Learning basic principles of working with masks.
Improvisations.

Presenters

Vladimir Rovinsky

Minnesota State U Mankato

Vladimir Rovinsky received an MFA in directing from the St. Petersburg Academy of Theatre Arts, Russia. Before coming to America in 2000 he was working as a professional theatre director in Russia. He has been teaching acting since 1996 and has worked as a director, actor, and teacher... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST
Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

Workshops

Area Acting and Directing, Faculty Development, Stage Movement and Combat

9:30am CST

The Disco Citizens Present: WRITE NOW!

Monday January 20, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST

Marriott Dubuque (3rd Floor)

Wanna act, direct, and/or write plays? Don't wait to be cast in someone else's project, get your friends together and do it yourself! This workshop kicks you into high gear towards creating your own fast paced, short form, home-grown show. Together we’ll select a theme, do some flash writing exercises, and get you started on your path to production. No need to wait for someone else to give you permission, you have all the tools you need!

Presenters

Laura Gold

NPP Co-Vice Chair, Peru State College

Laura Gold (she/her) is the Associate Professor of Theatre at Peru State College. Recent Peru Theatre Company directing credits include Orphans, Love Song, Proof, and Everybody. She is especially proud of PTC's annual production The Disco Citizens—30 plays in 60 minutes, or your... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST
Marriott Dubuque (3rd Floor) 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

Workshops

Area Playwriting, Acting and Directing, Faculty Development

11:00am CST

Hand to Hand Combat: The basics of fighting on stage

Monday January 20, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST

Marriott Salon D (2nd Floor)

This workshop will provide an introduction and exploration of the technical and aesthetic aspects of stage combat. Goals include developing the ability to safely portray violence onstage within the context of a play. Students will learn awareness of space, strikes, pushes and falls.

Presenters

Iris D. Dodge

U of Northwestern St Paul

IRIS DODGE received her Theatrical training from University of Wisconsin River Falls and holds an MFA in Theatre-Stage Management from Yale University. As an Equity Stage Manager she has spent most of her theatrical career on the east coast working in Broadway and Off-Broadway Theatre... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST
Marriott Salon D (2nd Floor) 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

Workshops

Audience Students Only
Area Acting and Directing, Stage Movement and Combat

11:00am CST

The Introduction to Meyerhold's Biomechanics

Monday January 20, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST

Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

A practical workshop in the physical actor training method created by legendary Russian director Vsevolod Meyerhold. The technique was created as an alternative to Stanislavsky’s system and utilized grotesque and decidedly non-realistic artistic approaches. Biomechanics is a wonderful tool for practical understanding of theatricality in the moving body, use of the body for storytelling, and expansion of physical expressiveness and thus is useful to an actor preparing for work in any theatrical language.

Presenters

Vladimir Rovinsky

Minnesota State U Mankato

Monday January 20, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST
Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

Workshops

Area Acting and Directing, Faculty Development, Stage Movement and Combat

12:30pm CST

The Wall-E Factor: Your Body as Narrative Tool

Monday January 20, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm CST

Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

This workshop uses Stanislavski's method of Etudes for actor training to practice building a character, a story, and an event onstage. You will sharpen your understanding and confidence in your body in space, your effect on the audience, and your own ability to structure a moment. The etude has been developed as a tool at the Moscow Art Theatre through Anatoly Efros, Maria Knebel, and other contemporary actors and directors.

Presenters

Kassy Skoretz

Anoka Ramsey Community College

Monday January 20, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm CST
Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

Workshops

Audience Students Only
Area Acting and Directing, Stage Movement and Combat

2:00pm CST

The Professional - Introduction to Knife Fighting on Stage

Monday January 20, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm CST

Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

An introductory look at one of the fastest growing weapon styles for the stage -- the knife. How to take a simple 3 tor 4 inch piece of metal and make a convincing narrative using acting, psychological gesture, body mechanics, and discipline. No previous experience is necessary, and it is the hope that everyone from the experienced to the amateur will walk out of the workshop looking like a professional fighter.

Presenters

Joseph Urick

PA/TI Assoc Coord, Wichita State University

JOSEPH URICK is an award-winning actor based in Wichita, Kansas. He has performed Off-Broadway, nationally, and internationally at such theatres as the ZACH Scott, Texas Light Opera, and Theatre Soutwest in Texas; the Hippodrome and Florida Shakespeare; and the Papagaou Theatre and... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm CST
Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

Workshops

Area Acting and Directing, Stage Movement and Combat

3:30pm CST

Acting Shakespeare: the basics

Monday January 20, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST

Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

How do you use iambic pentameter and not let it use you? Why is Shakespeare so confusing? Is there a secret code to understanding Shakespeare? In this workshop we will unlock the basics of acting Shakespeare so you can perform The Bard's work with confidence. Bring a Shakespeare monologue to work on, or use the one provided.

Presenters

Molly Wiebe Faber

Northwestern College

Molly Wiebe Faber is an assistant professor of theatre at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, where she teaches acting and directing courses. Molly graduated with her MFA in Acting from East 15 Acting School in England, and with a BA in Theatre and Psychology from Tabor College... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST
Marriott Council Bluffs/Davenport (3rd Floor)

Workshops

Audience Students Only
Area Acting and Directing

3:30pm CST

Elements of Behavior: Bridging Acting & Playwriting

Monday January 20, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST

Marriott Cedar Rapids (3rd Floor)

A look at two of Stanislavski's elements of acting (event and appraisal) and how they can serve a playwright in story telling.

Presenters

Miguel Torres Cruz

R8 NPP Chair, CSU Fullerton

Miguel Torres Cruz is an actor, director, producer, and educator. He trained at the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), CSU Bakersfield (BA Theatre Arts), and CSU FULLERTON (MFA in Acting). He is a faculty member at CSU Fullerton, Chair of National Playwriting Program for the Kennedy... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST
Marriott Cedar Rapids (3rd Floor) 700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA

Workshops

Audience Students Only
Area Acting and Directing, Playwriting