Courses
We offer three options for international students:
IRISH THEATER JANUARY TERM
The Irish Theater January Term is a course designed for students who have previously taken drama courses, and now want to focus their craft through the intensive study of Irish drama.
This intensive program takes place five days a week over a three week period at our premises in the heart of Dublin's Cultural Quarter, Temple Bar. The course explores a unique approach to learning that combines the development of literary understanding with an exploration of the craft of acting. On the final evening of the program students will present a showcase of selected scenes from the various plays studied. Weekends are free for travel.
An extensive cultural program includes regular theater visits, visits to the Book of Kells, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The National Gallery, The Irish Writer's Museum, The James Joyce Centre, and regular traditional music sessions
WEEK ONE: The initial work will focus, through improvisation and breath control, on locating and developing the presence of the actor. This work will be followed by an intensive exploration of the work of Samuel Beckett and Brian Friel. Lectures will focus on Ireland's literary tradition and on the work of both Beckett and Friel in that tradition.
WEEK TWO: Practical acting classes and lectures will focus on the work of John Millington Synge and Sean O'Casey.
WEEK THREE: The focus throughout this final week will be on lectures and practical acting classes exploring the work of contemporary Irish playwrights including Marina Carr, Conor McPherson, Frank McGuinness, Billy Roche and Martin McDonagh. This week students will also rehearse work for the Irish theater scene study showcase which takes place on the final day of the course. A strong cultural studies component runs through the course with participants visiting a wide range of places including regular evening theater and music visits, The Irish Writers Museum, the National Gallery and the Book of Kells. Participants will also benefit from meeting students from other countries with the popular student accommodation situated in the heart of Dublin's cultural quarter, Temple Bar.
DATES : Jan 5th - 23rd 2009
For more detailed information regarding pricing, accomodation etc., download the Irish Theater January Term 2009 Brochure & Application Form, below.
Some comments from previous January Term students:
"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Loved it!" - Jo Pfistner, Messiah College
"Simply one of the best times of my life. I had such a great time and learned so much. Hope to return someday" - Matt Albrecht, St. Mary's Unversity
"I really enjoyed my time with you guys in Dublin, and felt that you, Martin and John all challenged me, and I came out a more confident actress ready to follow my impulses and feeling that I could professionally pursue this...I cannot adequately express the depth of my gratitude for challenging me, while at the same time believing in me and my talents." - Taylor Granlund, Jan Term 2008 Student
IRISH THEATER SUMMER SCHOOL
The Irish Theater Summer School offers a unique opportunity to learn about Irish Theater and acting through a study of text and performance. It focuses on the plays and playwrights that have made Ireland a world name in theater.
The program of practical acting workshops and seminars is carefully designed to place the writers in both a theatrical and literary context. The course will concentrate on the works of four major writers: John Millington Synge, Séan O'Casey, Samuel Beckett and Brian Friel, and will also include a practical study of more contemporary writers including Martin McDonagh and Marina Carr. Students will develop an understanding of the historical and literary background of selected texts from each writer. Then, through extansive workshops with actors and directors, the theatrical essence of the work will be explored and performed.
Below is a brief summary of what will be covered in each week of the course.
WEEK ONE: The focus of this week will initially concentrate on providing a clear overview/context for the work that follows. Lectures will focus on the Irish literary tradition and on contemporary Irish theater. Five acting classes will focus on developing a good working dynamic which will be followed by a practical exploration of acting techniques and short scene studies with an emphasis on the work of Samuel Beckett.
To help familiarise participants with the nation's capital, there will be theater visits and cultural visits to places such as Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library and Trinity College.
WEEK TWO: The emphasis throughout this week will be on the exploration of the work of John Millington Synge, William Butler Yeats and George Bernard Shaw. Lectures will focus on the work of the above with a seminar discussing the contemporary relevance of the aforementioned writers. Cultural visits will include the Irish Writers Museum, Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Gallery as well as evening theater performances.
WEEK THREE: Practical acting classes and lectures will focus on the work of Sean O'Casey and will concentrate on preparing short scenes for presentation in the final week. As with the previous 2 weeks, there will be a number of cultural visits eg. James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and shaking hands with a Viking at St. Michan's church!
WEEK FOUR: The focus throughout this final week will be on practical acting classes exploring the work of contemporary Irish playwrights including Brian Friel, Marina Carr, Conor McPherson, and Martin McDonagh. Participants will also explore Irish film with various screening which include ‘Michael Collins', ‘The Field', ‘The Snapper', ‘The Commitments' and ‘Playboy of the Western World'. Rehearsals for the Irish theater scene study showcase on the final day will be more concentrated this week.
Participants will also benefit from meeting students from other countries at the popular student accommodation situated in the heart of Dublin's cultural quarter, Temple Bar.
DATES : June 29th - July 24th 2009
For more detailed information regarding fees, accommodation etc, download the Irish Theater Summer School 2009 Brochure & Application Form, below.
Irish Theater Summer School 2009 - Brochure & Application Form
***Current US$ Price: $3,445 - take advantage of the exchange rate and book while the dollar is strong! (Note: This price is for Option B - accomodation in Temple Bar House. For Homestay Option see brochure.)
One ITSS student's comments about their time at the GSA (taken from www.usg.edu):
"Ireland is amazing! The classes were all that I imagined and more. The experience I had during my summer at the Gaiety School is something which money could never buy. The friendliness of the people and the beautiful places in the Irish countryside will stay firm in my memory for years to come."
THE ORIGINAL THEATER PROJECT
Join us for a unique journey to create a new and exciting theater piece.
The Original Theater Project is a four stage project that begins at your theater department with a week long intensive exploration of ideas, images and starting points. These raw materials are then taken back to Ireland where a professional writer uses them as the source for the development of a one hour original theater piece. Your actors then travel to Ireland's premier drama school, The Gaiety School of Acting - The National Theater School of Ireland, in Dublin, where the play is rehearsed and performed. Finally, the play is brought back to your home country for presentation at your theater department.
The four stages of the Original Theater Project are explained in more detail below.
STAGE ONE: Developing the starting points
A week long intensive workshop in a black box studio space at your theater department in which a gaiety school of acting theater director and a writer will work with twelve (negotiable) participants on the development of a very broad range of starting points. The objective is to fire the imaginations of the participants to discover different ways of starting to develop an original theater piece. A wide range of objects and images will be explored and the week long process can also include the use of a departmental choreographer and a musician / composer.
STAGE TWO: The writing begins
All the images, ideas and starting points are brought back to Ireland and the writer and director begin the process of drawing from the starting points with a view to creating and original piece of theater sourced in the experience of the intensive week long exploration.
STAGE THREE: Rehearsals and Performance in Dublin
The twelve participants will travel to Dublin for an intensive three week rehearsal process followed by a series of performances in a Dublin theater of the final one hour original theater piece. The Dublin visit will also include regular theater visits, a series of lectures on the Irish literary tradition, regular voice classes and a series of visits to see significant Dublin cultural landmarks. Accommodation for the duration of the Dublin visit will be at Temple Bar House, a bright and friendly hostel in Dublin's Cultural Quarter. Accommodation is included in the cost.
STAGE FOUR: Performances at your Theater Department
Following the Dublin experience, the original theater project will return to your campus and will be performed there for a home audience.
TIME LINE:
After the week long intensive experience in your department, the writer will require three months to create the original theatre piece. Rehearsals will take place for three weeks.
For pricing information and application form, download the Original Theater Project Brochure & Application Form, below.
Original Theater Project - Brochure & Application Form
