EURPOL
Report workshops meeting 1 in Rome – 15-19 December 2012
Michelle Croze, Nathalie Bultot and Bruno Mathelart - Belgium
Saturday 15 December 2012 – travel and welcome session
Welcome session by Paola, Lydia and Giovanni, with the partners: Maria and Lilia from Greece, Micke
and Fredrik from Sweden, Bryan and Oscar from the Netherlands and Roberto the cameraman…
All the partners introduce their association – social objectives, participants, role.
1rst serious discussion about the approach that will be proposed by everyone to lead the workshops.
Review of the project plan following the non-participation of other partners (Austria, Turkey and
Estonia) – programme, agenda.
Sunday 16 December 2012 – Lilia’s workshop
Several Italians trainees joined us to share the workshop… which is not the case of the trainers who
are busy with another project.
 Introduction to Ancient Greek Chorus that evolved to Drama and text’s interpretation technique.
 Presentation of work plan “Chorus in Ancient Greek Drama” that consists of fragments of one
comedy and six tragedies
 Introduction to individual elements of Tragedy and specifically on the elements of the
performance (scenery, costumes, masks, music)
 Warming-up exercises
Make circles with the tongue, the mouth, hands crossed with pointing fingers, the arms, the
pelvis/bottom, the knees…
Massage of the previous person’s back while walking in circle.
 Labyrinth + loud-sound rhythm (traditional song) + 4 steps + hands on the shoulders +hands
crossed  Antigone (text No 4)
 Rhythms given by clapping the hands, stamping the feet, clapping the legs, the whole body.
When a common rhythm is reached, an actor places a text on it  Œdipus Rex
Lunch
 Dionysia and Chorus. Genesis of Drama. We made two lines, one of women and one of men and
following the music rhythm we were calling ancient Greek women and men names.  Dionysos
Fair (text No 1) & Lysistrata (text No 3).
 Melos, one tune sound (“isokratima”), steps crossed on 6 stamps + Greek folk melodies… we
notice that the large circle of the beginning becomes shorter and shorter until every participant
is so close to the others that the group appears as being made of only one person… 
Heraclides’ dance (text No 8).
 Trojan Women’s boat (text No7): the chorus makes an arrow… and moves forwards and
backwards, hands behind the back. Whisper like wind or sea undertow (music by Greek
composer, Nikos Skalkotas). Figure of a departure – country leaving (migration)
- Forwards, you want leave or you’re pushed by the one who is chasing you ;
- Backwards means that you resist to this departure.
After the workshop we go to the city-centre… dinner…
Visit of the historical centre: Coliseum, Constantin Arch, Forum, Victor Emmanuel 2 Monument,
Trajan Column, Trevie Fountain…
Monday 17 December 2012 – pursuit of Lilia’s workshop
 Warming-up
- Walking around on the interior side of the feet, then exterior, on the toes, heels, flat feet, in
contact with the ground… feel your back, what’s around you…
- Meet somebody, say « hello », say « hello, how are you? » in different languages + « you are
so nice, you look great… »
- Close your eyes, back to a neutral position
- walk around looking in front of you, stop… close your eyes and go on walking … story from
the beginning of the humanity until future development while opening the eyes …
- 1st step forward with right foot then glance…contact with somebody standing close to you …
smile or not… movement, more and more active…
 Circle: rhythm moving the feet, shoulders, bottom… people going to the centre… « oppress »
them on the rhythm then open the circle again, de-stress and come back to friendship,
tenderness, happiness to be together, to share these moments.  Heraklides (text no 7)
 Circle: 6 steps to the right, back (=7), go to the left + back, arms up ritually, fingers tight, breast
bulged but relax… After a while, integrate a tour around yourself on beats 2 and 3… go on, then
an actress inserts a text (here, the first lines of text number 5)  Persians
NB The chorus is moving + song + sound + speech…
 Lamentation/dignity :
- Right foot forward, right hand on forehead or in front of the face, left arm backward, lightly
bended.
- We move forward slowly without any definite direction.
- Loud-sound breathing  lamentation
- Change the arm when left foot forward…
- Look at the ones you pass by with a painful face.
- Reading of the text where Oedipus is lost and the city devastated.
Œdipus Rex – text No 6
Lunch at the theatre…
PM : workshop « costume/dress » by Cynthia
- Creation of a wreath/ crown with iron wire artificial or natural material …
- Creation of a mask :
o Make a structure with iron wire, cover with tape… it’s better to put an iron wire above
the mouth, another one above the nose and a third one on the forehead… add a form of
the nose.
o Cover the structure with bandage + glue.
o Nb We should have cut the eyes before the structure has dried
We go back to the hotel with the material to finish the work …
Departure to the city centre with the metro… We go to the Capitole ; we’re joined by the Greeks and
Oscar. For the first time we’ll have dinner together… an Italian friend (Lorenzo) arrives later…
Restaurant close to Navone square where you can visit a Christmas market… that is very different
from ours…
Tuesday 18 December 2012 – pursuit of Lilia’s workshop.
 Warming up
- Bend your toes, your fingers, your hands…
- Raise your knees skipping, then walking…
- Your hands are so heavy… to the ground… stretching…
 Workshop  The Cyclops number 2
NB Cyclops means : cycle = circle + ops = eyes  1 eye that looks everywhere !
Movement arms up then backwards down, balancing – triple time rhythm… + music…
 Workshop  Prometheus number 9
- We’re rolling waves… and we hear Promotheus cries against the new laws instituted in
Olympus.
- circle : we follow the music and add a gesture to mime the fact that we listen …
 Workshop  Antigone number 4
- Humming the rhythm of traditional song
- Dancing on labyrinth – hands crossed
Lunch: some eat at the theatre, others at the hotel or « outside »…
 PM :
- pursuit of the masks,
- we translate the texts into five native languages of each partner,
- we work with Theodora to translate the texts that we’ll have to study and distribute for the
show…
- We study!
- We work on group recitation of Aristoteles’ definition of Tragedy.
Dinner
Wednesday 19 December 2012 – «D-Day»
Appointment at 10 am : we must arrive dressed in black !
We finally start at 11.30… we don’t rehearse but spend 2 hours to prepare our equipment:
- red cloth at the wrist for Oedipus… blood…
- white cloth at the leg…
- brown cloth at the arm…
- for the men, a tail passing from back to frontward…
- for the women, bosom for those who want…
- beast skin on the shoulder…
- ochre and black foulard around the neck…
+ crown and mask…
Last rehearsal: we manage ! We just have to review our texts + one or the other transition…
Meeting of the administrators at 2 pm… Who’s gonna do what?
-
IT = Webpage
BE = final flyer/booklet
NL = Project logo
SE = facebook
GR = final DVD editing
Lunch + study
We rehearse on our beds… concentration !
Review of the chaining sequences… our Greeks friends stress
Show at +/- 21.00… and we did it!
… the final greeting is changed into a common dancing session with the audience!
+ nice evening with dinner, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Stella… wine, antipasti… fashion show initiated by
Maria!…
The end at 2.00… the Belgian team leaves at 3.30 !!!
See you in Amsterdam !