Stories of the Shadow Body

From Melodrama to Tragedy

“The wound is the place where the light enters you”

– Rumi

The starting point of the journey towards individuation is awareness: the discovery of a wound. But in the beginning of the journey, the HeroIne is not met with help or support as they reveal this wound so that, as Rumi says, the light can enter. On the contrary: the HeroIne is met by forces, both internal and external, that not only resist and reject but also seek to cover up the wound and even destroy the wounded. So the drama between and within the individual, family, community and society arises and you can be sure that it will not end well.

In this four-week intensive – comprising 2 individual two-week blocks – practitioners will be invited to explore the wounded bodies, spaces and stories of today’s world, using existing stories and texts from melodramatic and tragic territories, as well as writing from their own bodies. Through diverse provocations, including building psychological characters, storytelling, delving into music and song and exploring puppetry and object theatre, participants will research and create their own performative forms to convey these big stories and hold this intense drama.

Week 4 will finish with a sharing of the results.

While it is encouraged that participants complete the whole intensive, it is possible to join either individual two-week block.

Weeks 1 & 2: Discovering the Wound: Bodies and Spaces of the Melodramatic and Tragic

Weeks 3 & 4: Constructing Performative Spaces and Stories from the Wounded Body