Workshop: Expressive Movement & Drawing

August 23, 2019August 25, 2019 | directorebeccer

Sept 29 2019 – Expand your capacity to express

Express yourself with movement and make your mark! You’ll create unique expressive gestures in this visual arts and movement workshop led by guest artist Marybeth Tereszkiewicz.

THE BASICS:

What: Expressive Movement & Drawing Workshop
When: Sunday, September 29 2019, 12pm – 3pm
Where: Port Costa, California

MORE DETAILS:

Rhythm, movement, gesture, intention, emphasis, space, character, originality, authenticity…
…these words describe elements in both visual and performing arts, and through this workshop, you’ll experience the ways in which developing one art form expands your ability to express in all others.

The focus of this workshop is on finding authentic movement and creating expressive gestures that are unique to you. We’ll begin with some fundamental dance/movement techniques to develop strength and centering, plus finding authentic expressive gestures and interacting with various rhythms and quality of movement. Then we will move into mark-making on large paper with oil pastels and charcoal. As we create, we will focus on process over product, as we aim to free up and expand the way you express yourself both in movement and visual arts.

You’ll come away with new tools for expressive art-making, and new connections to the vibrant community of Bay Area artists, and you’ll have a lot of fun.

After the workshop, explore the wonderful town of Port Costa, where you can hike the hills, relax with a book, or discover whimsical artwork and fabulous antiques — making the whole day a creatively rejuvenating experience.

No prior visual art or dance experience is necessary — this workshop is open to visual and performing artists of ALL levels, aged 16 and up.

What to bring:

Water bottle
Snacks
Dress to move (loose or stretchy clothing, closed-toe shoes)

What’s PROVIDED:

All art materials
A creative and welcoming environment rooted in connection, support, and delight

Registration

Your investment is $50, which includes materials and supplies, pays workshop leaders, and supports the Port Costa Conservation Society. Residents of Port Costa, Crockett, and Tormey pay just $10 thanks to the sponsorship of the Crockett Community Foundation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

MARYBETH TERESZKIEWICZ is a modern renaissance woman; visual artist, dancer, actor, director, choreographer, filmmaker, and teacher of both Visual and Performing Arts. In whichever avenue of expression she is working, Marybeth focuses on the same four aspects: dynamic energy/movement, interesting characters, compelling stories, and vibrant composition. She performed as a professional dancer for over 20 years and Dance remains the core of her creations. The visceral experience of expressing emotions through the body is the fuel behind all her other work. Marybeth has a Masters of Education in the Arts and is passionate about the potential of art education to improve the lives of students, schools and communities. She served for 25 years in San Francisco as the Chairperson of ICA High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Department, and has also been the School/Community Liaison for the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and Program Creator / Director for the Tree of Life Arts Empowerment Camp in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. Marybeth is currently Director of the School of Art Education at the Academy of Art University.

A gestural dance by Marybeth Tereszkiewicz

Our Own Silent Film Festival!

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019 | directorebeccer

Idiot String performers visited the amazing, annual Port Costa Yard Sale this Saturday with a DIY Silent Film Booth. We provided the props, costumes, director, cinematographer, and extras… and made silent films starring YOU!

We made (super short) movies, we made friends, and we got to talk to lots of folks about the upcoming premiere of Port Stories, our interactive, site-specific play that will take audiences throughout the historic Port Costa School and downtown Port Costa.

Check out the films on Instagram or You Tube! (There are different movies on each platform).

Port Costa Residency

February 18, 2019September 10, 2019 | directorebeccer

Idiot String’s artistic residency in Port Costa, sponsored by the Port Costa Conservation Society, is now underway! Our residency aims to grow Idiot String’s creative and outreach activities, and to continue to activate the Port Costa School with creative programming for the local community and artists from around the Bay Area.

Featured projects of the residency include:

Public Workshop Series

Idiot String offers a series of creative workshops open to the public at the Port Costa School. Each workshop focuses on a different set of performance skills or artistic techniques related to our work. They’re a great way for folks of all experience levels to try something new, or to dive deeper into an established practice. Click here for upcoming offerings.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Sponsored by funding from the Crockett Community Foundation, Idiot String offers in-school performing arts education workshops and master classes to the John Swett Unified School District. Workshops, master classes, and teaching residencies are available to other school districts and community groups as well; please visit our Creative Education page for more information.

Port STories (2019)

Idiot String’s site-specific, interactive production was created throughout late 2018 and early 2019 at the Port Costa School, and performed at the School and throughout downtown Port Costa in June. Port Stories was commissioned by the East Bay Fund for Artists at the East Bay Community Foundation, with additional support from the Edward J. Daly Foundation and Crockett Community Foundation.

Artists’ Mini-Retreats and Salons

Are you an artist who could use some time set aside for your own artistic practice? Would you value the opportunity to build a community of creative folk around cocktails and conversation? Contact us for an invitation to our Artists’ Mini-Retreats and Salons. Held approximately every other month on a Wednesday, each Mini-Retreat concludes with a visit to the Dram Shop at the Bull Valley Roadhouse with that day’s cohort of artists.

Community Outreach

We’re delighted to be able to offer residents of Port Costa, Crockett, and Tormey reduced-price tickets to Port Stories and public half-day workshops. Show tickets for residents are just $5, and day workshops are $10 for residents, also thanks to funding from the Crockett Community Foundation!

2019 Workshop Series

December 20, 2018November 7, 2019 | directorebeccer

Next Workshop:

Somatic Clown Weekend retreat
nov 16-17, 2019

Learn more and Sign up Here

Announcing workshops in Port Costa!

In connection with our residency at the Port Costa Schoolhouse, sponsored by the Port Costa Conservation Society, Idiot String is proud to announce our 2019 Workshop Series in Port Costa. This workshop series is supported in part by generous funding from the Crockett Community Foundation.

2019 Workshops:

Ensemble Character Creation in the Peripatetic Mode! : January 27, 2019

Physical Comedy with the Peripatetic Players : June 16, 2019

Expressive Movement & Drawing : Sept 29, 2019

Site-Specific Creation Lab : Oct 27, 2019 (postponed!)

Somatic Clown Weekend retreat : nov 16-17, 2019

2020 workshops:

Story Adaptation : Date to be announced

Physical Comedy: Date to be announced

Be sure to join our mailing list so you’re the first to know about upcoming events.

Every workshop is an all-levels creative workout, geared to accommodate folks with little to no performing experience and to challenge veteran artists. Individualized attention at each workshop ensures that you can come as you are. We aim to be sure you leave inspired!

Most workshops are suitable for ages 14 to adult. Participants under 18 must have their parents’ permission. Port Costa, Crockett, and Tormey residents can attend 3- and 4-hour workshops for just $10!

Port Costa Residency Announcement

April 23, 2018September 10, 2019 | directorebeccer

Exciting News!

At the invitation of the Port Costa Conservation Society, Idiot String is beginning an artistic residency in Port Costa. We’re thrilled to be deepening our relationship to this magical town by spending more creative time there, finding inspiration in the history and landscape, and activating spaces inside the historic Port Costa School with rehearsals, workshops and other activities. While there, we’ll be developing new plays for site-specific performances in Port Costa and for touring on our mobile stage; and will begin to offer occasional education programs — in the hopes that they’ll become regular education offerings — as early as fall 2018.

Help commission a new play

The East Bay Fund for Artists at the East Bay Community Foundation has awarded us a matching grant to fund the creation of a new play in Port Costa that will premiere in 2019. In order to receive this funding, we need to raise $4,000 from individual donors before July 15, 2018. Donate today to help us create this new play!

Thank you!

We’ve been visiting Port Costa with the Peripatetic Players each year since their inception in 2014, and have always been thrilled at the warm welcome we’ve received there from locals and visitors alike. The Burlington Hotel and Bull Valley Roadhouse have helped to keep us fed and housed; Wendy Addison and her magical shop, Theatre Of Dreams, is a true inspiration (and creative consultant to Elixir of Life); and the dedicated folks at the Port Costa Conservation Society have made the Port Costa School a delightful stop on each of our tours. Throughout 2017 we also developed (the entirely fictional play) Elixir Of Life with inspirations from Port Costa and the surrounding area — including bona-fide history as well as tall tales and the general feeling of what it’s like to live in a small community.

Stay tuned for more about our Port Costa projects in the works!

Meanwhile, enjoy these photos from some recent exploratory days in Port Costa…

Casey on a tree

Marlene, Joan, and other Players soaking up the landscape

Testing the acoustics in the Schoolhouse’s main lobby

Soren describing a project idea for a site-specific piece

Taking notes in the Schoolhouse

Soren discovering weird and wonderful treasures

Exploring the reservoir and spillway above the Schoolhouse

East Bay Fund for Artists Commission

April 17, 2018September 10, 2019 | directorebeccer

We’re thrilled to announce that the East Bay Fund for Artists at the East Bay Community Foundation has awarded Idiot String a matching grant to support the development of a new site-specific play in Port Costa — part of our residency hosted by the Port Costa Conservation Society — that will premiere in 2019.

It’s a challenge grant, so we need your help! We have until July 15 to raise $4000 in individual donations, to match EBFA’s pledge.

Your donation will support us today, and commission a new play for next year!

Sam Bertken and Marlene Yarosh in *Elixir of Life* (2017)

Elixir Inspirations

September 22, 2017March 3, 2019 | directorebeccer

Take a peek inside some of what’s inspired our development of Elixir of Life, playing October 20 – November 12.

Port Costa, California

Our friends at the Bull Valley Roadhouse, Burlington Hotel, and Port Costa Conservation Society generously co-sponsored three weekends of on-site devising and research in Port Costa, California. There we had the privilege to study the history of Port Costa and the surrounding area, and to talk to residents about their experiences of living in a small community amidst the larger Bay Area.

With a generous helping of poetic license, we’ve based aspects of our characters and the town of Port Promise on stories we’ve gathered in Port Costa, and hope to honor Port Costans sense of pride in their community and sense of connection to one another in the themes of our play.

Some photos from our time in Port Costa: (l-r) examples of artist Wendy Addison’s Victorian-inspired poster designs for her shop, Theatre of Dreams; two photos (both courtesy of Wendy Addison), one featuring some Port Costans around the turn of the century; the other a circus parade through town (notice the elephant!) from the early 20th century; and the Elixir workshop ensemble outside the Port Costa School.

A sampling of posters and cards created by Wendy Addison for her Theatre of Dreams.

Vintage Port Costans in front of their shop. Photo courtesy of Wendy Addison.

The circus arriving in Port Costa, California, circa 1915. Photo courtesy of Wendy Addison.

Elixir of Life workshop cast in Port Costa, May 2017.

Crockett Historical Museum

We hear that it is also called the “Hysterical Museum”… and the wealth of artifacts, photos, ephemera, and oddities is a wonder to behold. There we were inspired by the good works and mysterious rites of fraternal orders, old pharmaceutical bottles, and the sense that storytelling can take many forms. Here’s a fun article about the museum from Roadside America. And photos we took there: