This course is actually a meeting place for our creative “other sides”. Perhaps it should be called “a conference of the masks”.

We shall spend some of our time getting into a state of non-judgment and physical readiness like for any good performance-based art exploration.

The extended length of time on this course allows us to stay in that open state longer, have it become deeper and more ingrained, and have quicker access to it once we go home and fall back into our regular patterns of daily functioning.

Full masks will continue to be explored while training more within a structure or situation rather than relying on a director. Full mask as clown will continue to be discovered allowing them to learn from and relate directly to the audience.

The main offering of this advanced retreat, however, is to allow our Half Masks to get together, meet each other and make friends. They get a chance to react to the world as they understand it and thereby create more space away from the complicated “grown-ups”. People. Us.

(I can’t tell you how many times a mask has screamed “Boring!” at me.)

We hope mask alliances and friendships form so that there is a context for their personal discoveries. They can share experiences and feel supported when plunging into the world of adventures, emotions and responsibilities.

(Perhaps we should have a tree-house with a sign “no people allowed”.)

And when the stage comes for “the stage to come”, we can offer the masks chances to perform. They will get to experience the celebration of our community ritual known as theatre and plays. Our audience will be there all the time to reflect back and support the honesty of being human and fragile. Even more human than humans.

We will also likely have time to rehearse masks (full and half) onto some prepared or devised pieces and use the opportunity to workshop what may someday become part of a play with masks.