PHYSICAL COMEDY WORKSHOP
with Jeff Bender of STNJ
WHEN: Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 3:00 until 5:00 PM
WHERE: Chatham Playhouse, 9 N. Passaic Ave., Chatham
ADMISSION: $20 and is open for anyone 14 years old and older
The Chatham Community Players are excited to be hosting a “Physical Comedy Workshop” presented by Jeff Bender. Jeff is primarily an actor and was most recently seen at the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ in a production of Love’s Labour’s Lost where he has been a company member for 16 years. He has taught comedy classes and stage combat in the tri-state area for over 10 years. As an actor, he has worked on Broadway at the Golden Theatre and at Lincoln Center Theatre, as well as the Metropolitan Opera, The Old Globe in San Diego, Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Denver Center, The Acting Company, and Delaware Theatre Company, to name a few. (Above: Jeff Bender in Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey)
The class will consist of discussing what makes physical comedy different from other types of comedy. There will also be talk about finding the extremes of a given event or emotion by using the body to exaggerate the situation. To do this, the class will use individual and group mime exercises to explore how to connect the body to the comedic moment. From there, activities that show how to incorporate the exercises to the stage and games that will show how to interact physically with others in the space will be shared. Finally, you will discuss the origins of physical comedy by exploring Commedia Del’Arte with its stock characters and the Lazzi. Jeff asks that participants wear comfortable clothes that they can move in. It will be physical, but fun!
About the Chatham Playhouse
The Chatham Community Players has been entertaining residents of Morris County and the surrounding area since 1922. The organization’s mission is to produce high-quality theater for a diverse audience, while elevating its standard of excellence and providing a creative outlet with educational opportunities and outreach programs. For more information, including details of CCP’s 2015-2016 season, visit www.chathamplayers.org.
