Sunday May 21st – 2:00 – 3:30pm – Near Studio
Playing with Text
Workshop Description:
In performance, when approaching a new play, a new work or even a new monologue, the idea of
tackling new text can feel daunting. The language may feel far away from us, the themes
unrelatable, and getting the text up on its feet, too overwhelming. As a classically-trained actor
and through my professional experience at the Shaw Festival, I understand the importance of
play in the work we do as actors, educators, coaches and creatives. Play allows us to break the
structure of formal acting training which values the product, and instead opens up the space for
us to explore and honour the process. Acting becomes joyful and fruitful when we can see and
understand all of the possibilities ahead of us. It is then our choice to discern what creative
choices we make, that speak directly to our artistic voice. Leading these types of rehearsals,
workshops and classrooms takes patience, creativity and a willingness to try new things; but the
result is the empowerment of young artists and their belief in their personal craft.
Description of Workshop Activity:
This workshop is intended for Acting Coaches and Educators who want to lead their rooms and
participants confidently through the work, infused with the elements of play, to find joy and
discovery in acting and performance. For either the aspiring actor or for the young person using
drama to express themselves, the same approach yields a space where we can all feel free to try,
fail, learn and try again. Using the ideas behind Stuart Brown, Scott G. Eberle and Johan
Huizinga’s Properties, Elements and Characteristics of Play, we will explore text, classical to
contemporary, and play with the text in a way that allows us to break down the barriers that limit
our access to the text. Through participatory games that can be played at varying levels of
difficulty, the text becomes something alive, evolving and less fixed. I can attest to the joy of
Playing with Text in this way, and what new and unexpected meaning can be drawn from the text
through this exploration. Playing with Text is about allowing everyone access to the text, and
releasing young performers from the expectation that there is one fixed and defined way to
perform.
Gabriella Sundar Singh is an Artist-Educator, born and raised in Toronto. She is currently an MA
student at the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at UofT, St. George. She holds a
B.A. Hons. from the University of Guelph in Theatre Studies, completed Post-Graduate studies
at Centennial College in Children’s Media, and is a graduate of the Acting Program at the
National Theatre School of Canada, Montréal. Gabriella has worked professionally for over a
decade and is a member of ACTRA and Equity. She has spent five seasons at the Shaw Festival
as an actor, director and choreographer, and also works in tv and film. As an educator, Gabriella
has taught music and dance with the City of Toronto for many years. She regularly teaches
workshops at the high school and post-secondary levels and continues to coach and mentor
young actors across Ontario.