Barcelona Winter Study Abroad

Our second annual Barcelona Study Abroad Program exceeded all expectations! Kari was joined this year by Gregory G. Schott in addition to Certifying Catalan Faculty Núria Olivé and Gema Sala. The experience included 24 hours per week of intensive Margolis Method training, guided walking tours, bike tours, lectures, a wide range of performances, and of course, tapas! The combination of North American and European artists makes for a magical experience in and out of the studio, and speaks to the power of the Program.

Online Learning SPECIAL & NYC Workshop

A SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT FROM MARGOLIS METHOD ONLINE!

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Margolis Method Center! As part of the giving spirit, we are offering one free upload of your work for personal feedback to all new (and continuing) members, good thru our January 15th, 2016 25% discount on annual memberships.

The response to the site thus far has been incredible. This is what Maggie Anderson, Theatre Professor at Temple University had to say: "The experience is so complete on so many levels - visceral, intellectual, emotional - as well as application of critical thinking skills, reflection, and self-evaluation."

Join now and be empowered and inspired. Start the New Year as part of a powerful, international group of Actor Warriors!

We've been hard at work populating the site with new video lessons including stances and glossary definitions. These demonstrations offer a ton of valuable information and insight on fundamental concepts. In addition, we'll be releasing THEME TWO: Embodying the Sensation of Sound in JANUARY! We're so excited to be releasing an entire theme that covers the actor's relationship to the voice--one that is fully embodied, connected, and supported. Stay tuned for a more in-depth update!

We held a weekend workshop in NYC at LaGuardia College on Dec 12-13. Many training Professors joined us as well as a great group of new artists to the Method. We're always so thrilled to form new connections with insightful, creative, ambitious artists.

Happy Holidays and a CREATIVE New Year from all of us at the Margolis Method Center!

Online Learning is LIVE

The Margolis Method Online Learning Program has LAUNCHED! We've been hard at work for the last several years developing and refining the many components of the program, and are so excited to share it as a vital tool for artists to continue training outside the Margolis Method Center's studio. The Online Learning Program dynamically combines a blend of  Actor Prep warm-ups , Exercises For Daily Practice with detailed teach-ins, classes with multiple focused lessons, improvisation structures, and critical analysis assignments to provide a multi-faceted and enriching learning experience. It is the closest thing to being in the studio and it will be right at your fingertips!

Fore more information on the site and becoming a member, click here!

Barcelona Winter Study Abroad

Our 2015/16 Barcelona Winter Study Abroad Program is fast approaching! We've received an incredible response and enthusiasm, and are so excited to offer an inspiring and enriching opportunity for traveling students as well as continue developing a rich, creative relationship with Barcelona Artists. Kari and Faculty member Gregory G. Schott will be working with students, along with Barcelona Certifying Faculty Núria Olivé and Gema Sala. 

Fall Workshop Tour

Kari and Gregory embarked upon an action-packed Midwest Residency/Workshop Tour this fall, working with motivated artists, both familiar and new.

At Millikin University, Kari gave a lecture on Entrepreneurship to a very engaged group of students who asked fantastic questions. Kari and Gregory then offered two evening workshops to over 40 students of seasoned teaching artist and veteran of Margolis Method Professor Training, Denise Myers. One can feel the impact Denise has made and the students enthusiasm and knowledge of the Method was palpable. Denise will also be incorporating Margolis Method Online Learning into her core curriculum.

At the JUST OFF BROADWAY THEATRE, In Kansas City, MO, Kari and Gregory had wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the Kansas City theatre scene and many actors who have continued training in the Method after seeing MB ADAPTORS production of CYCLOPEDIA. These workshops were produced by Byrd Productions.

Kari is proud to have been a guest artist many times at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN, and she, Gregory and Erik Hoover were thrilled to  interact with  a packed workshop of Twin Cities theatre artists. They also offered a private workshop for the growing group of Certifying Artists living and working in Minneapolis.

It was then off to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA (home of Professor Training alumnus Maggie Anderson), where Kari gave a keynote speech and workshop. Maggie has done tremendous work at Temple to integrate the Method into her teaching, and it absolutely shows! Both workshops were filled with focused actors ready to jump in and take advantage of every moment.

Parkland High School in Allentown, PA was next, where Kari returned to work with theatre students of Elizabeth McCormick. This growing relationship between the Margolis Method Center and Parkland High School is an exciting model to bring the Method's empowering tools to younger artists and provide them with a strong foundation to their craft. Elizabeth will also be incorporating the upcoming Margolis Method Online Learning Program into her class curriculum.

It was an extremely satisfying adventure and Kari and Gregory were able to meet and work with over 400 theatre students and professionals.

Summer Wrap-up

Professor Training

The fifth season of our Professor Training saw our biggest enrollment yet, with sixteen dedicated teaching artists from Utah to Puerto Rico! Several new professors joined returning teaching artists to create a group with incredible energy and focus toward enhancing their teaching skills and syllabi with Margolis Method exercises and improvisation structures. Denise Myers and Jennifer Stott Madsen-Whatcott completed their Level III Certification. Both are true champions of empowering artists to become Actor Warriors! They will continue their training and honing their specialties. Jennifer is focusing on Margolis Method's powerful application for singers and Denise brings more Margolis Method to every class and directing opportunity. 

Summer Session

Summer Session also saw its biggest enrollment, and the studio was energize by 22 new and returning training artists who brought tremendous creativity and a hunger to learn. The growth these artists made was substantial and inspiring for the entire faculty--a teacher's dream! Many scholarship recipients contributed invaluable hours to make the MB ADAPTORS' production, HEADSHOT!, a huge success. In doing so, they also learned many new theatre-making skills. It was a fantastic opportunity for the training center and professional company to work in concert.

Margolis Method Barcelona Study Abroad Spring Break 2015

Our inaugural Barcelona Spring Break Study Abroad Program was a tremendous success! We were joined by an outstanding group of creative, generous, and focused artists and enjoyed meeting, working and sharing this glorious city with everyone.

Students participated in one (or both) of two 1-week sessions, with each week including over 20 hours of Margolis Method training, 5 hours of Barcelona theatre seminars, an exciting array of local and international theatre performances, a private guided walking tour as well as ample time for sightseeing and organized cultural activities. Our enrolled artists trained alongside local Catalan actors for a truly multicultural experience in and out of the studio. We’d like to thank each and every artist who registered for bringing such focus and openness of spirit to help make the program launch such a joy.

With the success of this year’s program we are already planning for next year, and considering adding a two-week Winter Study Abroad Program to the roster. Stay tuned for more details!

A quote from our anonymous follow-up questionnaire on the Study Abroad experience:

“This was an amazing experience! I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Method and also interested in traveling. In one week I was able to take workshops, learn about theatre, get a cultural experience, explore, and be able to create with artists from all around the world.”

2015 Barcelona Study Abroad Artists:
Travis Keith Battle
Nicholas Chizek
Danielle DeStefano
Alicia Goodman
Evan Lordon
Jackie McCoy
Espii Proctor
Denise Rinehart
Taylor Shepard

NYC Weekend Professor Workshop February 14 - 15

NYC Weekend Workshop
February 14 - 15

Don't miss this special opportunity created just for professors!

Join award-winning theatre artist Kari Margolis, MB ADAPTORS Company Members and teaching artists from across the country for a two-day introduction and exploration of the Margolis Method and its dynamic merging of the Actor, Director and Playwright.

Designed to be both experiential and pedagogical, this workshop is especially developed to introduce professors to Margolis Method and is a great experience on its own as well as a perfect entryway into the more in-depth Professor Certification Program.

Embark on a Theatrical Journey to your creative core while enhancing your curriculum!

This NYC Workshop is sponsored by Belinda Mello and Janice Orlandi.

Schedule: Sat. 1pm to 8pm & Sun. 11am to 2pm
Fee: $275  / ATME Members ($225)
Location: 307 West 43rd St, Cameo Studio A

To Register: margolismethod@margolismethod.org

2015 Spring Break Barcelona Study Abroad Program

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SPRING IN BARCELONA ANYONE? We are officially announcing our Spring Break Study Abroad Program in Barcelona! You can register for either one or two weeks. March 7th -15th and/or March 14th - 22nd. The Program includes 23 hrs. of Margolis Method Training, 2 performances including talk backs with artists, 2 seminars on Barcelona Theatre History and cultural activities.

For more info. contact us at margolismethod@margolismethod.org. We will also be leading training and performance workshops in October and November that are also open to the general public. Just ask - margolismethod@margolismethod.org.

2014 Summer Session Two

Hard to believe the summer 2014 is wrapping up--it was truly magical in every way possible! The second 3-week leg of the Summer Session really picked up on the creative energy and momentum of the first session. A mix of new and familiar faces joined us for more creative research and training. The artists enrolled for the full 6-week session exhibited profound growth, made all the more evident as we circled back to a few exercises and dramatic structures earlier in the summer. As they made connections in their work, they began to find more and more sophisticated choices and nuance in their storytelling. Their personal development also ramped up the learning for the 3-weekers, raising the bar for the whole group and pushing every single artist in the room to a higher caliber.

This session’s performance project was to explore the concept of humanity’s relationship to judgment--how do we judge ourselves and others, and how do we react to being judged? The artists created solo and/or group scenes, and on presentation day filled the studio with truly dramatic, inspiring, and thought-provoking stories. Its these moments that remind us of the power of theatre, and it’s incredibly exciting to think of the work these artists will create as they return to their communities armed and empowered with new and more refined skill sets.

While the 2014 Summer Session has drawn to a close, the atmosphere of joy, diligence, inspiration, and focus remains, and we at the Center couldn’t be prouder of the students and faculty for making the whole session one for the history books! More exciting projects are coming down the pipeline, and we move forward with cherished memories as we grow and push ourselves to grow.

Stay tuned, folks! More news soon!

2014 Summer Session One

The first 3-week session of the 2014 Summer Session really hit the ground running with immense creativity and impressive focus.  With record enrollment, artists from all over the country and internationally arrived with unbridled energy and positivity.  The array of artists at various levels of training in the Method contributed greatly to our concept of “spiral learning,” with newer artists learning at an accelerated rate due to the insights of the veterans, who likewise gain deeper understanding from the fresh perspective and provocative questions contributed by artists interacting with the work for the first time.

Twice each week the group is split into two smaller sections, for an intimate opportunity to focus on fundamental principles and receive more individual attention, offering a valuable balance of experiential learning.

Several projects were created, each allowing the training artists to build stories around specific limitations or theatrical devices.  The last week saw the creation of larger projects where the seed for inspiration was a theme and each actor or group determined how to best manifest their perspective(s) theatrically.  The outcome was work that was inspiring, funny and thought provoking. We also had the pleasure to experience long time student Rachel Nelson’s production, directed by company member Beth Brooks, The Urban Hermit.  It was so engaging we completely forgot we were still in our studio.

As the first 3-week session draws to a close, we bid a sad yet fond farewell to those artists leaving while warmly welcoming the fantastic group joining us for the next three weeks. Onward and upward to continue more challenging, in-depth training and research to empower Actor Warriors!  

2014 Professor Certification

2014 marks the fourth year of the Margolis Method Professor Certification, and this year's session was full of energy, growth, insight, and inspiration.  The Professor Certification sessions are special opportunities to connect with other educators.  Visiting professors share the experiential aspect that any artist receives with the training, but we also work on breaking down the pedagogical techniques, concepts, and principles that are integral to the teaching of the Method.

Returning Level 2 and 3 Professors joined some fantastic teachers starting Level 1, for a brilliant group with a variety of perspectives and goals.  Throughout the session, every professor demonstrated tremendous growth, both in their personal artistic development as well as their grasp of the Method's tools for enriching their classes.  Breakout sessions offered each artist individual attention and feedback, along with the opportunity to hone their own analytical eyes for tendencies and habits they might find in their students.

Of course, it wouldn't be a summer at the Margolis Method Center without some peaceful reflection time by the river, or chatting about new insights and breakthroughs over barbecue!  

Thanks to all 2014 professors--as usual, the exciting exchange of ideas is a welcome kickstart to the summer, and the faculty here at the Center invigorated, inspired, and ready to welcome the incoming students to the 6 week Summer Session.