Welcome to Freehold's New Registrar E. Justin Clarke

Welcome to E. Justin Clarke, Freehold's new Registrar! Lucinda Stroud, Freehold's previous Registrar is now Operations Manager at Freehold.

Get to know Justin in our recent chat with him ...

Justin, can you share a little bit about what drew you to working at Freehold as our new Registrar?

My initial interest in Freehold was to try something outside of my comfort zone. I have no background whatsoever in theater or acting, so I thought it would be interesting to submerge myself in another culture that I wasn’t familiar with and learn something interesting and new. I also work and attend a counseling program at nearby Antioch University Seattle, and spend plenty of time here in Belltown.

What discoveries have you made in your new role as Registrar?

My time as a Registrar has been a positive experience, I’ve gotten the chance to learn many new skills while helping eager students pursue their acting/theatre goals. Freehold has a warm atmosphere that makes coming to work pleasurable.

Outside of your work here at Freehold, what other activities occupy your time?

Spare time, I remember those days… generally my time involves spending time with my family while catching up on homework. When I do get time to enjoy myself it usually involves getting as far away from the city as possible and as often as possible enjoying any number of mediums like: Camping, Backpacking, Fly-Fishing, Snowboarding, or Golfing.

WELCOME Justin!

Interview with Tony Pasqualini

Tony Pasqualini is a veteran of thirty-five years in the theatre, Tony has performed in over a hundred plays on many stages around the country, including: The Arena Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, The Vinyard Theatre and Playwright’s Horizons. A member of the Pacific Resident Theatre in Los Angeles, where he’s played Tobias in A Delicate Balance, and Snyder in Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses (an LA Weekly Award nominee), and Andrew in Loyalties. Tony has guest starred on dozens of televisions programs, including Cold Case, The Office, Without a Trace, Navy NCIS, West Wing, Frasier, CSI: NY, JAG, Boston Legal, and Law and Order, LA. Tony is also one of the Founders of Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio.

What did you first think when Robin Lynn Smith, Freehold's Artistic Director, called and asked you to play King Lear?

Robin has actually talked about her desire to do Lear for years, so I knew the call was eventually coming -- maybe ten years from now when I'd be in my mid-sixties. That seemed about right. So when she called this past summer, my initial thought was, 'oh, wait, I'm not nearly ready for this.' Robin, however, in her most persuasive manner said, "Well, you know Paul Schofield played the role when he was 45." I wasn't too reassured by that because I consider Paul Schofield one of the great actors of our generation. I was much more reassured to hear about the other actors who had signed onto the project. Jose Gonzales, Reggie Jackson, Sarah Harlett, Eric Anderson, Kate Wisniewski, and Kevin McKeon along with all the other terrific young actors, designers, puppeteers and musicians Robin has brought on board, gave me the confidence to leave sunny LA behind for a bit and participate in tackling, what many consider, Shakespeare's greatest play.

What has the process been like as you've begun to dive into the material?

It's a truly exciting play to work on. The story is rich and extraordinarily engaging. The language is incisive, full of passion and nuance, but mostly what I've discovered playing Lear is the complexity of the character's journey and how brilliantly structured that journey is. Many of us have dealt with family members who have lost their bearings. It's frightening to see another human being deteriorate. Shakespeare has written Lear's 'descent into madness' with such painstaking detail that you can't help being deeply moved as this once powerful man is, piece by piece, stripped of his power. And as I've studied and rehearsed the script, a complex road map has emerged for Lear. And I've discovered if I let myself follow the map that Shakespeare has written, I can begin to experience the thrill of playing Lear.

Let me also say this, and this has surprised me. This play is terrifically funny. And I think that is because when people are in their most exposed, vulnerable, human state there is great tragedy, of course, but also great humor.







As you anticipate the summer tour of King Lear, what are some things you are looking forward to?

About four years ago I went out with the Engaged Theatre Tour playing Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Honestly I had no idea what to expect. I've been a professional actor for over 35 years; I've performed in hundreds of plays in many different types and sizes of theatre; done many of Shakespeare's roles; always felt deeply rewarded by being in those plays. But to bring that work into the communities the Engaged Theatre Tour takes us to, is an experience that a modern actor will simply not get anywhere else. You set up a stage, you are in the middle of a prison yard, it's the middle of the day, there are no lights, no comfortable air conditioned dressing rooms or theatre to relax in. No, there's not even a concession stand. A large group of prisoners come out. Have they ever seen a Shakespeare play? Or a play of any sort? Are they going to be remotely interested? Why would they be? A modern typical theatre-going audience, the kind one normally plays for, has probably seen King Lear several times, certainly they've read it, studied it in school. This could only turn out to be a disaster.

But here's the thing. When Shakespeare first performed his plays, the actors stood up in an open space in the middle of the day and no one in the audience knew the first thing about King Lear. It was a new experience, a discovery. The theatre was raw and alive and unpredictable. The words and the story connected with the audience in a visceral and powerful way. This rough-shod, unknowledgable audience did not sit quietly and take in the play. They shouted back at the stage, rooted for the heroes, booed the villains, wept and laughed and cursed. When we do Shakespeare today in our very neat, well-coiffed theaters we are all (actors and audience alike) experiencing a rather sanitized version of what was the original theatre experience. So when you are out there on that prison yard, I believe you are quite close to the performance experience of those seventeenth century actors. How can you not look forward to that?

*********************************************************

Our Engaged Theatre Program's Laboratory Showing/Open Rehearsal of King Lear will be on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 pm at Glen Hughes Penthouse Theatre on the University of Washington Campus. RSVP: BROWN PAPER TICKETS

“I Get No Kick From Champagne” by Tania Sung

Tania – female, Chinese-Canadian and thereby looks young for her age
God – Omniscient, good sense of humour, non- corporeal form, eternal
A living room in a small rental apartment in Bellevue, decorated with a mish-mash of furniture cobbled together over the years from Craigslist and IKEA. It is a cool summer night and there is the occasional sound of loud footsteps and laughter that comes from the thin ceiling above.

TANIA: What should I do?
GOD: Ah… your favourite question.
TANIA: I’m way too predictable.
GOD: Take playwriting.
TANIA: What? You’re actually answering me?
GOD: Yes. Playwriting.
TANIA: I’m not sure I---
GOD: You’ll enjoy yourself.
TANIA: But the I-90 traffic is--
GOD: A mess. But at least there’s no tolling.
TANIA: I don’t know if I’ll write anything worthwhile…
GOD: …Trust me.

…and the seed was planted. I finally enrolled in Playwriting I last fall because I wanted to better understand how to effectively use words. I found that while oftentimes my words failed, I still had a tendency to use too many.

Lo and behold that in the second week of class, I learned that words didn’t need to do all the heavy lifting because there was so much mystery to be tilled with subtext. Moreover, as someone who struggles with grammar, I secretly derived glee from punctuating incorrectly to create my own rhythm.

The final homework assignment was to create a ten minute play based on the theme, “I Get No Kick From Champagne.” Although the entire writing process was challenging, my biggest hurdle was to develop a premise that could sustain my interest for ten minutes. I bored myself with my first two writing attempts because I tried too hard to be clever or funny at the expense of emotional truth. Since the assignment deadline loomed, I released my need to write a lighthearted play and decided to heed Elizabeth Heffron’s advice to “write what disturbs you”.

I gathered my courage and wrote about two broken people and the painful aftermath of their dysfunctional relationship. After the initial feedback from some friends, I was upset to discover I had accidentally written a bad soap opera. But as I proceeded to make some revisions, I chose not to change the core story because this very messy play was an inadequate but honest expression of my heart.

For our last class, my classmates and I had a night of play readings for an intimate audience plied with bubbly in honour of the theme. Far from my worst fear that my writing was woefully inadequate, I was touched to see that my play, along with my classmates’ excellent interpretations of the characters, could move people’s hearts.

My first ten-minute play is far from perfect but I’m proud of it. Yes, God’s guidance was spot-on (again). But I couldn’t have done it without Elizabeth Heffron and Dickey Nesenger’s instruction and encouragement, nor pushed through the self-doubt without all the support from my classmates and my friends.

And here’s my toast to my entire class: I get a kick out of you!


*************************************************************

For over 20 years, Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio has been offering a variety of acting classes year round all taught by working professional actors, directors and playwrights. Classes include beginning acting, solo performance, improv, playwriting, directing, voice and movement classes and much more. For more information, go to: http://www.freeholdtheatre.org

Beginning and Advanced Acting Classes at Freehold in Seattle this Winter Quarter

We are privileged to have highly acclaimed artists as faculty. Our students range from the beginner who has never taken an acting class to the advanced trained student looking to continue their practice.


There is truly something for everyone.





Freehold's Winter Class, 2012 Line-Up:

Step I: Intro to Acting with Meg McLynn
Step I: Intro to Acting with Sarah Harlett
Step II: Acting with Text with Sarah Harlett
Step III: Scene Study Text Intensive with Annette Toutonghi
The Actor's Homework with Annette Toutonghi
Alexander Technique: For The Actor's Toolbox with Cathy Madden
Auditioning with Annette Toutonghi
Directing and Acting for the Camera with John Jacobsen
Improvisation with Matt Smith
Intermediate Clown with George Lewis
Meisner: Instrument with Robin Lynn Smith
Movement with Paul Budraitis
Playwriting II: The Playwright's Vision with Elizabeth Heffron
Shakespeare with Amy Thone
Solo Performance and Presentation with Marya Sea Kaminski
Spoken Word and Performance Poetry with Daemond Arrindell
Stage Combat with Geof Alm
Voice-Over with Gin Hammond

We also have a little space in 2 of our Fall Classes:
Public Speaking with Gin Hammond
Verse and Voice with Kimberly White

Check out our Winter e-newsletter with great articles from faculty and students:
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs025/1102313671991/archive/1108903728432.html

To register for a class: http://www.freeholdtheatre.org



If you're looking for outstanding training in a supportive atmosphere,
Freehold is the place.

Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio
2222 2nd Avenue, Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 323-7499

Memories of Freehold: "What Splitting My Pants Taught Me About Being Human or Lessons from Personal Clown with George" by Cathleen O’Malley

At the time I registered for George Lewis’s Lecoq-based “Personal Clown” class (Spring 2003) I was, frankly, a little wary of clowns. My opinion of the form was unfortunately tainted by the unoriginal, often-fearsome, pop culture representations of clowns, scary or worse--dilapidated sad sacks with frizzy scarlet hair and a forced attitude of mirth that provoked in me (as for many people, I suspect) a major case of the willies, if not the urge to violence. I had not yet encountered the work of Jacques Lecoq, nor George as teacher, but a combination of the intriguing class description and the awed testimonials from former students convinced me to take the plunge and risk having my mind blown.

During the first week of class, we were given the task of assembling a costume. Intrigued by the vague notion that clowning was somehow related to “failure”, my first attempt resulted in an unsightly head-to-toe ensemble of ratty men’s long johns, pre-stained with indelible grime and sweat and salvaged from the discount rack at the Capitol Hill Value Village. “No, no no!” George rolled his eyes and turned me away with a dramatic flourish of his hands. “What are you WEARING? What is that--men’s underwear? And all the same color--totally wrong!”

I arrived at the next class decked in stripes and jaunty black polyester ankle pants, gloves and (I wince)...a beret. This was my attempt at a “Euro” look, sort of cutesy and androgynous, with a dash of...Parisian street performer? In spite of my efforts, the result was lame and I knew it from the moment I crossed the threshold. George was similarly unimpressed. On that count, it was fortunate that the costume did not last long.

The performance I had prepared (now long wiped from my memory by subsequent events) had tanked, and I was exposed, stock-still and grasping desperately for a new “bit” as my classmates gazed back at me blankly. I deployed the best of my moves--a super-controlled, yogi-like headstand, with my legs rising flat as a board. No response. A freestyle hip hop combination--not a chuckle. Having run out of ideas, my performance quickly devolved into a halting montage of yoga asanas, fake tap dancing, gazelle leaps and rhythm gymnastics across the space, all in an attempt to elicit a reaction from the audience. They remained stone faced. In a burst of desperation, I plunged into a full split--and it was then that the seams gave way.

For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of studying clown with George (or anyone)--a bit of context. One of the most standard clown exercises is deceptively simple and exceeding provocative. Each instructor has their own approach, but the basic task is this: “Enter. Make the audience laugh.”

While in sketch comedy, a character enters a constructed world and interacts with it (to comic effect), a clown enters an empty space, in which she creates a world with and for the audience.

Getting to that point takes some goading. We all have--as I discovered painfully over the course of Personal Clown and beyond--tricks and habits that we employ towards our basic human desire for love and approval. The role of the clown instructor--like a semi-sadistic Ring Master--is to poke holes in these pretensions, towards the end of revealing the authentic character underneath--open, vulnerable, whole and complete in her imperfections.

Rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. Silence. A breeze. A sinking realization.

“Excuse me miss,” George’s eyes were sparkling “Is there something the matter?”

“Uh.” Clown class had happened to fall at the tail end (no pun intended) of laundry week and, me-at-22 was frantically combing my memory to unsure if I had dressed myself that morning with something recognizable as underwear.

“Weren’t you in the middle of a dance routine?”

“Uh, um.” I am slowly inching my way back towards the tall black flats marking the entrance to the space, and thus, safety.

“Are you holding something behind your back? What’s wrong, miss? Is there a problem?”

The class was in complete uproar and George wasn’t letting me off the hook. An unfortunate blush boiling and spreading up from my neck, I set about the task of recreating my fake tap, gazelle-leaping, yoga asana, rhythm gymnastic routine, all the while clutching the flapping fabric at my back end, two pant legs separated cleanly from top to bottom, held together only by the front zipper, waste band and my desperate efforts. One-handed dance moves were the only available option for the pathetic little clown on the stage. Careful, labored spins eventually gave way to a sort of gawky virtuosity as the laughter of the audience loosened my breath and I began to play. When I finally made my exit to enthusiastic applause, I paused for a moment backstage, quivering and stunned.

“That,” George’s voice rang out, “is called a Gift from God.”

In the empty space of the ring, we learned, the clown emerges though authentic response to the audience, the environment and the circumstances that arise. Thus, every accident is an opportunity; every failure, a springboard for creation. Personal Clown taught that it is our uniqueness and, most poignantly, our failings and flaws that most delight the audience, if we are willing to bring them to the stage--and it is through the red-nosed clown, the smallest mask, that our humanity shines. A lesson to live by, onstage and off!




Cathleen went on to study Lecoq-based Physical Theatre at the London International School of Performing Arts. She now lives and works in Bethlehem, PA, where she is the Education Director and an Ensemble Member of Touchstone Theatre. http://www.cathleenomalley.com

George Lewis will be teaching Intermediate Clown at Freehold this Winter Quarter.

The Secret to Working with Teenagers by Daemond Arrindell

Freehold Associate Partner and Faculty Member Daemond Arrindell and Teaching Artist Carter Rodriquez have been working for the last several months with several teenagers in our Engaged Theatre residency. Here are some of Daemond's thoughts on that experience.

**********************************************************************

The secret to working with teenagers is all in the snacks. If one can tame the raging hunger that distracts them beyond all things, then maybe you stand a chance. Because you might get past the hunger, but THEN what are you going to do? They've likely seen or heard things that are a ton more exciting than what you have to show them or talk about on YouTube last night. And it was flashier on YouTube. And it had back up dancers. And a soundtrack. And Eminem made a cameo. So what else have you got in your bag of tricks? Juggling? Forget it unless it involves pyrotechnics.

So what? Well there is always ... honesty. Talking. TO them. WITH them. There is always showing them who you are and then asking them about themselves. and then asking them MORE about themselves. There is suspending judgment - kinda like you wanted adults to do when you were a teenager - and engaging, and believing what they say and dare I say it: trusting them. And then doing that again. And again and again.

I think one of the secrets of working with teenagers is forgetting at times that you are adults and they are teenagers and remembering that YOU are a person and THEY are too. Thinking of yourself as part of the group and becoming US. This is what Carter Rodriquez and I do with our kids in the Engaged Theatre program's residency at Washington Hall this fall. We talked, sure, but we listened a ton too. We let down our guards and then we listened more. Then they let their guards down and we listened even harder. And we believed in them. And TOLD them we believed in them. Rinse, repeat and add lots of snacks. Because none of the above works unless you feed them.

**********************************************************************

The original performance by youth entitled "We Are Tomorrow's Today" with the Detention All-Stars is a partnership of Freehold's Engaged Theatre and the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. Performances were held on Saturday, December 10th at Washington Hall. For more information on our Engaged Theatre residency work, go to: Engaged Theatre Residencies

Memories of Freehold: Freehold Inspires My "Little Dance" by Sharon N. Williams

Whenever I’ve worked with Freehold, they’ve made an impact on my life. And my result to said impact is always the same. I end up doing a crazy dance, I start grinning from ear to ear, and I may even jump up and down. Because that is what Freehold has meant to me. This organization has brought insurmountable joy in my life and to my quest to pursue my passion.

When I first started my organization, The Mahogany Project, George Lewis contacted me. I was sitting at my desk at my day job when George asked if I would be interested in participating in the Studio Series. I was calm on the phone but it took all my strength to stay in my chair. I maintained my professionalism. I didn’t give a definite "yes", I asked some questions and then told him I would get back to him soon. As soon as I hung up the phone, I was on my feet and doing my little dance. We showcased an excerpt from the first play I had ever written a few months later.

The second time I did my little dance was when I decided I wanted to take the solo performance aspect of my repertoire to the next level. What better way to challenge myself than to sign up for Marya Sea Kaminiski’s Solo Performance course? And what a challenge it was.

Now, the first week of the class I was feeling good. I went home with a bunch of ideas for pieces to create for the class. Week two, I went home and I had nothing. I started to feel like I didn’t belong. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t even edit the material I created after the first class! I confessed this to Marya and she encouraged me to just come to the class. So I did. I even told my class that I couldn’t write anything. But it didn’t seem to matter. We just continued with the class. I finally got my voice back a week or so later, but I still had doubt on whether not I belonged. I constantly questioned if being a solo performer was right for me.

At the end of the course I ended up sharing a story that I’ve never shared before and that to this day I still can’t share with my family. But the response I received from the audience that night and the feeling I had after sharing my story was one that made me jump up and down, do my little dance, and grin from ear to ear. By the time you read this I would have performed my second one act solo performance and I already have plans to create many more. Big shout out to my Solo Performance class for sharing this journey with me. I miss you guys.

The third time Freehold made me do my little dance was when Robin Lynn Smith called one morning to ask if I would consider being a teaching artist for the Engaged Theatre program at the Washington Correctional Center for Women, The Ordinary Heroes. The morning Robin called I’d been thinking that I had wanted to focus on storytelling for my next show. I would ask my family and friends to write stories for me to share in my next solo piece. I had already spoken to one of my friends that same morning and she agreed. But when Robin called, I had to play it cool. She shared with me the details of the project. And I shared with her, how I wasn’t and had never been a teaching artist. I could tell she wasn’t accepting "no" for an answer. She believed I could do it and she wanted me to be on the team. I played it cool and even though I knew I was going to do it as soon as she asked. I told her I would think about it and let her know. Little did she know when I hung up the phone I jumped up from my desk, did my little dance, grinned from ear to ear, and then called one my colleagues to tell her the awesome news.

I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into that prison for the first time. I’ve watched television and movies just like you, so I believed in whatever stereotypes there were about prison. To my surprise it was exactly like television. Well the shell of the experience is exactly like television, but when you walk into that room with the women and the door closes, it doesn’t seem like prison. The women look like you and me, talk like you and me, and have issues just like you and me. We always give them an exercise hoping that they will take it and run with it. They always exceed our expectations and everyone involved with this project goes on a life changing journey. The women we are when we walk in isn’t the same women that walk out. I’m not just saying that for the teaching artists.

Freehold has showcased my work, helped me develop my work, and has helped shape me as an individual. There are many other times Freehold has caused me to do my little dance, to grow as both an artist and a person. I can honestly say that Freehold is one of the organizations that I have to give much respect and love to for aiding me in pursuing my passion. Thank you Freehold for 20 years of joy.

**********************************************************************

For more information on Sharon Williams' work on The Mahogany Project, go to:
http://mahoganyproject.org/