Shakespeare Movement Workshop with NESE's Sean Eastman

On April 6th the students in Experiencing the Arts enjoyed the second Shakespeare workshop brought to us through an outreach program sponsored by the Northeast Shakespeare Ensemble's (NESE) coordinator for school programs, Natalie Davis and her Grant writer Andy Supplee. NESE's Sean Eastman lead an energetic movement workshop designed to get students to add gesture to their words.

Sean Eastman was very successful getting the 19 students involved. One can see from the photographs (below) the enthusiasm that he inspired. In addition to the workshop, each participant was given three tickets to their full production of As You Like It at Lebanon Opera House. I am extremely grateful to Natlie Davis (and her Grant writer Andy Supplee) for the continued generosity working with Mascoma as well as to Sean Eastman for his captivating energy and hard work.

"Sean Eastman has been involved in theatre, wether it be as an actor, director, student, or teacher, for the past 16 years. Born into a family of teachers, it is not surprising that Sean has actively sought out some of the highest caliber pedagogy offered in the theatrical arena.

After high school at Kimball Union Academy, Sean joined the Bread and Puppet Circus. He started his college career at Carnegie Mellon University, finishing his degree in Theatre Arts at Sarah Lawrence College. While in college he took a year abroad at L'Ecole International du Theatre de Jacques Lecoq studying movement, gestural theatre in all its forms: clowning, improvisation with international masters and mask work. While in Paris, Sean Eastman cofounded the Pirate Theatre (an international improvisation troupe) and Prospero's Wagon Players (a Shakesperian street theatre troupe).

Sean Eastman returned to the Upper Valley as Stage Director for Revels North for the 2001-04 seasons. During this time, he was also a teacher at Runnemead School (an independent day school in New Hampshire's Upper Valley). For three years, he taught Theatre to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Recently, he converted a moving truck into a traveling stage. He plans to tour New England casting and directing original work through the summer and autumn of 2006."

Talks are underway with Experiencing the Arts for a Winter Carnival collaboration between NESE and Mayhem Poets for some theatrical competition between the classes! This would be a head to head improvisional theatre workshop and performance between Slam Poetry and the work of William Shakespeare. Sean Eastman has met with Experiencing the Arts Director, Christopher Morse and Principal Patrick Andrew about these plans. Morse has had positive responses from Mayhem Poets about the concept.