APALAK ACTOR'S WORKSHOP

Frequently Asked Questions

Over the previous batches we’ve always had queries on the workshop from prospective participants. Some of these are common and we have addressed them on this website:


Q: What is the Actor’s Workshop all about?
A: The Actor’s Workshop is a two week (or one week), brief course in Acting that runs from Monday to Saturday, roughly three hours everyday. The workshop is for newcomers, experienced actors as well as non actors. Though it is a foundation course the techniques that are used to impart the education are very advanced. There have been instances where actors with lots of experience have also found the workshop very challenging.

(Some participants have argued that the workshop shouldn’t be called a Foundation course as a lot is been given some of which is advanced, more advanced than in any foundation course. The truth though is that it is a foundation course which is imparted in a methodical procedure of numerous, very challenging sessions. Another truth that people do not realize is that building a strong foundation is definitely more difficult than having acquired one and then honing further through advanced/specialized workshops.)

The course has been designed scrupulously and borrows a lot from Indian and International Art forms to train the actor. The course begins lightly making the actor comfortable with Acting exercises, theatre games and basic improvisations. By latter half of the first week we go into further developed modes of preparing the actor to strengthen his/her foundation. The second week welcomes the actor with a lot of challenging exercises and improvisations. Largely we can term the first week as the preparation of the actor and the second week as the implementation of what the actor has prepared for. On the whole apalak’s ACTOR’S WORKSHOP aims to deliver a comprehensive, holistic experience in its limited 40 hour period.

We also have a one week module that covers about 70% of the above module.

Q: Will I become an Actor after doing your course?
A: Learning is a life long process. Having said that, the answer to the above question cannot be given in a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Apalak’s Actor’s Workshop, in our understanding, is just the beginning of the journey. The idea is to take the frog out of the well, to make the frog (actor) aware of the huge world and life that exists outside his well (cliché films and theatre).

# We work on the fundamentals of Acting.
# We work towards making the actor connect with his/her Self.
# We work towards making the actor do everything; from acting, designing his/her scene, directing himself/herself, et al.
# The actor is imparted technical finesse, undergoes a rigorous overhauling of his/her entire physical, psychological and emotional system.
# We aim to traverse the participant from being a vocational actor to become an Honest Actor, who doesn’t merely show off his/her skills, rather utilizes his/her gifted and acquired skills to deliver an ingenious, honest performance.
# We prepare the actor to understand the most elementary aspects of Acting; and since they understand it by strictly Doing it they have the capacity to implement it even after the Workshop is over.
# We create an Autonomous Actor. An actor who (if the need arises) is an absolute Artist by him/her self. Who has the capacity and tenacity to create wonders via his/her self alone.

All of this is of course subject to the inherent talent, capability, willingness to growth and dedication of the participant. It is impossible to cover everything in two weeks, but it is possible to cover the essentials in the same period.

To summarize, “We are working on the foundation of a building, we are efficiently digging twenty meters in the ground and over two weeks we’ll effectively place the strongest quality cement, steel and guts in it. From there it is up to you how tall a building you want to make. Though the workshop provides you with a foundation to build an 80 floor skyscraper, some of you will manage 40 floors and some furthering their strength/compassion/discipline/skills/practice/learning/growth constantly; will give birth to an admirable 100 floor monument. And they won’t stop there”.


Q: Will I get work / Will you give us work; after I’ve done your workshop?
A:Anyone who wants to do this workshop should come with the intention of ‘learning’ alone. If the person feels he/she is an accomplished actor and does not require further learning, then they’d rather not do this course. The means and ends of the ACTOR’S WORKSHOP lie in itself.

Having said that, one of the founder members of apalak runs a casting agency and is an established Actor's portfolio photographer. Every student that successfully completes the Actor's Workshop can get himself/herself reigistered with the casting agency. He /she is also given a considerable discount if the actor wishes to get an 'A' class actor's portfolio clicked.

Also, there have been few instances where we have in the past sent talented participants (suitable for that particular character) for film, television and theatre castings. Some have got work in the process. However apalak, as of now, is not into casting on a formal level.

Stating factually, apalak does not guarantee work to any participant.


Q: What do you teach in the workshop?
A: It is difficult to explain everything that one can learn in the Workshop and hence here is the simplistically termed, basic module for the two weeks:

Module Week One: the preparation
Physical and mental Relaxation/Alertness.
Physical, breathing and vocal exercises for readiness, strength and release.
Group work; breathing as one ensemble.
Neutrality based work.
Acting exercises focusing on Listening, Observing, Reacting and Making body work impromptu.
Status improvisation.

Module Week Two: the implementation
Working on a ‘fixed piece of text’ in various formats.
Text and Sub-text.
Acting as recreation of Life.
Usage of emotional memory in a performance.
Utilization and management of Time, Space, Rhythm, Graph, Motive, Body, Voice, Imagination & Believability in an autonomous scene work.
Various detailed improvisations.
Inside-out and Outside-in technique of Acting.

(For the one week workshop module, please refer at the top of the page.)


Q: What is the medium of instruction (language)?
A: The medium of instruction is largely in the English language. Thus for the participant, a basic understanding of the English language is important to fully avail benefits from the course. However, language should not be a barrier and anyone who’s not understood the instruction (whether because of the language or its articulation) must ask the facilitator to repeat it in Hindi or explain again to the participant. All of us need to understand that it is our thoughts that define us, not the language in which they are communicated.


Q: Do you teach diction?
A: Somewhere a lot of youngsters believe (because of their peers/casting agents) that to be an actor all one needs is a good body and a good diction. No doubt that diction is an elementary aspect of acting. However how it’s mostly taught is more harmful than not. Language is just the expression for thoughts and feelings and diction is not just about the right pronunciation.

At the Actor’s Workshop we cover the more important aspect of diction i.e. breathing and voicing; through vowels and consonants, resonating those syllables to nurture and acquire an effective voice apparatus. We train the participant in a new way of understanding his voice tools and the possibilities that it entails. Hence, the actor develops skills to deliver effectively communicated words in any language!


Q: How do I register for the Actor’s Workshop?
A:
# Eligibility for the course is on the basis of age: 18 and above.
# Apalak holds rights to admission and it is not a free for all. We do not have an audition, for one to be part of the workshop but the facilitator/associates on the Actor's Workshop meet prospective participants and take an objective decision on the person's capacity to see the course through with dedication and zest.

# The workshop is strictly restricted to a maximum of 12 participants (for maximum personalized attention), given admission, subject to the above point, on a first-come, first-serve basis. If seats get filled by the time one has applied then the person is kept on the waiting queue and given priority for the next batch.

# Most importantly, there is a ‘Letter of Consent’ (a copy of the letter is on this website above) the details of which, the participant needs to thoroughly read and adhere to strictly, over the two weeks, if he/she wants to be part of the ACTOR’S WORKSHOP.
# The booking is confirmed only once the participant has signed the ‘Letter of consent’ and paid the entire fee for the ACTOR’S WORKSHOP in advance.


Q: Do you give a certificate?
A: Yes, the participant is given a certificate at the end of the workshop.


Q: Once I’m enrolled and am a participant, do you want something from us?
A:We require from you:

“An unconditional dedication and implementation of the learning with sheer readiness and zest, without fear of any failures. An open minded, non competitive approach towards experimenting, learning and growing; both individually & as a group”.

And hence we all rejuvenate and have fun in the process.