The third year is focused on the exploration of some fundamental theatrical territories or genres, in the footsteps of the archetypal genres of ancient theatre: tragedy, satiric drama and comedy. The purpose is to give the students the instruments to understand how each genre has a specific way of articulating the various elements of theatre language: the space, the body and the levels of playing, writing and the relationship with the audience. By “levels of playing” we mean: levels of tension or physical energy that the actor uses while playing.
All theatre genres are variations on Storytelling.
Melodrama deals with the dynamic of emotions and their consequences. Tragedy enters the vertical dimension of space, when the human community reunites in a chorus to witness the fight of the heroes with fate, the will of the gods, and their surrendering to the irreversible dynamics of life and death.
Bouffons will reverse the space and mock all the themes that are dear to the humans and reveal the hidden (=grotesque) side of humanity. Comedy is the search of the many ways in which characters, movement, space and writings can be unbalanced and provoke the fall of the audience into laughter.
This journey of the Third Year has a specific performing quality, and the audience is regularly invited to the presentation of the creations of the students. The work also involves the exploration of classic and contemporary texts as well as the writing of original ones.
The program of the Third Year
The language of gestures: Pantomime and Bandes Mimées
Storytellers
Melodrama and Melo-mime: the play of emotions
The cycle of melodrama: the victim and the wound, the villain and the drama.Suffering, resolution, redemption.
The choral storytelling
From Neutral Mask to Tragedy: the Chorus and the Hero
The Hero’s cycle: individual drama, fight against destiny, death and catharsis
Satiric Drama and Bouffons: the play of mocking
Satyrs, Fools and Lunatics
Grotesque characters
Creatures of Fantasy and Mystery
Comic theatre: the Burlesque, the Eccentric, the Absurd, Slapstick and Comic Characters
Presentation of Individual Projects: Les Commandes
Creation project on devising a show (optional)
Comedy is the search for the many ways in which characters, movement, space, tempo and writing can be unbalanced to provoke the fall of the audience into laughter.
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The third term in Helikos' One-Year Professional Training in Movement Theatre Creation focuses on the exploration of fundamental comic territories, following the question "Why and how do we laugh?".