Evdokimos Tsolakidis. Winter Term 2020
EVDOKIMOS TSOLAKIDIS
He was born in Thessaloniki in 1962.
He studied at the Medical School of the University of Rome. He was awarded his BFA degree of the Drama School of the National Theatre of Northern Greece with honours. He continued his studies in drama, acting and directing in New York City (H.B. Studio) funded by the U.S.A. government (Fulbright Foundation). While in NYC he attended classes as an auditor at the Actors Studio.In 2013 he graduated from the Greek Open University BA (Humanitarian Studies, European Culture). In 2016 he got his Master degree from the Open University of Cyprus MA (Theatre Studies: Acting-Directing).
He has worked as an actor in many troupes, including the State Theatre of Northern Greece, the National Theatre of Greece, the Spyros Evangelatos Auditorium, the Regional Theatre of Crete and Thrace, the troupes Karezi-Kazakos, Aliki Vougiouklaki, George Kimoulis, Xenia Kalogeropoulou e.t.c. He took part in film and television productions and directed plays in Greece and abroad. He is the founder and the Artistic Director of Theatre of Changes (http://www.toc.gr, founded in 1998) where he directs plays and teaches to this day.
He has taught in Rome (International Acting School, Cinecitta) and in London (Giles Foreman Acting Studio, Drama Classes London) as well as in Stockholm (Kulturama), in Istanbul ( Müjdat Gezen Art Academy, SAKM), in Tbilisi (Marjansvilli Theatre), in New York City (Theaterlab), in Paris (Ecole de Théâtre de Paris, TRIXTER, ThéâtreYgrec), in Amsterdam (Easylaughs group), in Kathmandu (Dabali Theater), in Izmir (Tiyatro Terminal), in Bethlehem (Al-Harah Theatre), in Zurich (Prova.ZH), in Milan (Paolo Grassi school of acting), in Bruxelles (Nota Théâtrale Bruxelles), in Copenhagen (Copenhagen International School of Performing Arts), in Vladivostok (Improvla) as well as in different parts of Greece.
He has participated at International Theatre Festivals (Romania, Iran, Switzerland, Kuwait and Morocco) and has taught at the Theatre Department of the Universities of Alexandria in Egypt, Tehran in Iran, Ciudad del Carmen in Mexico. During summer 2016 he stayed in Santa Barbara California teaching at the local university (UCSB) and directing Euripides’ “Helen” together with his other two shows “Tonight we Improvise” and “Walking and Falling”.
He was chairman of the jury at the International Theatre Festival in Agadir (Morocco 2007) and at the International Theatre Festival in Alexandria (Egypt 2019).
Every year since 2005, he organizes ''In.F.o.Ma.T.''(International Festival of Making Theatre), an international meeting of theatre makers from around the world.
He has published the following books: “Acting without teacher” by KOAN editions, “Improvisation in Theatre” by EXANDAS editions, “Acting: from theory to practice” ION editions and the plays ''Athens - Moscow'' and ''Nothing'' by Dodoni editions. ''Athens - Moscow'' has been translated into Iranian by Sakineh Arabnejad, and published by Afraz editions (http://www.afrazbook.com) and was staged in Tehran, directed by Katayun Feiz-Marandi. Both plays have been staged in many university theatre departments and theaters worldwide (to mention a few: “Athens-Moscow” has been staged in Zurich, directed by Anna Tsihli, in Bucharest directed by Adriana Zaharia, “Nothing” has been translated in Turkish by Kemal Basar, has been published along with the magazine “Yeni Tiyatro” in March 2010 and has been staged in Istanbul in 2012 and in Izmir in 2013).
He speaks English, Italian and French.
He has travelled to almost all the length and breadth of the planet and in the summer of 2008, he made the round of the world in a month, leaving to the east and returning from the west!
ACTING – IMPROVISATION
Structured improvisation and acting exercises to develop performance skills. These improvisations are chosen for verbal and imaginative flexibility and to heighten the actor's sense of reality. The student will also deal with the basic elements of improvisations exercises developing creative imagination, analysis of objectives, and responsibility toward the scene as a whole and towards each other as actors. Specifically geared for actors who want to improve their acting choices and learn how to structure an acting improvisation. Student will learn how to improvise on a given situation, how to justify text, how to extend a text or suggestion into improvisation, what to look for in the scene. Improvisations will concentrate on the following: listening, imaging, relationships, moments of discovery, confrontation and conflict, subtext, unusual circumstances, fantasy and special problems facing the actor in the context of the play or film text. Students will work on object exercises that could be applied to scene or monologue work to find specific and detailed identification with the character. The goal is to begin assembling a practical set of tools for handling a range of acting and directing problems and to discover and begin to work from one's own sense of truth.
Acting exercises to uncover and discover the self, explore and nurture one's individuality, and gain groundwork of acting tools and craft. Exercises designed for the actor to give him/her control and allow him/her to work correctly with ease and assurance so as to recreate human behavior, and to impart a system that gives the actor verbal, physical and emotional freedom. Emphasis will be given on relaxation, sensory awareness, emotional resources, imaginative creativity, and belief in the given circumstances. The goal: learning to use the self fully to achieve truthful moment-to-moment behavior. The students are guided to find their own truth when exploring the circumstances of the text and the character they are playing. By using their own experience and imagination they will be led to make specific choices, bringing them to a fully responsive and active life working on stage or in film.
Participants are asked to wear loose comfortable clothing.
Class is open to everyone fluent in English
Every Saturday (starting Saturday January 11th) 13.00 - 15.00
No need for registration fee
cost: 144 € (48 € month installment)
audit: 6 €
trial class permitted: 20 €