Adrienne Ferguson, Austria
After completing an honours degree in Acting from York University, Canada, and a degree in Arts in Education, Adrienne worked as an actor, director, and teacher in Canada, Singapore and Japan, before settling in Vienna.
She worked as a freelance actor, and acting coach before joining the team at SHOWTIME, Vienna’s English Theatre’s School of Performing Arts. Adrienne is now Artistic Director of SHOWTIME and Director of the VET Youth Ensemble and is excited to be launching VETA, Vienna’s English Theatre Acting Academy in September 2018. Her work with Vienna’s English Theatre soon led to directing main stage shows including ‘Shirley Valentine’, and ‘Venus in Fur’. With the VET Youth Ensemble Adrienne has directed young professionals in musicals such as ‘Spring Awakening’, ‘Into the Woods’, and ‘Rent’
At Showtime, Adrienne teaches theatre to people of all ages and has adapted and directed over 25 productions since 2010.
Adrienne has worked as workshop leader around Europe for ISTA, the International School Theatre Association.
“The Actor’s Playground”
Theatre is a game where the stakes are high, but it should always be played with pleasure. Where there is conflict between two characters there is always a game that is being played, both players are going after what he or she wants and using a variety of tactics to achieve his or her goal. We will explore how listening attentively and responding intuitively to what your scene partner is giving you, are the keys to creating a dynamic scene. Learn to let go of tension and worrying about being “right”, and instead give everything over to your scene partner, taking the risk of being 100% in the moment. Short texts will be provided. Techniques covered include improvisation, scene work, and exercises combining the ideas of method acting with the more playful physical impulse based work of LeCoq, Gaulier, Boal and Michael Chekov. “Real inspired acting is never DOING, it is always HAPPENING.”- Michael Chekhov