workshops

1. ‣ all together: self-expression and social change
   

In this dynamic, two-hour performance workshop, Lenelle Moïse will guide participants through a series of theatre exercises, dance improvisation, and synergetic sound jams, to build collaborative agility. We will explore tone, tempo, gesture, and humor to generate a short ensemble piece. Here, the voice and body are explored as political texts that compliment the written word. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing.

1. 

   ‣ catch sight of desire:
   

a monologue lab

This energetic workshop combines theatre exercises and creative prompts to encourage participants to create irresistible characters for the stage.

1. ‣ alone together: creating a one-person show
   

In a homophobic, hyper-capitalist, anti-being, pro-doing society, we desperately need each other's stories of resistance, recovery, survival and success. Who was your first kiss? When did you first discover your race and gender? How did you spin a traumatic childhood event into gold triumph? If you have a good memory, can tell a tall tale or are eager to impart lessons learned, then you can develop a solo show! In this 2-hour workshop, acclaimed solo performance artist Lenelle Moïse fuses text analysis, writing prompts, theatre exercises and live demonstration to help participants leap into the brave art of the one-person show. Together we will write the true and the taboo, accentuate text with gesture, and practice connecting with our audience. Participants will learn how to make self-revelation user-friendly and universal. We will gently ask, safely admit, jump, shout, laugh and channel the colorful characters of our pasts. For writers who act, actors who write or anyone who dares to remember out loud.

1. ‣ spoken word, self-naming + resistance
   

This workshop combines live demonstration, writing prompts, theatre exercises, audio recordings and group discussion to explore performance poetry as an activist art-form. Building on the notion that "the personal is political," acclaimed poet, playwright and performance artist Lenelle Moïse recounts the history of the Spoken Wordespecially as it relates to jazz, the Black Arts Movement, Hip Hop and Slam (competitive Spoken Word). Participants collectively interpret texts, practice persuasive performance techniques and start composing their own "I Am..." poems in a constructive environment. Bring bare feet, pants you can move in, a pencil, some paper and a true story to tell.

1. ‣ workshop venues + clients
   

ATHE/AATE Risking Innovation Conference 2009 (New York, NY)

Cambridge Schools Sisters Program (Cambridge, MA)

Columbia College Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)

Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (Hyde Park, NY)

Family Planning Advocates of NY State (Albany, NY)

Fire and Ink: Cotillion 2009 (Austin, TX)

Florence Learning Center (Florence, MA)

Girls Leadership Institute (Northampton, MA)

Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY)

Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY)

Keene State College (Keene, NH)

Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)

MIT (Cambridge, MA)

New WORLD Theater: Project 2050 (Amherst, MA)

Northfield Mount Hermon School 2014 Diversity Summit (Gill, MA)

Smith College (Northampton, MA)

SUNY Cobleskill (Cobleskill, NY)

SUNY Geneseo (Geneseo, NY)

PEACC Program @ the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)

Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes (Ithaca, NY)

Poets House (New York, NY)

The Drama Studio (Springfield, MA)

The Next Wave of Women in Power: We Got Issues (Brooklyn, NY)

The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)

The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School (South Hadley, MA)

Tigertail Productions (Miami, FL)

Wesleyan University (Middleton, CT)

Yale University (New Haven, CT)

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (Seattle, WA)

Photo credits:

Mid-workshop at Columbia College Chicago. Photo by Jon Mathias.

Post-workshop with students from the Smith College School for Social Work.