Workshops

Performer/Directors David Drake and Jane Titus’s exciting new seminar explores the many facets of cross-gender performance, from its classical traditions to modern practice.  This course is designed to give each participant a working vocabulary of, and practical experience with, the physical, social and emotional differences that must be confronted when doing cross-gender performance work.

Jane Titus has played lead roles in more than half of Shakespeare’s canon (including many of the Bard’s most famous male roles) and David Drake began his cross-gender career by replacing Charles Busch in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, appearing for a thousand performances (more than Busch himself!).

Jane and David believe that, of all the building blocks of character that an actor can juggle, the most profound, thought-provoking, risky and, ultimately exciting, is gender.  The pair explore gender within a framework of societal and cultural preconceptions, and examine the ways in which stature, posture, balance, intention, center of movement, personal space, action vs. reaction, vocal projection, pitch, cadence, and eye contact figure into the realistic, or deliberately exaggerated, portrayal of the opposite sex.  In addition, they discuss the history of cross-genderism in world theatre, as well as film and television.

Through lectures, demonstrations, hands-on exercises and scene work, Jane and David expand students’ understanding of cross-genderism and develop their own cross-gender performance skills.  With the ever-increasing popularity of cross-gender casting, not to mention the huge accolades heaped upon the performers who successfully achieve a believable portrayal of the opposite sex, the skills and techniques taught in this class provide a vital set of tools for the well-rounded actor.

SPECIAL THANKS to Gail Winar.

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*Studio Space is being provided by Stonestreet Studios, Inc., a screen and theatre acting school and producing organization located in the Flatiron District of midtown Manhattan in New York City. The Stonestreet Screen Acting Workshop offers classes for both professionals and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Drama BFA students. Their primary mission is to train actors in the art of screen and film acting - something markedly different than stage acting -  within an environment of a professional production company that draws on their  student body and the professional community.  Summer 2009 introduces a collaboration with the Moscow Art Theatre/Studio Six Theatre Company for "Stage to Film" classes and an exciting, new Young Actors Program, for students 13-18 years. For more information about Stonestreet Studios, visit www.stonestreet.com.

 

DAVID DRAKE -- BIO (Click here for full bio)
David Drake is New York-based actor, writer and director. His most recent work as a director includes the solo shows of Matthew Francis (“The Gospel According to Matthew”) in the 2007 NY International Fringe Festival at the Soho Playhouse, Sherie Rene Scott (“A Work-in-Progress”) at the Zipper last spring and Taylor Mac (“The Beast of Taylor Mac”) in the 2007 Under-the-Radar Festival at the Public Theater, which later transferred to London’s Soho Theatre. After developing the “Beast” at Joe’s Pub in the summer of 2006, David sent it off to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it won a slew of rave reviews and a Herald “Angel” Award. Subsequently, “The Beast of Taylor Mac” enjoyed an extensive tour of Europe and Australia, picking up three more awards to date.

 

JANE TITUS -- BIO (Click here for full bio)
Jane Titus is a New York based actress who specializes in classical theatre and cross gender acting.  She is a company member of Judith Shakespeare Company (which specializes in creating opportunities for woman to play variety of male and female roles), Actor’s Shakespeare Company and Actor’s Stock Company.  A well-established teacher on the New York scene, Jane teaches workshops in both Shakespearean text cross gender acting.