Wednesday, March 30, 2005
An amazing first day on my MFA attachment!!!
Phew!! Just got back from my first day at T.A.A.D. (Tifton Academy of Artistry and Dance, see previous post!). It's truly amazing, a real hot-house of creativity and brilliance. The principal, Dr Ephraim Zimbalist III, has a background in torture and callisthenics which makes for a very volatile atmosphere which he actively encourages!! For instance, I sat in on a 1st year acting class today and the movement teacher Prat Skrohtm (a complete god) got all the youngsters to vomit for the first 45 minutes of the class!!! In lesser hands this could have been really weird and even suspect, but Prat has an amazing authority, gleaned from years and years of torture training (he used to teach Dr Zimbalist), which he combines with a truly beautiful inner stillness... He's been teaching his unique methodology at T.A.A.D. for over fifty years and it really shows!!! I'm so looking forward to his next class, "Oscar Wilde and the use of electrocution techniques". He's asked us all to bring in some KY jelly, a dozen batteries and a copy of The Selfish Giant. Not sure if he wants us 'off the book', but I'm going to be prepared for what I'm sure will be an electrifying experience!!!
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2 comments:
Dear old Pratty! I'm amazed he's still going! He used to teach eurythmics (the dance technique not the popular eighties musical combo) at my old Alma Mater (the Enver Hoxta School of Speech, Movement and Dilettantism). I have deep and abiding memories of him running naked through the water-meadows in the early morning, trailing a long chiffon scarf behind him to 'keep away the afrits'. Happy days!
To this day I still use his patent sinus cleaning technique, which involved two pencils (2B), a blowtorch, half a ripe avacado, and several feet of sellotape!
You are a very lucky young man to be discipled to such a giant in the business! Ask him about the course he used to run on 'Sleep deprivation and the works of Noel Coward'. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I'll warrant!
Baron, I showed your comment to "Pratty" (as you unwisely call him) and he was very angry that you brought up his infamous water meadow streak. Also, as you will be aware, his sinus-clearing technique was outlawed in this country in 1981, an event so traumatic, it led directly to his being blacklisted from all UK drama schools (except T.A.A.D.) for the rest of his natural life.
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