About the Workshop:

 

Over two decades that began with a ten-year period at SUNY Buffalo State honing a unique performance development method, Gerry has taught performers and literary artists to exchange, share expertise and be inspired by engaging in a cross-pollinating solo show creation process. Developed through university institutions, independent workshops for participants throughout Canada, the US and abroad, and through his own inter-arts performance creation Gerry’s teaching helps participants transform authentic and autobiographical material into provocative and distinctive performance and literary possibilities. His unique physical and vocal approach to writing and solo show performance builds a range of performance action that is integral to the writer/performer, the audience and the work itself. Participants in this workshop will engage with the basis of a four-series process building skill in creation, development, objective editing, refinement and rehearsal practices that ultimately develop work that illuminates and resonates with audiences.

 

This first series of experiences inspires means to uncover an authentically sourced voice that opens the writer/creator to a full range of imagination. Through a series of autobiographical writing, the participants find out more about their writing voice and then learn to angle their attention to find moments that compel and move the listener. They then have the opportunity to test those moments with others as they learn to voice the tenor and texture of their writing. 

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About Gerry Trentham (he/they):

 

Gerry Trentham's (he/they) life-long dedication to the art of performance has created their own cannon of over 40 original works for stage and screen, garnered international performance acclaim and more recently international film awards. As both a US and Canadian citizen he manages a binational reputation and focuses on bi-national US/Can collaborative projects.  They have originated roles in works of some of North America’s most renowned choreographers including during a seven-year tenure with Serge Bennathan’s Dancemakers, numerous works with Claudia Moore and Butoh artist Denise Fujiwara and most recently with Zab Maboungou. 

 

Their experience in both text and movement-based work has led to international directing, choreographic, teaching and mentoring opportunities. Their art and teaching focuses on the transdisciplinary - a voice/body’s range and depth of presence within installed art environments. With a lifetime of inter-arts dance/voice practice, an MFA in Theatre, a graduate diploma in Voice and Speech Teaching from York University, 25 years as research faculty of the acclaimed National Voice Intensive (now the Moving Voice Institute) and in the past decade with Denise Fujiwara in their new frontier of training, Butoh/Voice, and with Diane Roberts in the development of  Arrivals Legacy Voice sourced in her Arrivals Personal Legacy Process. They have been invited to teach their synthesis of theatre and dance practice in major performance training programs in Canada and the United States including full time positions at Canada’s National Theatre School in Montreal, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, York University in Toronto and SUNY Buffalo State where he taught, directed and choreographed from 1998 - 2008.​

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