By: Gulu Monteiro | Instructor
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Price: $550 $450
ENROLL AS PARTICIPANTPrice: $300 $200
ENROLL AS AUDITOR
A Participant is able to work and interact with peers while receiving feedback from the instructor.
ENROLL AS PARTICIPANTAn Auditor is able to observe and learn without needing to be active in front of other students.
ENROLL AS AUDITOR
Your course schedule and directions to log in will be emailed to you upon registration.
You’ll start with a short video to get acquainted with the course player, and walk through where you will find the course materials, course recordings, and more.
Your dashboard will allow you to see all of your workshop and class information, review class recordings (as applicable), and more upon login
Discussion about the foundations of the EDP Theory. By the end, the students will understand what we’re going to be doing, how and why they are going to do it, and what results they are going to achieve.
Animals. The actors will choose the animal that they feel their character is the closest to. For instance, a lion (courageous and strong); a fox (smart, sneaky), or a small bird (fragile, innocent.) This image will modify the actors’ bodies, allowing them to start feeling the physicality and energy suggested by the animal.
Nature's Elements. In astrology, one of the oldest sciences of humanity, nature's elements earth, fire, water, and air, and an individual's personality are intertwined. For instance, people whose element is air are dreamy and absent-minded. Earth is maternal. Fire is moody and impulsive. Working with the elements helps actors find an inner state for their characters. The actors will choose the element that they feel their character is the closest to. This element will bring to the character an inner state that will be different from the actors’.
Psychological Characteristics (Adjectives). The actors will work with 3 adjectives that will define the psychological profile of their characters, like selfish, intellectual, or naive. Each one of these images will modify the actors’ body and inner state, allowing them to start feeling the characteristics that each one of these body states suggests.
Interview. During an in-depth interview, the character will revisit his/her whole life from childhood to the moment of the scene. These memories and emotions will come from the character, not from the actor’s intellect. They will be attached to the character’s body. From now on, each time the actor brings this body, it will have all the information it needs to deal with any situation as the character.
Working on Scenes. The text will be the final step in the process, After having created the characters and after having improvised in the situation, the actors will include the text and start working on the scenes. The body is wiser than the rational mind. By creating a character from the body and not from the intellect, the actor will be surprised in each moment by the character’s freedom and spontaneity.
Master Teacher | UCLA School of Dramatic Arts
Gulu Monteiro, a professor at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. In Europe, Gulu teaches workshops in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and London. From 1985 to 2000, Gulu led a theater company in Rio de Janeiro, the Companhia do Gesto, where they introduced the language of clowns, masks, and gestures to Brazilian theater. His work as a director became rapidly well known in Los Angeles and he was invited to direct for the most important venues in town: the LA Opera, Broad Stage, and Getty Villa among others.
“I love Gulu and his method, I have been fortunate to have done a show with Gulu using his method and was blown away by it, I was inspired to help him facilitate his workshops so as many people as possible can experience for themselves, the nuanced character that appears with such ease. His work is incredibly transformative, he includes mask work, animal work, and the elements (earth, fire, water, air, and wood) along with adjectives to bring the character alive within us. He’s a very passionate and kind teacher and creates absolute joy around the work. Highly recommend.”
“Working with Gulu was a profound and joyous experience.Using his distinctive approach to character work, I was able to physically inhabit my character. Gulu uses neutral masks, animal work, elements, and adjectives to bring the character into our bodies with focus, imagination, breath, and images. What happens is that the character appears with ease and effortlessness, and we can explore the character's world by being in our bodies without being in our heads, so to speak. We did many exercises before we ever used the text and then what happened was magical. Gulu brings his passion, intelligence, and joy as an artist to the classes, so they were just so much fun! He creates an atmosphere of joy and sharing for all of us.”
“I was able to witness Gulu Monteiro's Building a Character Workshop in Paris. The result is amazing. At each stage of his work, the actor seems free and creative, and always able to draw new impulses, without being subject to the imitation of oneself.He seems to experience, as in life, a constantly renewed creation of his actions and feelings, while being aware that he is still "playing". This means that the performer can give free rein to the imagination of his character while keeping control of himself.”
“I love Gulu and his method, I have been fortunate to have done a show with Gulu using his method and was blown away by it, I was inspired to help him facilitate his workshops so as many people as possible can experience for themselves, the nuanced character that appears with such ease. His work is incredibly transformative, he includes mask work, animal work, and the elements (earth, fire, water, air, and wood) along with adjectives to bring the character alive within us. He’s a very passionate and kind teacher and creates absolute joy around the work. Highly recommend.”
“Working with Gulu was a profound and joyous experience.Using his distinctive approach to character work, I was able to physically inhabit my character. Gulu uses neutral masks, animal work, elements, and adjectives to bring the character into our bodies with focus, imagination, breath, and images. What happens is that the character appears with ease and effortlessness, and we can explore the character's world by being in our bodies without being in our heads, so to speak. We did many exercises before we ever used the text and then what happened was magical. Gulu brings his passion, intelligence, and joy as an artist to the classes, so they were just so much fun! He creates an atmosphere of joy and sharing for all of us.”
“I was able to witness Gulu Monteiro's Building a Character Workshop in Paris. The result is amazing. At each stage of his work, the actor seems free and creative, and always able to draw new impulses, without being subject to the imitation of oneself.He seems to experience, as in life, a constantly renewed creation of his actions and feelings, while being aware that he is still "playing". This means that the performer can give free rein to the imagination of his character while keeping control of himself.”
All of our classes are taught online and include weekly live sessions with instructors and students hosted on the ZOOM platform. The live online experience is similar in many ways to a traditional classroom experience.
Participating students can interact with their instructors, ask questions, and connect with fellow students (all from the comfort of home). Course materials, assignments, and class recordings are all available online.
Your primary instructor is listed under “Meet Your Instructor” on the course page.
Each course has a specific number of weeks listed at the top of the course page, usually between 4-8 weeks on average.
Absolutely. We encourage students to take the courses they are the most excited about. Some courses are standalone offerings and some courses are a part of a larger program. This particular course is a standalone offering, but can be combined with others. See the Programs page for more.
Excellent question. Typically, your class will meet 1 time per week with your instructor. The course assignments are self-paced outside of the class session. Each course is 2 hours in length unless specified otherwise. The date and time for each course are specified on the course page and the confirmation email sent to your inbox.
Participants in our programs should plan to attend livestream classes. However, if you cannot attend, students should make arrangements with their instructor prior to the start of class.
Many of our courses also allow students to enroll as auditors. Auditors observe live classes and/ or re-watch class recordings, with a less “on-the-spot” experience. If you cannot make all of the course’s live classes, auditing is a great option.
