THE UNTEACHABLE SCHOOL
The Unteachable School is Theater Unspeakable's education initiative dedicated to the playful exploration of different styles of physical theater. We offer two formats to learn with us: our Six-Month Training Program and year-round Workshops.
CORE VALUES
-- It’s Not the Usual --
The Unteachable School is not the usual. The Unteachable approach is all about helping artists achieve the impossible by uncovering something they already know yet may lack the vocabulary to express. Our Teaching Ensemble uses a team-teaching approach in order to be wholly responsive to the needs of our students. Led by Head Teacher Marc Frost, the school is supported by a small group of Core Teachers and a larger group of Guest Teachers from various backgrounds.
-- Get Inspired for Life --
Students can expect to be challenged to strip away their “habits” and “tricks” in order to discover their core artistic values. You will get inspired for life. Along the way, there will also be opportunities to develop tools for physical performance, devised collaboration and ensemble building. Students will also cultivate skills needed for creating ensemble devised projects and fully-formed performing companies based on both theoretical and practical applications.
-- We Meet You Where You Are --
It is our belief that people are called to this work at a particular moment in their journey. It could be that a seasoned professional is looking for a new approach. It might be that someone starting out on their professional path is seeking to unearth a particular vision. It could be that one who has been missing the presence of art in their life and is seeking a renewal. If the timing feels right, we are ready to meet you where you are.
-- Passing It Along --
The Unteachable School’s founder Marc Frost and several of its instructors went through a Lecoq-based journey where they discovered their own theatrical voice. Marc’s vision became the basis for founding his theater company, Theater Unspeakable. Now, it is our turn to pass it along to those who are seeking something other than the “usual” training. The hope is that by playfully (re)discovering one’s deep-seeded artistic values, a life-long curiosity about one’s own work and process will be ignited. And with any luck, it will be a flame that stays lit for many, many years to come.
A note from our lead teacher...
When I was a student, I was drawn to theater because it emphasized practice over theory. I wanted to write, direct, act, produce and get the audience’s feedback, which I felt was more genuine than the teacher’s! After graduating and working in the profession for a few years, I had to admit there were skills missing from my tool kit. Luckily, I found my way to a devised, physical theater school in London. And it was there I experienced something profound:
A school where the teachers acted more like guides.
Provokers who helped us re-discover something we had lost...
Mainly, a capacity for play and a deep interest in the world around us.
A decade later, in my hometown of Chicago, I have decided to start a program with the same mission. The teaching ensemble and I are dedicated to guiding students towards unearthing their theatrical language. We encourage playfulness, presence and vulnerability. Most of all, we are driven by the belief that people are drawn to the work at different moments in their artistic journeys. We try to meet students where they are. And then inspire them to go a little further!
-Marc Frost, Director and Lead Teacher of The Unteachable School