Margolis Brown Adaptors Company
Encyclopedia
The Margolis Brown Adaptors Company (MBAC) is an internationally touring physical theatre
company that also houses the Margolis Method Training Center now located in Highland, New York
. It was established in New York City
in 1984 by Kari Margolis and Tony Brown. As co-artistic directors, Margolis and Brown have thus far co-authored, directed, and sometimes performed in 16 full-length theatrical productions, as well as numerous site-specific works at such places as the Brooklyn Museum
, Coney Island
, and the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
on the Delaware River
.
The MBAC were artists in residence at the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association (BACA) in New York City from 1985 to 1990. In 1987 they established an independent performance space and multimedia
center in Brooklyn and mounted four original productions there. The company has toured nationally and internationally to Barcelona, Berlin, London, Singapore and throughout Canada and Mexico. The company relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1993. There they continued to create and produce multimedia theater productions and trained actors in the Margolis Method for over 12 years. MBAC established an international training center in Sullivan County, New York
in 2005 and divide their time between New York and Minneapolis. From 2005 thru 2010 the Company divided its time between both sites. In 2011, the Company and Training Center have moved all operations to the Highland NY site.
, Bertolt Brecht
, and Jerzy Grotowski
. The method's goal is to analyze and focus the dramatic force and emotion created by an actor's physicality to further the creative and expressive process. It seeks to empower the actor to work simultaneously as a director, playwight and performer.
The Margolis Method was developed in response to what Margolis saw as a fragmented and ineffective way of teaching actors in America. Pedagogically, Margolis rejected the notion that actor training could be broken down into separate contexts (i.e.: stage "voice" and "movement" classes) and instead suggested that all aspects of actor training are inextricably linked. Rather than focusing primarily on establishing character through developing the character's psychological motivations and emotional states, Margolis sought ways to approach drama and character from a physical perspective as well. To accomplish this, Margolis Method focuses on theatrical notions like conflict, timing, and neutrality and employs concepts borrowed from physics, such as inertia, lines of force and density (as well as concrete manifestations of these principles, such as: pendulums, pulleys and elastics).
Physical theatre
Physical theatre is used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling or drama through primarily and secondarily physical and mental means. There are several quite distinct but indistinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre",...
company that also houses the Margolis Method Training Center now located in Highland, New York
Highland, Sullivan County, New York
Highland is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. The town's name notes its location on elevated ground north of the Delaware River. The town is in the southwest part of the county.- History :...
. It was established in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1984 by Kari Margolis and Tony Brown. As co-artistic directors, Margolis and Brown have thus far co-authored, directed, and sometimes performed in 16 full-length theatrical productions, as well as numerous site-specific works at such places as the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
, Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, and the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. When the first pedestrians crossed on December 1, 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,057 feet main span. Today, many pedestrians use the bridge to get between...
on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
The MBAC were artists in residence at the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association (BACA) in New York City from 1985 to 1990. In 1987 they established an independent performance space and multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
center in Brooklyn and mounted four original productions there. The company has toured nationally and internationally to Barcelona, Berlin, London, Singapore and throughout Canada and Mexico. The company relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1993. There they continued to create and produce multimedia theater productions and trained actors in the Margolis Method for over 12 years. MBAC established an international training center in Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
in 2005 and divide their time between New York and Minneapolis. From 2005 thru 2010 the Company divided its time between both sites. In 2011, the Company and Training Center have moved all operations to the Highland NY site.
Performances
MBAC theatrical productions are collaboratively written original performance works produced by the company. Productions are characterized by frequent utilization of multimedia and sparse text, thereby relying on unconventional means of dramatic conveyance. Examples of those alternative dramatic vehicles are projected images, prerecorded or live sound, or an actor's physicality. In addition, the actors often appear in non-representational dramatic situations.Performance History
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- Autobahn - 1985, BACA, Brooklyn, NY
- The Bed Experiment - 1987, BACA, Brooklyn, NY
- Decodance - 1988, BACA, Brooklyn, NY
- In Search of Planet Eden or Sodom by the Sea - 1989, Coney IslandConey IslandConey Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, Brooklyn, NY - Suite Sixteen - 1990, BACA, Brooklyn, NY
- The Dilemma of Desmodus & Dyphilla - 1991, Arts Awareness, Lexington, NY
- Koppelvision - 1992, St Clement's Church, New York, NY
- Cafe Paradise - 1993, Second Story Theatre, Brooklyn, NY
- Vidpires - 1995, The Southern TheaterThe Southern TheaterThe Southern Theater is located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1910 as a cultural center and legitimate theater for the burgeoning Scandinavian community centered around Cedar Avenue , the Southern has had a rich and colorful past prior to re-establishing itself as a center for...
, Minneapolis, MN - Vanishing Point - 1996, The Southern TheaterThe Southern TheaterThe Southern Theater is located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1910 as a cultural center and legitimate theater for the burgeoning Scandinavian community centered around Cedar Avenue , the Southern has had a rich and colorful past prior to re-establishing itself as a center for...
, Minneapolis, MN - The Time of Your Life - 1998, Minnesota Science MuseumScience Museum of MinnesotaThe Science Museum of Minnesota is an American museum focused on topics in technology, natural history, physical science and mathematics education. Founded in 1907 and located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the 501 nonprofit institution is staffed by over 500 employees and over 1,600 volunteers...
, Saint Paul, MN - Starry Messanger - 1999, Children's Theatre CompanyChildren's Theatre CompanyThe Children's Theatre Company is a regional theatre established in 1961 in Minneapolis, Minnesota specializing in plays for families and young audiences and the recipient of a 2003 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre...
, Minneapolis, MN - American Safari - 2000, The Red Eye Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- Sleepwalkers - 2002, O'Shaugnessy Auditorium, St Paul, MN
- The Human Show - 2005, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, MN
- Cyclopedia - 2008, Illusion TheatreHennepin Center for the ArtsThe Hennepin Center for the Arts was built in 1888 as a Masonic Temple. The structure was built by Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. In 1978, it was purchased and underwent a renovation to become the HCA. It is located at 528 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis,...
, Minneapolis, MN; Just Off Broadway Theater, Kansas City, MO; Baltimore Theatre ProjectBaltimore Theatre ProjectThe Baltimore Theatre Project is an internationally-recognized performing arts center located at 45 West Preston Street in Baltimore, Maryland.-Early years:...
, Baltimore, MD - In Search of Tonto Blue - 2010, 7 Stages, Atlanta, GA; Baltimore Theatre ProjectBaltimore Theatre ProjectThe Baltimore Theatre Project is an internationally-recognized performing arts center located at 45 West Preston Street in Baltimore, Maryland.-Early years:...
, Baltimore, MD; Illusion TheatreHennepin Center for the ArtsThe Hennepin Center for the Arts was built in 1888 as a Masonic Temple. The structure was built by Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. In 1978, it was purchased and underwent a renovation to become the HCA. It is located at 528 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis,...
, Minneapolis, MN
-
Margolis Method
Margolis has developed a physically based approach to performance called the Margolis Method. The method, along with 25 years of personal research, takes inspiration from the research of such artists as Etienne DecrouxÉtienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux studied at Jacques Copeau's Ecole du Vieux-Colombier, where he saw the beginnings of what was to become his life's obsession–Corporeal Mime...
, Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
, and Jerzy Grotowski
Jerzy Grotowski
Jerzy Grotowski was a Polish theatre director and innovator of experimental theatre, the "theatre laboratory" and "poor theatre" concepts....
. The method's goal is to analyze and focus the dramatic force and emotion created by an actor's physicality to further the creative and expressive process. It seeks to empower the actor to work simultaneously as a director, playwight and performer.
The Margolis Method was developed in response to what Margolis saw as a fragmented and ineffective way of teaching actors in America. Pedagogically, Margolis rejected the notion that actor training could be broken down into separate contexts (i.e.: stage "voice" and "movement" classes) and instead suggested that all aspects of actor training are inextricably linked. Rather than focusing primarily on establishing character through developing the character's psychological motivations and emotional states, Margolis sought ways to approach drama and character from a physical perspective as well. To accomplish this, Margolis Method focuses on theatrical notions like conflict, timing, and neutrality and employs concepts borrowed from physics, such as inertia, lines of force and density (as well as concrete manifestations of these principles, such as: pendulums, pulleys and elastics).
Residency and Workshop Sites
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- Master teacher for Kennedy Center American College Theater FestivalKennedy Center American College Theater FestivalThe Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States...
(2000 -2010) - Master teacher for Phoenix Fringe Festival, Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
- Millikin UniversityMillikin UniversityMillikin University is an American co-educational, comprehensive, private, four-year university with traditional undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, fine arts, and professional studies, as well as non-traditional, adult degree-completion programs and graduate programs in...
- Master Teacher for Rocky Mountain Theatre Association Festival
- Association of Professional Actors and Directors of Catalunya, BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
(2010, 2008, 2006) - Towson UniversityTowson UniversityTowson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
MFA Program - University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- The University of Missouri Kansas CityUniversity of Missouri–Kansas CityThe University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
- Master Teacher Cos ’06 International Theatre Festival, Reus, SpainReusReus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
- University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Luther College,
- Saint Mary's UniversitySaint Mary's University of MinnesotaSaint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
, Winona, MN - Ringling Brothers Clown College, WI
- Theatre MuMu Performing ArtsMu Performing Arts is a Minneapolis based theater group formed in 1992 by Rick Shiomi, Dong-il Lee, Diane Espaldon, and Martha Johnson. It is composed of Theater Mu, which features stage performances and Mu Daiko, a taiko drumming ensemble...
, Minneapolis, MN - George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
- Montclair State UniversityMontclair State UniversityMontclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
- Master teacher for Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
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Other Sources
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- Barnes, C. “Autobahn: Life in The Fast Lane,” New York Post December 26, 1986
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- Kriegsman, Alan M.Alan M. KriegsmanAlan Mortimer Kriegsman is an American dance critic who won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for his work at The Washington Post, the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for reporting as a dance critic....
, “Bed Experiment,” Washington Post November 16, 1987
- Kriegsman, Alan M.
-
- Keating, D. , "Living Poetry, With More Appeal in Expression than Message," Philadelphia Inquirer June 4, 1993
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- Steele, M. , “Vidpires: A Deftly Done Look at Pop Culture,” Minneapolis Star Tribune March 24, 1998
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- Sparber, M. , "Lost in America," City Pages December 6, 2000
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- Potter, N., ed. (2002) ‘’Movement for Actors’’ pp. 173-186 New York: Allworth Press ISBN 978-1581152333