Announcements

It’s Not Too Late to Register for Spring Term Part B!

Spring Term Weekly Classes – Online & In-Person*:

  • Audit Online Classes: HB Studio offers you the opportunity to audit any of our Weekly Online Classes, in order to observe the instructor’s teaching style and the culture of the class before making the commitment to register. Unless otherwise noted, audits are not allowed for workshops and are currently not available for in-person classes.

Spring Term Workshops – Online & In-Person*:

  • Special-focus topics, with short & long-term options
  • Check back often; workshops updated regularly
  • Browse Workshops and Register Now

*Those participating in onsite activity at HB Studio must abide by our requirements for taking in-person classes.

Discounts:

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT**: Get 10% OFF Spring Term Weekly Classes with code SPRING22W, valid through March 5, 2022.

UNION DISCOUNT**: AEA, AGVA, AGMA, SAG/AFTRA, WGA, UFT, and Dramatist Guild Union Members or international equivalent receive 20% OFF Spring Term Weekly Classes through March 5th and 10% OFF thereafter. Discount will automatically apply for HB-verified Union Members. To become verified, email a copy of your active union membership card to registration@hbstudio.org.

**Discounts valid for weekly classes only; not valid for workshops, programs or merchandise. Discounts cannot be combined nor applied retroactively. Union discount applies for classes taken by cardholders only and cannot be used to enroll family or friends.

Descuento de NYC Latin Media: Los miembros de NYC Latin Media pueden auditar gratuitamente una clase o taller en el estudio y recibir un 20% de descuento en todas clases del estudio y talleres.*** El descuento será aplicado automáticamente para miembros verificados por HB. Para convertirse en usuario verificado, debe mandar un correo electrónico a inscripciones@hbstudio.org con detalles de su membresía de NYC Latin Media.

***Incluye una sesión gratuita por instructor. No se permite auditar múltiples veces la misma clase. Los descuentos son solamente válidos para clases semanales y talleres, no son válidos para programas o mercancías. Los descuentos no pueden ser combinados ni se aplicarán con efecto retroactivo. El descuento para los socios es aplicado para clases tomadas solamente por miembros de NYC Latin Media y no puede ser utilizado para inscribir familiares o amigos.

Auditions and Prerequisites:

AUDITIONS: Interested in our upper level classes? Audition & consult with a panel of HB’s faculty. For details and sign up info, visit Auditions & Prerequisites.

REEL SUBMISSIONS: Are you a working professional seeking a place to practice? Submit your reel for placement into our studio practice classes.

Winter Part B Classes & Workshops Start Feb 15: Register Now!

Winter Term Weekly Classes – Online & In-Person*:

  • Audit Online Classes: HB Studio offers the opportunity for new and existing students to audit any of our Weekly Online Classes, in order to observe the instructor’s teaching style and the culture of the class before making the commitment to register. Unless otherwise noted, audits are not allowed for workshops and are currently not available for in-person classes.

Winter Term Workshops – Online & In-Person*:

  • Special-focus topics, with short & long-term options
  • Check back often; workshops updated regularly
  • Browse Workshops and Register Now

*Those participating in onsite activity at HB Studio must abide by our requirements for taking in-person classes.

Discounts:

UNION DISCOUNT**: AEA, AGVA, AGMA, SAG/AFTRA, WGA, UFT, and Dramatist Guild Union Members or international equivalent receive 10% OFF Winter Term Weekly Classes. Discount will automatically apply for HB-verified Union Members. To become verified, email a copy of your active union membership card to registration@hbstudio.org.

**Discounts valid for weekly classes only; not valid for workshops, programs or merchandise. Discounts cannot be combined nor applied retroactively. Union discount applies for classes taken by cardholders only and cannot be used to enroll family or friends.

Descuento de NYC Latin Media: Los miembros de NYC Latin Media pueden auditar gratuitamente una clase o taller en el estudio y recibir un 20% de descuento en todas clases del estudio y talleres.*** El descuento será aplicado automáticamente para miembros verificados por HB. Para convertirse en usuario verificado, debe mandar un correo electrónico a inscripciones@hbstudio.org con detalles de su membresía de NYC Latin Media.

***Incluye una sesión gratuita por instructor. No se permite auditar múltiples veces la misma clase. Los descuentos son solamente válidos para clases semanales y talleres, no son válidos para programas o mercancías. Los descuentos no pueden ser combinados ni se aplicarán con efecto retroactivo. El descuento para los socios es aplicado para clases tomadas solamente por miembros de NYC Latin Media y no puede ser utilizado para inscribir familiares o amigos.

Auditions and Prerequisites:

AUDITIONS: Interested in our upper level classes? Audition & consult with a panel of HB’s faculty. For details and sign up info, visit Auditions & Prerequisites.

REEL SUBMISSIONS: Are you a working professional seeking a place to practice? Submit your reel for placement into our studio practice classes.

Fall Term registration will open on August 8th

Dear HB Studio Community:

HB Studio will delay the opening of its Fall Term registration by one week, until Sunday, August 8th (originally scheduled to open on August 1st).

We’re taking some time to process new reporting this week on the highly contagious Delta variant strain of the coronavirus that is now dominant among cases in the U.S., and which data suggest can be harbored and transmitted by vaccinated people.

The current state of the pandemic is one of heightened risk and your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your patience as we adapt to this ever-changing situation. Throughout the pandemic we have followed recommendations and industry standards established by the CDC, New York State and NYC, and we will continue to do so.

HB Studio will hold both online and in-person classes, beginning in the Fall Term 2021. Information on these plans can be found here, and additional details about in-person activity and safety protocols will be shared when registration opens.

Sincerely,

HB Studio

An Update on HB Studio’s Reentry Onsite

Dear HB Studio Community:

As businesses start to open and life begins to resemble a new version of normal, HB Studio is working diligently to re-enter our home on Bank Street. We are pleased to share an update on these plans with you.

Our ability to make a full return is contingent on many uncertain variables, and decisions regarding plans for in-person activity take much into consideration, including your valued feedback. We are eager for the day that we will gather together again and look forward to beginning the first steps toward that return.

Beginning in Fall 2021, HB Studio will:

  • hold our 2021-2022 Hagen Core Training program onsite and gradually reintroduce select onsite Studio classes at reduced capacity.
  • continue to offer a suite of Studio classes and workshops online.
  • require those enrolling in onsite classes at HB Studio to be vaccinated*
  • require all those entering the premises at HB Studio to be masked, except when presenting or performing work in class, or as industry best practices dictate.
  • ask those onsite to adhere to social distancing measures.

HB Studio will continue offering a Hybrid Program for its F-1 International Students. We are also pleased to extend the opportunity to our 2021 Hagen Core Training cohort to join together in completing their program in person onsite next month. 

The return to our spaces will be gradual, with priority given to our full-time programs and to classes that most require in-place work to benefit our students. We have acknowledged the limitations of learning in the virtual environment and are working to bring offerings that focus on acting technique, scenes, and movement back to our spaces as soon as possible. We expect that the classes best suited for the online space, such as our speech and writing classes, will continue online. 

Though some businesses are now able to operate at full capacity, our situation requires more care. We are currently working to test and update our ventilation and heating systems. The number of classes we will be able to reintroduce onsite will depend on the speed and progress of that work. Our scene, vocal and body work is often intimate and physical. This type of work requires further caution. We are continuing to follow New York State, New York City, CDC, and union workplace safety guidelines as they relate to best practices for theater and classroom settings.

To establish a safe environment, HB Studio will require vaccinations of all faculty, students and staff that enter our spaces. This requirement affords us greater ease in performing our work without the impediment of masks. Masks will be required, when not performing, at all other times when on the premises. HB Studio will also encourage those onsite to adhere to social distancing measures.

If you haven’t yet done so, we urge those that are able to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others, and to support a quicker return to in-person activity. The Actors Fund can help schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for members of the performing arts and entertainment community. Walk-up and at-home vaccines are also available to most residents in NYC.

HB has experienced significant losses from the COVID-19 shutdown and the reopening effort is costly. We are relying on our community to rally together to support our return. If you would like to make a contribution to help us get back on Bank Street, you may do so here. We are grateful for any gift you are able to give to ensure HB Studio remains a vital and resilient resource for the global theater community.

What a journey this online experiment has been! In the virtual space, we have formed an expanded cultural exchange of ideas and community. We are thankful for this discovered gift and for the renewed perspective it provides us in our work. We intend to keep a virtual classroom and will continue to seek opportunities for creative cross-cultural exchanges, now and in the future.

If you haven’t yet done so, we encourage you to give online learning a try. HB Studio offers the opportunity for new and existing students to audit any of our online weekly classes, in order to observe the instructor’s teaching style and the culture of the class before making the commitment to register. Many of our students have expressed their surprise at how impactful and meaningful the online classes have been for them. 

As the pandemic situation and our understanding of it continues to evolve, we will remain agile in our response. Please keep in touch with us and look for more updates on our reentry plans. We will share more detailed information on our reentry as the Fall Term approaches.

Stay well and enjoy your summer! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

HB Studio

*Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Register Now for Online Summer Term Classes & Workshops

Summer Term Weekly Classes:

  • All Classes Offered Online, in two 5-week Parts: With the exception of our playwriting and directing classes, all Summer Term classes are offered in two 5-week parts, Part A and Part B. A $15 discount will apply when registering for both parts:
    • Part A: June 12* – July 18, 2021 (No classes June 19; July 3-4, 2021)
    • Part B: July 19 – Aug. 22, 2021
    • *Saturday classes start June 5
    • Sign up for either Part A or Part B independently (5 weeks each), or join both for the full 10-week term. You may join Part B without taking Part A. 
  • Browse Classes and Register Online. Classes available in:
  • Audit Online Classes: All classes will be held online via Zoom, allowing artists to train from any location. We encourage you to try virtual learning with us by auditing a class.
  • Classes Tailored to Online Space: HB Studio will tailor its teaching and the topic to the virtual space, taking advantage of the medium’s unique creative possibilities. Please check each course page for more information on how teachers will conduct specific classes online, and read more about HB’s online classes here.

Summer Term Workshops:

  • Special-focus topics, with short & long-term options
  • Check back often; workshops updated regularly
  • Browse Workshops and Register Now

Discounts:

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT*: Save 10% off Summer Term Weekly Classes with code SUMMER21W, valid through May 30, 2021.

UNION DISCOUNT*: AEA, AGVA, AGMA, SAG/AFTRA, WGA, UFT, and Dramatist Guild Union Members or international equivalent receive 20% OFF Summer Term Weekly Classes through May 30 and 10% off thereafter. Discount will automatically apply for HB-verified Union Members. To become verified, email a copy of your active union membership card to registration@hbstudio.org.

*Discounts valid for weekly classes only; not valid for workshops, programs or merchandise. Discounts cannot be combined nor applied retroactively. Union discount applies for classes taken by cardholders only and cannot be used to enroll family or friends.

Descuento de NYC Latin Media: Los miembros de NYC Latin Media pueden auditar* gratuitamente una clase o taller en el estudio y recibir un 20% de descuento** en todas clases del estudio y talleres. El descuento será aplicado automáticamente para miembros verificados por HB. Para convertirse en usuario verificado, debe mandar un correo electrónico a inscripciones@hbstudio.org con detalles de su membresía de NYC Latin Media.

*Incluye una sesión gratuita por instructor. No se permite auditar múltiples veces la misma clase. **Los descuentos son solamente válidos para clases semanales y talleres, no son válidos para programas o mercancías. Los descuentos no pueden ser combinados ni se aplicarán con efecto retroactivo. El descuento para los socios es aplicado para clases tomadas solamente por miembros de NYC Latin Media y no puede ser utilizado para inscribir familiares o amigos.

Auditions and Prerequisites:

AUDITIONS: Interested in our upper level classes? Audition & consult with a panel of HB’s faculty. For details and sign up info, visit Auditions & Prerequisites.

REEL SUBMISSIONS: Are you a working professional seeking a place to practice? Submit your reel for placement into our studio practice classes.

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio with Institut Ramon Llull

HB Studio collaborates with Institut Ramon Llull to present a series of Catalan plays with artist talks

HB Studio is pleased to partner with Institut Ramon Llull to present Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio, a special showcase of select Catalan plays followed by discussions with the artists, hosted by HB Studio.

Institut Ramon Llull was founded with the purpose of promoting Catalan language studies at universities abroad, the translation of literature and thought written in Catalan, and Catalan cultural production in other areas like theatre, film, circus, dance, music, the visual arts, design and architecture.

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio will feature screenings of select plays, including English subtitles, followed by in-depth discussions with the artists about their work and creative process.

SOLITUD and SOLITUD A STROMBOLI

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio Presents an HB Public Conversation on SOLITUD and SOLITUD A STROMBOLI

Closing out our series will be the classic play, SOLITUD, based on/inspired by a novel with the same title written by a woman (Caterina Albert) under a man’s name (Victor Catala), and SOLITUD A STROMBOLI which compares SOLITUD to the film STROMBOLI by Rosselini.

Our talk will feature Alícia Gorina (director) and actors Maria Ribera and Pol López from SOLITUD and Fina Rius (actress), Núria Casado Gual (author and dramaturg), and Imma Colomer (director) from SOLITUD A STROMBOLI. Moderated by HB Teaching Artist Maria Fontanals.

Please join us for a lively discussion about the two Catalan plays from Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC)!

Monday, October 18, 2021 | 2:00 P.M. ET / 8:00 P.M. CET

About SOLITUD

“After passing through Ridorta they had come across a wagon going their way…” The start of Víctor Català’s best known work is an invitation to immerse oneself in the fascinating literary richness of SOLITUD, and foreshadows some of its major themes: landscape as a vocabulary to express existence, animality in the face of cultural and technical evolution, or time as human geography.

With her great mountain novel, Caterina Albert gave a voice to one of the most exciting female characters in Catalan literature. A journey of enormous vibrant intensity, marked by the magnetic discovery of desire, the raw lesson of solitude and the lucid understanding of the pains that weigh upon the world.

Length: 2 hours. The play is performed in Catalan and presented with English subtitles. Learn more.

About SOLITUD A STROMBOLI

Dra. Nela Simari, a distinguished expert in the field of comparative literature, gives a peculiar “inaugural lecture” on the influence of Víctor Català on the acclaimed Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Her masterful lesson not only takes us into the parallel universes of Solitude and Stromboli, but also invites us to reflect on the concept of authorship, the creative fact itself, and above all, on who comes to light, and who remains in the shadows in the complex narrative of History. Learn more.

 

MIVION RADIO SARAJEOVO

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio Presents an HB Public Conversation on MIVION (RADIO SARAJEVO)

MIVION (RADIO SARAJEVO) is a piece of documentary theatre about the siege of Sarajevo and a journalist that resisted it through the radio, written and created together by Slobodan Minic, Arza Suljic, Marc Soler, Carles Fernández Giua and Eugenio Szwarcer. The talk hosted by HB Studio will feature Carles Fernández Giua (director), Eugenio Szwarcer (set and video designer), and Arza Suljic (performer, co-creator of the show), pictured above. Moderated by HB Teaching Artist Maria Fontanals.

Our talk, which features Azra Suljic whose family is from Srebrenica and arrived in Catalonia as a child fleeing from the war, will be presented just one day before the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre on July 11, 1995.

Saturday, July 10, 2021 | 2:00 P.M. ET / 8:00 P.M. CET

About MIVION (RADIO SARAJEVO)

“Like water, life always finds a way.” – Slobodan Minic

MIVION is an acronym in the Serbo-Croatian language, formed by the abbreviation of the words “We”, “You” and “They”. MIVION was the title of a cultural program (referring to artists, audience and critics), conducted by Slobodan Minic, a renowned journalist who also was director of the Culture programming at Radio Sarajevo. In that radio show, Minic interviewed artists such as Bosnian poet Sidran, filmmaker Emir Kusturica and musician Goran Bregovic.

During the siege of his city (1992-1996), Minic resisted by doing what he knew best: radio and journalism. Finally, like thousands of other people, he fled through the tunnel excavated under Sarajevo and arrived into Spain, where he established himself together with his family in a little village on the coast of Catalonia, in Spain. There, he worked as a waiter and raised his two sons.

Minic’s story is a testimony to the progressive advance of intolerance, nationalism and authoritarianism, but also to the strength of culture. His story is about the power of the human voice to offer comfort as well as how words and speech can be used to promote hatred and construct an “us vs. them” mindset that can eventually lead to a civil war.

MIVION (Radio Sarajevo) also explores the crossing of cultures and generations. It is a set of mirrors between the voice and the experience of Minic and the lives of two young people, Bosnian Azra Suljic, who also arrived in Catalonia as a child fleeing from the war, and Catalan dancer and performer Marc Soler who was born in 1998 and hardly knew anything about the Bosnian war before joining the project.

MIVION (Radio Sarajevo), magically merges radio and theatrical languages. Journalist Slobodan “Boban” Minic is on the air broadcasting live from his house, just as he was at the station from which he resisted the siege of his city. On stage, two young people who, due to the pandemic had experienced a lockdown that somewhat connects their experiences to Minic’s, Azra Suljic, a translator and interpreter who has never performed on a stage before, and performer Marc Soler. There are also the images filmed in Bosnia and Serbia during the documentary travel, which was an essential part of the creative process of La Conquesta del Pol Sud.

The referential framework for the play is the eclecticism, variety and dynamism of the radio, the ‘natural environment’ of the protagonist. A language in which interviews, moments of reflection and intimacy, musical interludes, even connections with correspondents operating in other spaces are alternated. The language of the radio offers many possibilities for the imagination.

Length: 80 minutes. The show is performed in Catalan, Spanish and Bosnian, and presented with English subtitles. Learn more.

A.K.A. (Also Known As) play

Playing Together: Catalonia at HB Studio Presents an HB Public Conversation on A.K.A. (ALSO KNOWN AS)

Institut Ramon Llull and HB Studio bring together artists from the award-winning play A.K.A. for a discussion about their intentions and creative process. Join us!

The talk will feature: Daniel J. Meyer (playwright), Montse Rodríguez Clusella (director) and Lluís Febrer (lead actor). Moderated by HB Teaching Artist Maria Fontanals.

Saturday, May 22, 2021 | 2:00 P.M. ET / 8:00 P.M. CET

About A.K.A. (ALSO KNOWN AS)

A.K.A. tells the story of Carlos’ adolescence and invites you to play the role of judge as well as audience member. We are transported to a moment in which, through no fault of his own, his foundations, his roots, his identity begin to break down. Carlos was adopted through a, let’s say, less than legal process. Being adopted is not a problem for him because he feels local, he is local. But the critical eyes of others make him question his true identity. Maybe he is not totally who he has decided to be. Are we what we feel we are or what other people think we are? This is the question we explore in A.K.A. by revealing how these seeds take root in the life of Carlos. Learn more.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

  • 2 MAX Awards (emerging theatrical text, lead actor)
  • 2 MAX nominations (direction, short play)
  • 4 Butaca Awards (theatrical text, short play, direction, lead actor)
  • 3 Barcelona Teatre Awards (theatrical text, short play, direction)
  • 1 Critics Award (best actor)
  • Audience Award: MIT RIBADAVIA, Galicia
  • Audience Award: Teatre del Mar, Mallorca
  • SGAE Foundation Express Theater Award

HB Studio stands in solidarity with Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities

HB Artists, Friends, and Colleagues:

HB Studio stands in solidarity with Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and against those who would perpetrate racially-motivated violence, verbal, or psychological attacks against them. Xenophobia, bigotry, and discrimination of any kind are unacceptable, as are systemic racism, white supremacy, and the power structures and misinformation that protect and support them. We take pride and pleasure in convening and supporting the diverse, international, multigenerational community that gives HB its energy and creative vitality. Our strength is in the dynamic exchange of ideas and culture.

In the wake of the tragic losses in Atlanta and the escalation of anti-Asian harassment and violence, we acknowledge and confront a long history in America of anti-Asian bias and discrimination, both implicit and explicit. We are committed to examining, recognizing, and repairing the systemic biases in our own culture, and actively intervening and supporting in situations where AAPI persons are marginalized or subjected to harm. We will stand for the AAPI communities’ right to joy, to a sense of safety, and wellbeing. We are also firmly committed to lifting and valuing their voices at such a challenging time. We will use the tools we have as artists to promote understanding and to raise the questions that will point us toward a more promising, more equitable, and inclusive future.

Sincerely,

HB Studio

Hollaback Bystander Intervention

Please consider participating in free bystander intervention training through Hollaback!

 

Complete HB Studio’s On-Site Reopening Survey for a chance to Win Class Credit!

Complete HB’s On-Site Reopening Survey for a chance to WIN a $100 CREDIT toward in-person or online classes (good through April 15, 2022 for 3 lucky winners!)*

We want to hear from you regarding what is useful in our online and in-person offerings! HB Studio’s virtual offerings will continue, in some form, when we return to our home on Bank Street. Decisions about how HB Studio will structure its online and in-person offerings will consider a number of factors, including your input.

Your feedback will serve an important role in our understanding of how best to structure HB Studio’s offerings so that they suit the needs of our community. We very much value your feedback. Your participation in this survey will help us to better serve you and other artists like you!

To be eligible, you must complete the survey by April 15, 2021. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. All survey respondents will be eligible to win, and each respondent will be counted once. Three winners will be chosen at random and informed on April 16, 2021.

*Redeemable for credit toward an HB Studio class or workshop, held online or in person, through April 15, 2022. Not applicable for programs through the Uta Hagen Institute.

If you have not done so already, please take this time to register an account with HB Studio and consider auditing an online class. HB Studio offers the opportunity for new and existing students to audit any of our weekly classes in order to observe the instructor’s teaching style and the culture of the class before making the commitment to register.

On behalf of all of us at HB, we send our sincere appreciation for taking the time to share your experience!

HB Studio presents Uta Hagen Masterclass with Drama School Mumbai

Drama School Mumbai Uta Hagen Masterclass

We are delighted to partner with Drama School Mumbai in our first-ever collaboration to present the Uta Hagen Masterlass with HB Teacher Carol Rosenfeld.

This online workshop is for advanced actors and offers an oasis of grounded and embodied physical solo practice. The Uta Hagen Masterclass with Carol Rosenfeld is a rare opportunity for Indian theatre practitioners to delve into the self-reflective, ‘object-driven’ exercises that defined the legendary teaching of Uta Hagen. In a sense, this workshop can help theatre performers to ground themselves both on and off-stage/screen – and establish a ‘riyaaz’, as it were.

What’s more, this is the most cost-effective course in Uta Hagen’s techniques you’re likely to find thanks to the digital medium. With limited intake, it offers an intimate, one-on-one, safe, non-performative space to interact with Carol, and establish a fluid, flexible routine.

UTA HAGEN MASTERCLASS
with Carol Rosenfeld for Drama School Mumbai
April 12-28, 2021 (Mon, Wed, Fri)
3 weeks | 8 sessions | 3 hours each
Held online over Zoom, 17:00-20:00 IST / 7:30-10:30 ET
INR 15,000

Register Now

About Carol Rosenfeld

Since 1968, Carol Rosenfeld (she/her/hers) has taught at HB Studio. As founder and first director of the Uta Hagen Institute, she created signature pedagogical courses – the most recent one was the Hagen Actor’s Lab. She has conducted masterclasses in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg, Halifax, Calgary, Copenhagen, Barcelona, London, and Melbourne. Carol trained with Uta Hagen and Alice Spivak, and continued her practice through workshops with other notable theatre practitioners. Carol has continued exploring Uta Hagen’s approach through her writing, and has published two books to that effect. Learn more.

Key Takeaways

Working in a safe non-performative space, in the Uta Hagen Masterclass you will:

  • Identify the “work” at hand and find ease and clarity in your process
  • Define your obligation to the role, and explore substitutions that lead to choices that are specific and personal
  • Hone your ability to reflect upon your work
  • Create circumstances that lead to truthful behavior
  • Own your voice and points of view, and open yourself up to unexpected discoveries

About Drama School Mumbai

The Drama School Mumbai (DSM) was founded to forge a new generation of theatre makers; individuals who see themselves as actor-creator-entrepreneurs, who will go on in their careers to perform, create and produce work to a new standard of storytelling, and to promote the awareness of theatre and its processes to a wider audience interested in exploring and understanding the medium for themselves.

HB Studio and Eòlia Conservatory of Dramatic Arts Establish International Partnership

HB Studio is pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Barcelona-based drama school Eòlia Conservatory of Dramatic Arts to establish a student exchange and a joint devised theater ensemble with select students from both institutions.

Following our transition to virtual training, HB Studio sought to take advantage of opportunities to build bridges among the international community and establish a mutual exchange of work in the online space. HB Studio is also formalizing plans to partner with other international organizations, including Institut Ramon Llull, Drama School Mumbai, and the Rose Bruford School in London.

Teatro Eolia en Barcelona

About Eòlia Conservatory of Dramatic Arts

Eòlia Conservatory of Dramatic Arts was founded in Barcelona in 2000 and is associated with the theater companies Tricicle, Dragoll Dagom, and The Galilei Project.
Eòlia is closely connected to both the national and international theatre arts scene and has professional training programs for actors, singers, playwrights, dramaturges, producers, dancers and musicians. These programs incorporate current and cutting-edge artistic techniques and are taught by renowned faculty active in the professional performing arts world. Alumni of Eòlia include many professional actors, dramaturgs, and directors working in Spanish and Catalan TV, film, and theater.

Eòlia is more than a theater school, it’s a living project—a space that offers students room to grow and an outlet for discovery, whether they are future professionals, professionals that seek to hone their skills, or people who don’t plan to go on to a career in the Performing Arts but seek to grow, learn, and have fun in the areas of theatre, dramaturgy, playwriting, singing or dance.

An alumna of both Eòlia and HB Studio, Spanish actress and HB Studio teaching artist Maria Fontanals initiated the partnership between the organizations.

“Art knows no boundaries,” said Fontanals. “As a fluent speaker of Spanish, Catalan, French, and English, I have come to understand the value of a multilingual and multicultural worldview. Having this partnership will build a strong artistic community that knows no borders.”

About the Devised Theater Ensemble

Two teaching artists and two students from each institution will collaborate together on a mentored, student-directed devised theater project that will culminate in a performance showcase. Eòlia faculty members Alexandre Fons and Mariona Esplugues and students Clàudia Hernández and Sara Font joined HB faculty members Paul Pryce and Ben Mehl and students Meytat Zehavi and Jandel Camilo to begin work on the project last month.

Josep Galindo, director at Eòlia, envisioned the project as an opportunity for artists to develop material that is uniquely personal through unimpeded creative freedom and generous mentorship.

“We want to give plenty of space for ideas to unfold,” said Galindo. “We don’t know where this journey will take us, rather we will discover it along the way.”

Through the process of sharing and generating together, the ensemble will shape a creative work and present it to audiences from both institutions when the artists feel it is ready.

About the Student Exchange

In addition to the devised theater project, HB Studio and Eòlia have established a free international exchange among five students. HB Studio students Chase Ramsey, Anna Cherkezishvili, and Gem Nelson began participating in a virtual 14-week directing class conducted by Galindo with other students from the Barcelona-based school, on Feb. 11.
The class proposes a process of preparation for a director beginning work on a play, exploring stage languages and systems of analysis. Students choose a play and design a staging for the project. The three were selected among a group of 20 students at HB Studio that had applied for the opportunity.

Students selected from Eòlia include Adriana Galicia and Mariona Esplugues. The two students will participate in a multilingual devised theater performance lab with 14 students from HB Studio. The lab is a collaborative and contemporary reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE with HB Studio instructor Pablo Andrade, which ends in a virtual presentation of their completed work.