SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL THEATRE

The foundation of Dell’Arte training is the work of the creative actor. Through command of space, gesture, dynamics, and an articulate body/voice, the actor gives expression to passions, characters, relationships and worlds.

The training is founded on observation and identification with nature, the physical investigation of the body and its poetry, and an imaginative inquiry into the forms of culture and theatre.

Dell’Arte is surrounded by the majestic wilderness of California’s North Coast. For nearly 50 years we have welcomed students from around the world to train, research and discover what is possible in the theatre.

While our program expands the actor’s physical range and develops the physical imagination, students are also encouraged to articulate their own vision of the theatre and their relation to contemporary theatre practice, the audience, and the community.

Dell’Arte training involves consistent creation of original work by students, through a method of instruction that demands investigation and self-discovery on the part of the student. The basis of the work is in daily training emphasizing the development of awareness through movement. We seek to develop an embodied actor who regards the space of the stage as a dynamic, poetic realm.


"I came to this school with the intention of becoming a 'better actor'. Instead, I learned to cultivate the ability to enter a state of open awareness, receptivity, and spontaneity, from which the truth can emerge through the body and voice." -2017 MFA graduate