In the Studio with Joyce Piven: Theatre Games, Story Theatre and Text Work for Actors

In the Studio with Joyce Piven takes you directly inside the creative process of the renowned Piven Workshop led by Joyce and Byrne Piven.

The Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago has nurtured theatre artists celebrated in the US, Ireland and Britain including Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Aidan Quinn, Sarah Ruhl, Lili Taylor and Kate Walsh. Co-authors Joyce Piven and Susan Applebaum describe the Workshop techniques (developed and refined over forty years of theatrical training) as a virtual fly-on-the-wall experience, taking the reader inside the director's studio, classroom, and green room.

Part One introduces the central principles of game work and the concept of 'encounter' - finding the emotional experience at the heart of a set of given circumstances - and ends with a chapter on the role of story theatre as a bridge between games and play text.

Part Two takes you into the classroom with Joyce Piven through fully-detailed transcripts of physical and vocal workshops on play, agreement, specificity, transformation and story theatre, accompanied by explanations and tips for teaching.

The book ends with an alphabetical appendix of games taught by Byrne and Joyce Piven based on their work with Paul Sills and Viola Spolin, Etienne Decroux, Uta Hagen and Mira Rostova.

A highly regarded guide and resource for actors, teachers, and directors, for anyone interested in the creative process of acting and actor training.

Joyce Piven is a celebrated master teacher, director, actress and co-founder of the Piven Theatre Workshop with her husband Byrne Piven. As Co-Artistic Directors of the Workshop, Joyce and Byrne developed the system of actor training outlined in this book. Joyce was a founding member and leading actress at the Playwrights Theatre Club, the group led by Paul Sills that spawned Compass Players and Second City. While acting professionally and teaching in New York, Joyce and Byrne both studied extensively with Uta Hagen and Mira Rostova whose work informs their own. Returning to Chicago, Joyce and Byrne continued to act professionally and then turned to directing. As Artistic Director Emeritus, Joyce continues to teach and direct in Evanston and Los Angeles.

Susan Applebaum has a long and rich affiliation with the Piven Theatre Workshop where she trained under Joyce and Byrne Piven. At the Workshop, Susan taught theatre games and story theatre to all age groups, served as Director of the Junior Company and the Young People’s Company, developed story theatre productions of folk tales and literary stories, and acted professionally. Susan currently serves on the theatre faculty of Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches contemporary dramatic literature and play analysis.