Alyssa Ravenwood
Mask Design
Ph: 323 – 227 - 8028
ravenwoodmasks @ yahoo . com

You will learn:
* sculpting in clay
* how to sculpt expressions
* plaster mold making techniques
* casting with neoprene rubber
* trimming and sanding neoprene
* fitting a mask to a person’s face
* making an adjustable elastic strap
* painting techniques

This is a professional techniques based class. It is not a crafting class. It is best suited to people who are interested in learning the professional techniques and plan to continue to make more masks on their own. You will make a ½ face character mask in class. You will make a sculpture in clay, make a mold in plaster and cast the mask in neoprene. You will keep what you make in class.

Small class size allows for individual direction.

Location:
The Brewery Arts Complex in downtown Los Angeles, CA.

Alyssa Ravenwood has been sculpting masks for theatre productions since 1988. Her masks are seen in performances by theatre companies and schools in the USA, Europe, Canada, and Japan. She was awarded the Portland Drammy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mask Design and is a two time winner of the Best Performance Mask Award at the Ink People Maskibition. She has taught mask making and mask performance workshops at theatres and Universities across the US.

Performance Workshops -

Instructor Bio:
Alyssa Ravenwood is an award winning physical theatre director, performer, and mask designer. She has been working in regional theatre since 1986. She has worked with Krizo Theatre (France), Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (Pennsylvania), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theatre (Oregon), WGBH Boston for PBS, and more. She toured her own solo show, Orlando Eats Children with Wine, from 2000-2004. Her masks and prosthetic makeup designs have been seen in productions and used as drama training tools in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Ms. Ravenwood teaches physical theatre and mask making workshops at theatres and universities across the United States.

Alyssa Ravenwood
Mask Design
Ph: 323 – 227 - 8028
ravenwoodmasks @ yahoo . com

An introduction to mask and clown performance techniques. Learn to express yourself with greater spontaneity and physical dexterity.

Appropriate for people with no physical theatre performance background and for experienced performers looking to practice and expand their skills.

Film Actors and FX Puppeteers: Mask performance technique is very useful for actors performing with special makeup effects. If you are an actor wearing a prosthetic makeup that covers your face or a puppeteer bringing an animatronic creature to life, mask performance technique teaches you how to turn that piece of rubber into a memorable character, alive with emotion.

About Alyssa Ravenwood:
An award winning physical theatre director, performer and mask designer. Artistic Director of the new Los Angeles mask troupe, Ravenwood Performance Group. A graduate of the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre. She also studied Clowning with Sue Morrison at the Canadian Clown Institute and Commedia with Ole Brekke of The Denmark Commedia School.

Student Testimonials:

"I've learned and grown immensely while participating in the Ravenwood Performance Group workshops. The clown and mask training is at once challenging, provocative and inspiring, and strikes at the heart of the creative process. I recommend it for all students serious about the art of physical theatre." Jon Monastero, Ten West Comedy Troupe

“I’ll start with applauding her dive-right-in approach. The physical work was immediately appropriate and helpful. The workshop was also excellent in jarring me out of my comfort zone, challenging me to stretch for more risky, interesting choices.” - Mark Twohy, workshop graduate

From Stage Directions Magazine Jan 08:

“The benefits of having performed in mask are body awareness and body freedom. Training in effectively communicating emotion and action with the body gives actors another tool to use besides the voice and face… Los Angeles mask designer and physical theatre expert Alyssa Ravenwood creates expressive masks and individualized workshops for theatre companies. In her classes, performers learn to enact characters with movements and emotions that embody their masks. ‘My focus,” Ravenwood says, ‘is teaching actors practical techniques in order to give the best performance possible.”