CATT Argos
July 3-10, 2022
The Centre for Alternative Theatre Training (CATT) invites you to the magical home of Greek tragedy, Argos, just 14km from ancient Mycenae, home of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon and the Oresteia, and 12km from Nafplio and the beaches of the Aegean Sea. Over 6 days and 30 hours of training with internationally recognised instructors, actors and welcome artists will feel the spirit of ancient Greece in modern and friendly Argos.
Towering above the town is the Castle of Larisa, a Venetian fortress standing on prehistoric ruins. Within Argos lie the ancient amphitheater, the nymphaeum and agora dating back 2000 years. CATT artists will tour to these sites!
Intensive fee – International Visitors
400 Euro fee covers 30 hours of instruction, tour of ancient Argos archaeological sites, and final dinner. A deposit of €100 is required upon registration.
Travel to Argos, accommodation, food and ancillary costs are borne by participants.
Intensive fee – Greek Nationals
250 Euro fee covers 30 hours of instruction, tour of ancient Argos archaeological sites, and final dinner. A deposit of €60 is required upon registration.
Travel to Argos, accommodation, food and ancillary costs are borne by participants.
The Intensive
The Intensive will consist of two daily sessions over 6 days
Session 1: The Artist’s Body
With Maria Bavela
Each morning begins at the historic Kapodistrias Barracks. Led by professional dancer Maria Bavela, the performer is trained to powerful, expressive and flexible throughout every part of their body. The discipline of professional dance training helps the actor to meet all the demands of character and text. No previous experience required—these sessions will leave you feeling more connected to your body and the way it moves.
Session 2: The Artist’s Body and Soul
With Michael Devine
Contemporary actors face obstacles in their understanding of classical text and characters: the distance between now and then seems overwhelming and unbridgeable. Through the games, exercises and études of BoxWhatBox, I’ll help performers connect with the primal, universal elements of classical characters. Intensive practice with the Four Expressive Vocabularies, and the practical exploration of human archetypes, equips artists with the skills to access any era.
Maria Bavela
Maria Bavela is a professional ballet teacher and dancer who trained at the Bulgarian National Academy of Dance in Varna and higher professional school of dance Despoina Grigoriadou in Greece. She’s an international dance sport teacher and an international adjudicator certified by WDC (World Dance Council). She has run a dance academy in Argos since 2001 and in 2021 she started a new dance school In Nemea Korinthias with her partner Ioannis Katsipodis.
Michael Devine
Michael has directed nearly 50 professional productions in 9 languages, in more than 20 countries. Classically trained as an actor, with a PhD in drama, Michael is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Alternative Theatre Training (CATT). His first collection of produced plays, Playing Outside the Lines, was published in 2022.
How to Get There
Air Athens International Airport has connections to every country.
Option A: From Athens Airport you take the X93 bus to the Kifisos Bus Station. This is the Central Bus Station and handles buses to the Peloponnese. It’s the last stop of the bus. The ride takes about 65 minutes. The bus to Argos takes less than 2 hours.
Option B: From Athens Airport take the metro (buy a ticket in the central lobby in front of the turnstiles to the platforms). Take the blue line to Syntagma, switch to the red line and go to Omonia. From there you walk to Menandrou Street to catch the 051 bus.
Option C: If you are staying in Athens before going to Argos, simply hop on the metro to get to Omonia and walk over to the 051 bus stop.
