Interdisciplinary Arts program | First Year Students | Third and Fourth Year Students | Special Projects Directed by Meiri | Videos
Interdisciplinary Arts program
In the years 2000-2024 Meiri resided as Professor of the Jacques Lecoq Method of Physical Theater in the Interdisciplinary Arts program (which combines the acting, dance, directing, physical theater, musical and opera departments).
First Year Students
The Folkwang University believes in an interdisciplinary approach to arts. Therefore, the main class taught by Meiri, Physical Theater and the Art of Storytelling, is open to students from the acting, musical, directing and physical theater departments. This semester-long class focuses on physical theater acting techniques and space-body-text-movement relations. The skills the students acquire for creating an original independent work, come to fruition in the show they create together under Meiri’s guidance. During this work process, students explore various assignments, which enable them to develop a thorough and comprehensive understanding of theater arts, as actors and writers, as creators and performers. This way of actor-creator training is unique to physical theater.
In many cases, Meiri chooses fairy tales as the basis for the students’ show. From these fairy tales the students fly with their imaginations, which comes into play in their dramatic interpretations as well as in their stage devices. The empty space is the departure point for their theatrical work, and into it they integrate music, props and other objects. A large audience of students and teachers watch these end-year shows, enjoying the actors’ virtuoso and their great desire to create.
Third and Fourth Year Students
Meiri meets acting students again in their third and fourth years of studies, as he supervises their final graduation work for their Artist Diploma (Artisit Diplom). In this stage of their professional training students are required to construct an entire show, including its stage and dramatic concepts. Each student is in charge of his/her project, and takes full responsibility for all stages of production, writing and performance. The project may be inspired by classical or modern texts; it may take the form of dance-theater or musical, or even become a short film, an art performance, or any other combination of the arts. Collaborations between acting students and students from other departments, at the university or outside of it, are most welcome. The variety and diversity of the different works are always astonishing. Producing and creating this project is the students’ last assignment before they leave school to become fully-trained professional actors and theater artists. It encourages the students to experiment with content and artistic devices that appeal to them, and to use them on stage, even if they never have dared to do so. Meiri is part of a supervisors’ team which includes Gerold Theobald, dramatists and playwright; Thomas Rascher, Professor of movement and physical theater, Anna Pocher, choreographer and movement teacher as well as the teaching staff of the acting department.
Special Projects Directed by Meiri
• Longing for Amor and Psyche (In German), 2013
Theater-Storytelling and Opera. Summer project of The Opera Department of Folkwang University of Arts, inspired by Apuleius’s Cupid and Psyche, co-created by the opera students and Noam Meiri.
This production was the culmination of Meiri’s Physical Theater Storytelling workshop. Cupid and Psyche inspired personal stories which illuminated the story’s main themes, granting it a contemporary interpretation, and resulting in an original work of opera, music and storytelling.
Premiere: Pina Bausch Theater, Essen, Germany, 2013
Directed and edited by Noam Meiri
Music director: Xaver Poncette
Set and costume design: Lukas Noll
Choreography and movement: Oliver Sprol
Light design: Bernd vom Felde
Assistant director: Britta Laux, Daniel Kunze, Maha Taheri
Performers: Ines Saydan, Elena Petrushevska, Diatra Zulaika, Paulina Steinmeyer, Marijana Mladenov, Robin Grunwald, Jacoub Eisa
Still pictures: Heike Kandalowsky
• Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince (In German), 2011. A fairy tale for adults. An ensemble of actors demonstrate their physical theater and storytelling virtuoso.
The play represented the Folkwang University at the Kampnagel Theater’s festival and contest for German-speaking acting schools.
Premiere: Kampnagel Theater, Hamburg. Germany, 2011
German translation: Franz Blei
Directed and edited by Noam Meiri
Chorepgraphy and movement: Thomas Rascher
Vocal guidance: Thomas Buts
Lighting: Brian Michaels, Bernd vom Felde
Musical guidance: Klaus Kauker
Performers: Veronika Bachfischer, Sven Gey, Maelle Giovanetti, Michael Lämmermann, David Schirmer, Tina Wilhelm, Elisabeth Wolle.
Still pictures: Angelina Ivanova
Videos
1.Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales (in German), 2012
Acting students, Folkwang University, Essen, Germany
Physical theatre & Storytelling class’ Graduation show
Suervised by Noam Meiri
Clip from the show
Camera & editing: Vanessa Cieviero
2.
Video Trailer from The Happy Prince.
Produced by the Theater Department of Folkwang University of the Arts at Essen, Germany.
Directed by Noam Meiri Clip from the show.
Editing: Nurit Sharet
Video Trailer from Longing for Amor & Psiche
Produced by the Opera Department of Folkwang University of the Arts at Essen, Germany.
Directed by Noam Meiri
Clip from the show.
Camera: Daniel Fenge & David Lange. Editing: David Lange
