Haguf Theater

School and Stage for Physical Theater (2002-2010)

Classes at HaGuf Theater | The Stage | Professional Recognition & Support | Videos | Review

Meiri co-founded and managed the Tel Aviv Haguf Theater (Theater of the Body) School and Stage for Physical Theater, with Nelly Amar and Gil Bechar in accordance with the model set by L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, and with Jacques Lecoq’s blessing..

Located in Southern Tel Aviv, Haguf Theater was active during the years 2002-2010. It was the first school of its kind in Israel, offering stage artists different programs for comprehensive and methodical physical theater studies. It also served as a stage, encouraging independent and original works created using physical theater techniques.

Classes at HaGuf Theater

Haguf Theater’s teachers (including Meiri himself) taught a variety of physical theater styles, such as acting with masks (neutral masks, half-masks, entire character masks), silent theater, physical theater storytelling, the poetic clown, Bouffon, hero-choir, cabaret, circus arts, acrobatics and more.

In addition to acting studies, students acquired many more skills, including writing, directing and costume design, as well as stage and set design. In the course of their studies students created their own original works and so gained experience in complex production practices.

As part of its curriculum, every year the school hosted senior teachers from Lecoq’s Paris school, as well as master classes by international physical theater artists.

The Stage

Haguf Theater’s stage was established to promote artists, students and graduates of all school programs by allowing them to perform their original projects and shows in front of a larger audience. These later shows featured in different festivals and cultural events all over Israel: the Acco Israeli Fringe Festival , the Israel Festival, the Bat-Yam International Puppetry Festival, the Performance Arts Festival and the Klipa Aduma Visual Theater, Teatroneto Festival, The Holon Woman (HaIsha) Festival, The Tzavta Short Theater Festival and many more.

Professional Recognition & Support

The school gained the recognition and financial support of the Ministry of Culture, Science and Sports’ Culture Administration (Theater Department). Other organizations and foundations that supported Haguf Theater were the America-Israel Cultural Foundation; Tel Aviv Municipality’s Arts Department; the Experimental Theater Center; the French Embassy in Israel and the Institut Français.

Videos

1.
Zaza Group – The Tie Project – Tel Aviv, 2007

Graduating students of Haguf Physical Theatre School.
Camera & editing: Lior Shamriz

2.
Clowning class, graduations show.
Clip from the show.

3.
News item about the school, Hot News.

Review

Yediot-Achronot, (Hebrew)