Rehearsal Workshop in Taipei “Much Ado About Nothing”
The in-person workshop returns after three long years! The "Musical Theatre Rehearsal Workshop" involves role assignments, song selection, and script rewrites. Despite these hurdles, the four-day event was a triumph, bringing immense satisfaction and invaluable rewards to all involved.
“I never intended to teach everyone profound vocal or acting techniques in just four days, as these skills require time to develop. What I wanted to offer is the opportunity for students, who have spent a long time learning from teachers at schools or institutions, to finally work on a production, take on a role, and complete a musical from start to finish, singing and acting. No one learns vocal techniques just to practise scales every day, and no one studies acting just to perform monologues to a camera. So, I hope this is a dream-fulfilment project for everyone, where we learn by doing and enjoy the process!”
— Leon Hong, Artistic Director of LAMT.
Initially, we matched roles according to the enrolled students and selected suitable songs based on their abilities. We even rewrote the script considering the number, gender, and age of the participants, which indeed brought great pressure and challenges. However, after six months of preparation, finally meeting the students and working on the script brought an invaluable sense of accomplishment for everyone.
The script for this workshop was based on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," with each student assigned 1-2 musical theatre numbers. As the adaptation writer and director of this adaptation, Leon Hong also took on the role of the conductor between the piano accompanist and the singers, making the four-day course a test for him as well! As a teacher, Leon still aimed to impart some knowledge, so he conducted many practical acting and vocal exercises to help students quickly get into character.
Some of the participants were our online students, and their excitement in discussing their roles with our teachers in class helped establish a rapport more swiftly during rehearsals. The new students ranged from complete beginners to those with formal training. Ensuring that everyone enjoyed and benefited from the workshop became our main goal as the workshop leaders.
The four days flew by, and to our surprise, everyone took notes so efficiently that on the final day, there were almost no stage mishaps or forgotten lines! Celebrating with a hotpot dinner afterward, the joy of working on a production is something we could never achieve teaching online from London.
Leon added, “I want to thank the team for their assistance with piano accompaniment, venue arrangements, and teaching support. Special thanks to the courageous students who participated. Learning requires courage, facing one's shortcomings, working hard to improve, and striving for a sense of achievement and happiness. After years in musical theatre, my hopes extend beyond applause and spotlight. I wish to give back to society, allowing more people to see the beauty within themselves.”
Inspired by our 'Much Ado About Nothing' workshop in Taipei? Bring the excitement of theatre art to your school or organisation. Contact us today to arrange your own engaging workshop!
