You don’t always know what you’re going to get when you bring an artist into your community, but for me, as the Education Coordinator here at The Myrna Loy, it’s always a pleasant surprise when that artist is a phenomenal educator, and Bill Bowers was just that.
Bill, born and raised in Missoula, spent last week sharing his expertise in the field of physical theatre and mime with Helena School District teachers, local theatre folks, high schoolers at Helena High, Capital High and PAL, as well as Carroll College theatre students. He put on six different workshops over the course of four days and expertly tailored each experience to match the interests and varying skill-levels of the students and teachers he worked with.
Bill drew students in with an overview of his personal story – growing up quiet in Montana and how that impacted him as he found the art of mime as a way to express himself, which then led to his rise as one of the greatest physical storytellers of his generation. One student from Grandstreet commented, “We’re similar, I think. I’m a very quiet person but I express myself in a more physical way.” And the connections only continued from there…
These workshops were all about moving, playing, and getting students out of their heads and into their bodies. They explored the history of mime and came to understand that “mime” is simply the fact that our body exists in space and has shape, but “pantomime” is the act of using our body in space to tell stories. Mia Crivello, who joined the teacher workshop, commented, “I was surprised at how good it felt to get on my feet and use my body. The invitation to play as an adult is so rare, and it left me feeling super energized.”
As a warm up, students explored their relation to one another in space by reacting to Bill’s quick directions to move in a certain way, change directions, and make eye contact with one another, which left students with little time to overthink actions. CHS drama teacher, Laura Brayko, said, “I have a student who just today was talking about how in his head he is and how second guessing keeps him from acting in the moment and socializing on a grander scale. He loved this activity as it forced him to not think and just have fun!”
Students’ favorite exercise was called “The Dot” in which they learned how to create the illusion of a dot in space and react energetically to it – “with 20,000 volts of energy,” directed Bill – to show its size, weight, and movement. Bill explained, “You’re seeing and responding with such intensity that you’re making the audience see what you see.” The illusion was simple but powerful – imaginary dots pulled students around on stage as they practiced trusting their bodies’ innate knowledge while honing their ability to focus.
Teaching artist and Grandstreet Theatre School teacher, Retta Leaphart, said, “The students really loved the dot/illusion work. Bill pointed out one student who was finding a lot of success with the physicality of the exercise, and afterward the two of them chatted for a while. This student is reserved and quiet, but by the end of their conversation was saying he may minor in theatre.”
And that’s what our education program here at The Myrna is all about – bringing experiences and artists to students and teachers who may not otherwise ever have the chance to engage with or be inspired by that particular art form or artist; you just never know the impact such an experience might have. So, hats off to you Bill, for inspiring us to get out of our heads, trust our instincts, and play a bit more. In Bill’s own words, “Just be here now, however you are, and do the next right thing.”
~Mikell Fox, Arts Education Coordinator
Photo credit: Retta Leaphart and Mikell Fox
Special thanks to the Montana Arts Council for making this week of workshops possible.
