The Play Society
a roving school and creative lab
for acting training and performance-making
rooted in the art of play and collaboration
“If people can discern between the authentic contact and exhilaration of play, instead of branded, mediated, alienated pleasure, then we just might stumble and frolic our way to the Play Society.”
Disruptive Play: The Trickster In Politics and Culture
upcoming Sessions
OPEN PLAY | OPEN CANVAS
training the voice, body & spirit of the actor-creator
for rigorous play and collaborative creation
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PARIS, FRANCE
June 29 - July 12, 2026
Led by Justine, Katie & Emmanuelle
Join us for a two-week intensive in acting and performance-making
that brings together training in -
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play, games, & clown
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vocal & musical exploration
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neutral mask, and Lecoq-based physical investigation
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We'll explore the actor's pleasure in playing, and what brings each actor uniquely to life on stage, and we'll investigate the principles of play that sit at the heart of the theatrical event and give life to the comic world.
Individual and ensemble training will engage the voice and body as instruments for playful investigation and vital expression as we ready and hone our tools as storytellers, and move from improvisation into composition and creation.
The Source of Play
Our Vision & Mission
The Play Society shares a belief in the rigorous practice and transformative potential of play.
Through embodied training and guided exploration that engage the voice, body, spirit, & imagination of the actor-creator, we support artists in their journey:
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To rediscover their innate pleasure in and capacity for play
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To listen and respond with readiness and sensitivity
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To find a greater sense of emotional truth and poetic possibility in performance
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To explore the dynamic relationship between the artist, and their the inner life and the world around them
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To bring one's capacity and skills for play into creation
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To develop tools for meaningful encounter with fellow artists and with the audience
We welcome actors, performers, writers, directors, creators, and all who are drawn to playful investigation and creative collaboration.
With a deeper connection to the source of their playfulness, and with articulated tools & skills for play, artists will emerge empowered to bring their creative impulses more fully to life, to embody & inhabit theatrical worlds, and to imagine and create new ones.
