Overt Puppetry by Bob Theatre

Workshop Presenter:

Denis Athimon and Julien Mellano

Description:

The session will be a discussion between the performers of Bob Theatre (Denis Athimon and Julien Mellano) and the participants. It will be an exchange about the art of manipulation and the utilization of objects and their controls. No materials are needed, just bring your experience in the art of puppetry or manipulation.

Materials fee: None
Time/Date: Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Max. # Participants: 30

Bio of Workshop Presenter:

Bob Théâtre was founded by "Bob," a.k.a Denis Athimon. Bob Théâtre's first production, Du Balai, premiered in 1998 at the Marmaille Festival in Rennes, which brought together artists from throughout France. In 2002, Bob created Hans et Greutel, Athimon's own take on the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Nosferatu followed in 2003 as a collaboration between Athimon and Julien Mellano of Company aïe aïe aïe. Juke Bob, a series of improvisational works created at the 2005 Marmaille Festival followed. In 2007, Mellano joined Bob Théâtre once again to create Démiurges. The company's latest production, Princess K premiered in 2008.

Bob Théâtre has performed at festivals and theaters throughout France and abroad and is currently in residence at the Théâtre Lillico in Rennes, France.

Denis Athimon followed an atypical course to arrive at his performing career. Rather than formal study in acting or theater design, his path to theater came through work as a lighting installer at the Théâtre Lillico, housed at the Center Culturel Le Rallye in Rennes. This one-time plumber, conscientious objector, and history student became bitten by the acting bug upon discovering the world of theater for young people. Before founding his own company, Athimon also worked for the Bouffou Théâtre in Hennebont as a lighting designer and then street performer. Athimon describes himself as a "whole actor" who devotes his energy to telling diverting stories and giving form to unconventional achievements.

Julien Mellano is a filmmaker, designer, sculptor, director, actor and puppeteer. In 1993, he settled in Rennes and started his study of Visual Arts at the University of Rennes 2. In 1999, he met Serge Boulier, director of Bouffou Théâtre. Together Mellano and Boulier wrote Vache, a theatrical spectacle for the young using Puppet and Object Theater. During this time, Mellano continued his visual art work through videos: The Vestiges of the Future, and the magazine aïe aïe aïe. In 2002 he produced his first solo theatrical work Mon Oeil and founded his company under the name aïe aïe aïe. He joined Denis Athimon and Alex Musset of Bob Théâtre in 2003 to create Nosferatu, an electric spectacle between Puppet and Object theatre. In 2004, Mellano adapted Freaks, the cult classic film of Tod Browning, entitled Hippotheatron. In 2006, he coordinated and directed a collective Object Theatre Project Tombées de la Nuit: À table!, Mother Stones, and You are here, a short work of science fiction presented in Rennes during the event "Horizon 2020". In 2007, he rejoined his good friends of Bob Théâtre to develop a new creation entitled Démiurges, while writing the last spectacle of aïe aïe aïe: Beastie Queen.

Supported in part by Etant donnés: The French-American Fund for the Performing Arts, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange)