"Beneath the Hood"
​VIDEO EXCERPTS

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                                        "BENEATH THE HOOD" 
                                 MASK THEATER PERFORMANCE 

“Beneath the Hood” is a masked theater performance that explores marginal characters in a fictional community. The masked characters draw the audience into a moving fantasy, creating a world that is both visually unreal and yet life-like. In the crevices of the ‘hood’ the audience encounter various archetypes of humanity. Personas such as the clown, the outcast, the child and others take the stage, not as generic beings but uniquely odd individuals. Solo artist, Jean Minuchin develops relationships and community through gossip and narration as she slips in and out of masks. 

The piece mixes absurdity with mythic storytelling to make a statement about today’s world. As the piece progresses, the foibles of the characters develop. The audience will recognize aspects of the exaggerated personalities on stage and come to empathize with their plight. But no matter how bizarre these heightened personas become, in the end the audience is asked to accept them as a part of themselves and to take responsibility for the outcast in us all. 

                                    "BENEATH THE HOOD" WORKSHOP
The theme of the outcast is a familiar story in many different forms. All of us have aspects of ourselves that do not fit into societal “norms”. Both internally and in the world, acceptance of differences has proved to be a challenge. In this half-day workshop, performance artist Jean Minuchin will help participants explore characters and scenes through simple theatrical structures. The workshop is designed to unleash the creative powers of both experienced and inexperienced players. 
Jean is an experienced performance artist and teacher who has been involved in the connection between the arts, education and community for the past 20 years.

“ I appreciated your work in presenting your inspiring workshop "Beneath the Hood."  This was surely the best workshop I've attended at NYU and one I will incorporate into future theatre workshops I hope to teach. You are a real artist and touch many hearts. “   Sincerely, Linda Pallotta