Who? Past and Present Teaching Artist and Creators
Theatre Amoeba is a vibrant multi-disciplinary physical theatre ensemble committed to dynamic performance, social and educational development projects. We are internationally based with past and present members from Korea, Japan, Lebanon, USA, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Morocco and England. Click here to see who is involved with The Jikji Project.
Denise Rinehart (Wisconsin, USA)- Denise has performed and directed throughout the world including USA, England, France, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines and Poland. She is the founder and artistic director of Theatre Amoeba. Aside from Amoebas residency, educational and theatre projects, Denise's pedagogical projects have included teaching Acro Gioco at Helikos International School of Creation where she spent her third "Lecoq based Pedagogical Year" working with Master teacher Giovanni Fusetti and continues to work as a pedagogical assistant in the winter months (2012,2013). Presently Denise works as a Full-time Theatre Professor at Cheongju University, South Korea where she teaches movement and Lecoq based theatre. Denise received her BFA in her native Wisconsin, USA followed by a MA-ed in International Education (EFL) in Poland and her MFA- Master of Fine Arts in Lecoq Devised Theatre at The London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA).
Sarah Liane Foster (Portland, USA)- trained in physical theatre and clown at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, at the Celebration Barn Theatre, and with Giovanni Fusetti. She creates, performs, and teaches clown and physical theatre in Portland, around the United States, and internationally. She has created six original movement-based theatre shows with the Nomadic Theatre Co. in Portland. Sarah is now part of the teaching team at Scuola Internazionale di Creazione Teatrale in Florence, Italy where she teaches movement and acrobatic play. She enjoys walking on stilts, eating ice cream, and playing the trombone. http://www.nomadictheatre.org
Robin Guiver (London, England)- is an Actor. Robin joined Amoebs on our Movment in Morocco Tour of "Rooftops". He also a Puppeteer and Movement Director and teaches and lead workshops in acting and performance skills. He has worked in Film, Television and Theatre (from the West End to the weird and wonderful Fringe) and has a strong background in the martial arts. Recently he has been performing in "War Horse" at The National Theatre of London as well as a performer with the National Theatre's education department and the city ambassadors group (working with young refugees) on a new play called 'feathers in the snow' by Philip Ridley. He is also one of the founders of Swazzled Theatre in London where he is involved with the development of his physical project based on the British puppet show "Punch and Judy". Robin joined theatre Amoeba on the “Movement in Morocco” tour as both as a performer and a teacher. In 2006 he completed the Advanced-Lecoq based actor created theatre program at LISPA. http://www.robinguiver.co.uk/
Juan Ayala (Madrid, Spain)- After finishing hi studies in architecture he dove completely in the theatre world. Juan was an actor/creator/teaching artist with Amoeba on our Movement in Morocco tour of "Rooftops". For 5 years was part of the company THEIPUM, group of actors-creators. He specializes in physical theatre after attending (Ecole internacional de theatre Jacques Lecoq, Hippocampe mime-corporel) and LISPA. In 2001 he founded Colectivo DeCollage, theatre group searching for a bridge between formal abstraction and the stage (they present shows in Madrid, Paris and Venice). He has being working for several companies like: ATLAS THEATRE (Paris), LUÍS TORREAO (Paris) Emma Bernard (London) and has worked as a performer and workshop leader for Temple Theatre (UK), and has directed BE FESTIVAL’s education program, BE Next,In his work he combines performing and directing.
Anne Marie Guzzo (Wyoming, USA)- Her compositions have been heard at numerous festivals, including the Cortona Sessions for New Music, Cortona, Italy, performed by DuoSolo and her music for Theatre Amoeba's "Ci Piacciamo" was premiered at the Made In Woman festival in Bologna, Italy in June 2010. The Adzel Duo commissioned and performed Guzzo’s new duo, Color of Honey, in their Carnegie Hall recital in June 2010. Her music has also been heard at the American Composers’ Forum New Music Salon in Minneapolis, the ArtPoint Festival near Frankfurt Germany in 2009, the 2007 International Cello Encounter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium (OBFCS) performed by New York new music ensemble, Fireworks. Passionate about contemporary music, Guzzo directs New Frontiers, a yearly festival of new music at the University of Wyoming where she also teaches theory and composition. Guzzo earned her Ph.D. in theory and composition from the University of California, Davis.
Gwendolyn Rooker (Philadelphia, USA)- received a BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University, and holds a Certificate of Training from The Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre. She grew up in Arizona and California. Now she resides in Philadelphia, PA where she works as an actor, creates and performs puppet shows, and plays coronet and guitar in the band, Acres of Diamonds. Gwen also serves on the board of a physical theatre company called Tribe of Fools. She has volunteered for Clowns Without Borders since 2006 and helped found and organize CWB USA Project: Egypt. Since then, she has returned to Egypt five times, performed in Louisiana, Sudan, Kenya, Colombia, and Haiti in order to provide laughter for children living within communities in crisis. Gwen always keeps chocolate in her pocket.
Tomoko Komura (London/Tokyo)- is an English-speaking Japanese actress, trained in Lecoq-based Physical Theatre (Master of Fine Arts from London International School of Performing Arts). She was the project and fundraising coordinator of Amoeba's Aceh Theatre Aid project. Since finishing her training in 2006, she has been working as a devising theatre performer for companies such as Temple Theatre and Theatre Temoin. She is also a current member of Kazuko Hohki's pop performance group "Frank Chickens". In 2010, Tomoko became the UK's first Japanese benshi (solo silent film live story teller) for Kenji Mizoguchi's "The Water Magician (1933)" shown at the Barbican Cinema in English. Her training includes: acting training at Theatre Group "OCT/PASS" in Sendai Japan, Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder US, and Directing Course at Stone Crabs Theatre in London.
Tomoko is also a qualified language interpreter, working for organisations such as the BBC, Arsenal FC, International Standard's Organisation, Universal Pictures, Barbican Centre (UK), etc. In 2012 she visited Incheon, Korea for an interpreting assignment.
Serena Brazabon (Dublin, Ireland)- Serina studied at the Lecoq school in Paris and completed the advanced year of training at LISPA in London. As well as being a talented actor she is a creative musician specializing in Irish Drum, Violin, Piano and Guitar. She joined Theatre Amoeba in Morocco as musical director, composer and live performer after working on the Original "Rooftops" in London. She played the character on Nan Saville on BBC's Tudors and has done a variety of work in Film and Theatre. Her theatre performances include Blue Beard at Camden People's Theatre London in 2007 and Carrie in Big Love at The Gate Theatre, London in 2006 .
Marcus Quiniones (Hawaii, USA)- After finishing the two year Lecoq actor created theatre program at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), Marcus moved to Minneapolis, doing a remount production with the Guthrie Theater and Theater MU -the Midwest's foremost pan-Asian performing arts organization- entitled “Circle around the Island”, a full length piece he wrote, directed, and choreographed which he originally performed in 1999. He has taught movement and theater for various groups including the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, the Guthrie Theater, and the University of Minnesota. Marcus also joined theatre Amoeba on the “Movement in Morocco” tour as both as a performer, musician and a teacher. Marcus presently is based in Hawaii where he is one of the founders of Samadhi Hawaii, an Aerial Dance Performance Troupe. He also teaches and performs Hawaiian dance, is involved in the growing of local agriculture and he loves the water.
Sabine Choucair (Beirut, Lebanon)-
Sabine Choucair (Beirut, Lebanon)-
has recently completed a one year "Social Therapy" online program with East Side Institute New York. She attended The International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) and is a member of the International Company ¨Theatre Amoeba¨, "Infectious theatre" and the co-founder of clown me in “Clown me in”. Sabine has been involved with Amoeba since 2007's tour in Morocco and has been working around the world with drug addicts, marginalized communities, and youth who live in difficult situations giving storytelling and clown workshops. Her ongoing digital video project in Palestinian camps with Al-Jana organization www.al-jana.org. aims to share, record, and give value stories through artistic expression, health and well being, and justice. Born and raised in Lebanon, during the war and post war, Sabine found that arts and theater were her only remedy and they helped her a lot in overcoming fear and distress caused by war. Since then, she decided to share her experience with everyone. clownmein.com clownmein.com
Dorie Kinnear (London/California)- is the co-artistic director of Grafted Cede Theatre. She
Recently Dorie brought “Nobody’s Home: A Modern Odyssey” to the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Other acting credits include Paper Balloon’s “NightLight” in London; Theatre Témoin’s “Jukai” in London and Santa Cruz, USA; Theatre Amoeba's “Rooftops” at the Theatrical Days of Chefchaouen (JTC) festival during the Movment in Morocco tour; Swazzled Theatre's “That's The Way To Do It” at the Brighton Fringe Festival and “Small Corners” in London; Blu Canyon Collective’s “CDQ/SOS” at the Sound Symposium in Newfoundland, Canada; and Infectious Theatre's “Icy Sparks” at the Performing the World Conference in New York. Dorie has taught numerous workshops internationally in Physical Devising and Movement. She is an avid dancer and has taught African dance classes with Higher Movement in San Luis Obispo, CA. http://www.graftedcede.com
Tae-Yeon Hwang (Seoul, Korea)-is a visual graphic designer and has worked with Nong Shim in Korea before moving to Czech Republic. His designs are primarily visual designs focusing on creating visual identities, branding, calligraphy, illustration. He has worked in strategic visual design agencies as a designer since completing his degree. Tae-Yoon designs Amoeba's logos and was the lead designer for Theatre Amoeba's Morocco Tour. He is a music lover and he is very interested in combination music with images.