Maria Lexa resum and biography
Maria Lexa
Biography
Artistic Director
Sun & Moon Ensemble
764 Arkansas, San Francisco, CA 94107
415 282 4331
sunxmoon.lexa@gmail.com
www.sunandmoonensemble.org
A graduate of Washington and Webster Universities in St. Louis, Missouri, Maria Lexa studied in Paris with master teacher Etienne Decroux, and launched her professional career at the Odin Teatret in Holstebro, Denmark, directed by Eugenio Barba. She subsequently co-founded Institutet fr Scenkonst in Æstersund, Sweden with director Ingemar Lindh. From 1981 she based her activities in Denmark, where she worked as actress, master teacher, director, and leader of her own theatre group, Teatret Dragen. In 1990, she founded Foreningen Freja, a non-profit cultural organization in rhus, Denmark, and subsequently presided successfully over 6 international womenÕs culture festivals, a series of long term educational projects, and a touring theatre company.
The festivals arranged by Foreningen Freja in rhus included performances, concerts, discussions, and workshops led by women artists from around the world in theatre, dance, music, comedy, film and visual arts. With professional art as a central focus, the festival created an important meeting place where women and interested men of various backgrounds could exchange ideas and share experiences.
In 2001, Maria Lexa returned to her native country, and founded the Sun & Moon Ensemble, a San Francisco based performing arts group whose unique productions involve theatre, dance, movement, masked characters, giant puppets, and live music. The repertoire includes cutting edge original works directed by Maria Lexa, such as Longing for Light (2004), Luna (2006), and Twobird (2009).
Sun & Moon Ensemble is also renowned for vibrant outdoor shows for an audience of all ages and backgrounds. In these performances, choreographed scenes and processions are interspersed with spontaneous audience interaction, and the handcrafted puppets, masks, and costumes in the productions are works of art in themselves. In 2002 Sun & Moon Ensemble held a 3 month residency Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco and has subsequently performed in the Bay area at Union Square, Julia Morgan Theatre, Dance Mission Theatre, Ashby Stage, the Legion of Honor Museum, Art & Soul Festival, First Night Monterey, and San Jose State University, among others.
Maria Lexa has toured extensively in Europe and the USA with her solo performances LÕOdysse Illustre and Kilden as well as pieces she directed, such as Dragespillet, Spejltr¾et, and Sol. Poetic and dramatic as well as humorous, her creative works blend various theatrical forms with a powerful visual experience. Her productions range from intimate indoor performances to large scale outdoor shows and street theatre. She is also lauded as a master teacher whose combination of technique, improvisation, and personal creative work helps each student find his or her own personal expression, and each group find its own spirit and energy.
Not the least of Maria LexaÕs achievements is her success in fundraising and marketing her creative works. Her festivals, educational projects, and touring shows have been represented in more than 20 countries and received funding from over 30 domestic and international sources.
EDUCATION
1974
-75 Webster
University, St Louis, Mo. Theatre
Arts, B.A.
1967-69 Etienne
Decroux cole de Mime, Paris Mime
Corporelle
1966-67 City
Literary Institute, London Theatre
division
1964-66 Washington
University, St. Louis, Mo. Liberal
Arts
INTENSIVE
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
March,
1981- Daniela Piccari voice
Sept.
1983 Denmark/Italy
Aug,
1970, Carlo
& Alberto Colombaioni, comedy,
the art of the clown
March,
1971 Circus Colombaioni,
Rome, Italy
July-August Jerzy Grotowski, actorÕs
workshop
1969 Polish
Theatre Laboratory
EARLY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
1971-74 Institutet
fr Scenkonst co-
founder of group
stersund/Stockholm, Sweden actress
in Invigning,
director
& founder: Ingemar Lindh Hga
Visan
1969-70
Odin
Theatre, Holstebro, Denmark actress
in LÕObstination,
director: Eugenio Barba directed by Yves Le Breton
(
Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium)
PERFORMANCES
WITH MARIA LEXA
1993 ŅThe
Source: ParsifalsÕs Search for the GrailÓ:
Solo mask theatre
performancewith text and narration
Created
by Maria Lexa & Bernard Colin
1989 film
of LÕOdysse Illustre:
Made for rhus Regional
Archive of Cultural Materials
Produced
by Zepia Film Co.
1985 LÕOdysse
Illustre:
Solo performance in a variety
of theatrical forms
Created
by Maria Lexa & Bernard Colin
1981 Parting duo with Maria Lexa &
Iris Landsberg
& Tango European tour
1980
The Princess and the Ogress duo with Maria Lexa & Rhodessa Jones
1981
&
Tango European tour
1979 Islands:
poetic mime
pieces (solo)
1976
Tango: solo family performance with masks, puppets,
clown
TEACHING
AND DIRECTING
May
–Dec founded
Sun & Moon Ensemble, San Francisco
2001 The
Procession of the Sun & Moon performance and procession, San Francisco
July
–Aug teacher/director
in theatre dept., Pennsylvania GovernorÕs School for the
2000 Arts
1995-99 Founded
New Theatre Freja with 12 performers and 2 musicians
Educational
project in theatre and culture organization, 1995-98
Productions:
In Living Color April, 1997
Sol
outdoor touring performance,
1996-99
1990-95 Founded
Theatre Freja, with 5 actors
Director:
Maria Lexa
Productions:
Spejltr¾et 1991-93
Moon
of the Wild Goose 1991-95
1986-95 Workshops
in combination with performance tours, in:
Wales, Poland, Holland,
Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Italy,
N.
Ireland, Denmark
1987-88 9
month advanced theatre course Nordiske Teaterskole, rhus, Denmark
1984-85 9
month advanced theatre course, rhus Teaterakademi
1982-85 Founded
Teatret Dragen, rhus, theatre group with
nine actors,
Director:
Maria Lexa
Productions: Dragespillet 1982-84
Omnium
1983-84
1981-82 4
month theatre course and various short workshops, rhus Teaterakademi
July,
1980 Theatre
workshop, Copenhagen International Theatre Festival
1991
CETA
artist in residence, theatre/mime, Balboa High School,
San Francisco, Ca.
1977
& 78 Two
2-month courses, Washington University, theatre arts, St. Louis, Mo.
1982
4
month course, National School of Dance, Mime department, Stockholm, Sweden
FESTIVALS
International womenÕs culture
festivals, rhus, Denmark
Maria
Lexa, artistic director
2000 Sankt
Hans Midsummer Celebration 2000
1999 Women
of the World
1997 Woman,
the Spirit
1995 Woman,
Sources of Creation
1993 Woman
Comedy, Woman Tragedy
1992 Woman,
Wings of Imagination
1992 Woman, the Comic Soul