Oddgods Productions features the art of Stephen LaFrenie.

 

Who is Stephen LaFrenie?

 

 

Visual Art

Wasteland Galleries

  

Video Art

Performance & experimental videos

 

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All contents of these pages are protected by copyright Stephen LaFrenie 2000

 

 

 

 

Stephen La Frenie has been performing and teaching physical theatre for over 25 years.  His training includes acting, with Gary Pogrow in Vancouver, B.C. Physical theatre at Ecole Jacques Le Coq in Paris and The Mime School Unlimited. He has also studied mime with Tony Montanaro and clown with Dean Gilmour.

He toured with the Mime Company Unlimited and with his own show and workshop series from 1981 to 1984. He founded the Graphic Mime Theatre in 1985 and has since developed the most comprehensive and unique physical theatre program being taught in schools across Ontario today. Stephen has found fulfillment in teaching young people to realize their potential: to bring about an awareness of themselves as individuals and thus the unique perspective that they bring to their environment.

As Artistic Director of Graphic Mime Theatre from 1985 to 1997, he directed twelve shows, produced nineteen, and seven school tours. Graphic Mime Theatre received generous support from the Metro Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and two play development grants from the Laidlaw Foundation as well as financial support from numerous corporations and private donors. He has personally received eight Arts in Education grants from the Ontario Arts Council.

Stephen has created/co-created 15 shows as well as being a regular sketch routine contributor for Manna Productions over the last ten years. He has performed live and on television with various companies such as Nelvana Productions, Noddy Productions, Manna Productions, The Canadian Opera Company, Cirque Soleil, Meta-Physical Theatre, Theatre LMNOP, The Subtonic Monks and Faustwork Mask Theater.  He has traveled with his work across Canada, to Spain, Australia, France, Hungary, Jamaica, Haiti and the U.S.A.

Stephen’s outreach and volunteer work has also spanned over twenty years.  His work has included, workshops for poor schools, emotionally and physically abused teenagers, adult prisoners, the Portage School for Young Offenders, physically and mentally challenged students and actors.  Most recently he has donated his workshops for Circus Agnes, an outreach program for at risk youth in Etobicoke. Stephen has been traveling with Third World Awareness since his first trip in 1996.  In 1996 Graphic Mime Theatre received funding from the Laidlaw Foundation to create a play based on the 1996 trip to Kingston Jamaica.  The play entitled, “Step Up! Step Up!” was created in the spring of 1997.    

His most recent appearances have included touring with Meta-Physical Theatre’s production of "Fool’s Gold" and the immensely popular Faustwork Mask Theater production of "Mask Messenger" which has toured across Canada.