Sept 21 – 26
Time: See Dell’Arte for Details and Sign up
Cost: Variable–see https://dellarte.com/simple-machines-workshops for details
Where: Dell’Arte International (131 H St, Blue Lake, CA 95525)
A series of Workshops presented by the company
EPIC PHYSICAL STORYTELLING (Mark Benzel)
This workshop will take epic stories and ideas and concentrate them into a small space with a cast. Platform is an essential tool to develop presence, problem solving, and ensemble to discover legible bodies and inspiring narratives. Throughout the week we will isolate the physical layers of this approach as well as blending film language into staging and editing what’s most essential to the narrative. By the end of the week, participants will have groups that have short pieces crafted and workshopped with outside eyes and ready for public showings.
TRAVELING LIGHT: WHAT TO EXPECT ON A FESTIVAL TOUR (Amber Bjork) VIRTUAL AVAILABLE
You’ve created a show, now take it on the road. An info chat and inside look into small-budget production and world Fringe circuit touring; how to prep and take off running on the right foot so you can make a festival platform your springboard. The Artist Liaison and Festival Director for Minnesota Fringe gives insight into creative producing while you’re on the move as well as what to expect when you’re expected to stay flexible.
LONG FORM IMPROV (Matt Spring)
Beyond short, fast improv games lies the world of Long Form Improv. Long Form Improv creates scenes from nothing, with a goal to not only be entertaining, but also sustainable. Explore what works and what pitfalls to avoid with Matt “Sass” Spring, on loan from Four Humors Theater in Minneapolis, home of some of the best Long Form improv in the world.
And lastly, Long Form Improv is pretty handy for devising collaboratively created theater, too.
INTRO TO UNARMED STAGE COMBAT (Elora Riley)
Has a director ever told you to just slap your cast mate for real? Well, I’m here to tell you that you never have to do that! We’ll cover slaps, punches, and how to send/receive hits to really make them sell.
About the Instructors
Mark Benzel he/him) is a theatre maker based in Minneapolis, MN. Has devised and directed shows that have toured internationally to acclaim such as: “The perfect fringe play”–National Post and numerous festival awards. Edgar Allan with the Cold Harts had an off broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse. He has created and performed numerous original shows with companies such as Sandbox Theatre, Transatlantic Love Affair, Four Humors, and Live Action Set, including the National Touring Seven Shot Symphony which was awarded a Twin City Theatre Ivey Award for Overall Excellence. He has worked with communities across MN and WI with The Remember Project for over five years to build more dementia friendly communities through theatre and facilitation. In addition to script-based work he also is co-founder of The Improv Movement project a wordless improv group for all physicalities. He has studied clown with Pierre Byland, Phillipe Gaulier, and many others. He has also studied physical theatre and devising with Spy Monkey, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Pig Iron Theatre and others. He has most recently taught workshops and courses on Immersive Theatre, Clown, and Treteaux at the University of Northern Georgia, St. John’s, St. Benedicts, and Winona State.
Amber Bjork (she/her) has spent several years acting, directing, writing, and producing as a Fringe artist before joining the staff as Office Manager and Artist Liaison in 2014. In her time outside of the office, she is a freelance director and actor and serves as the founding member of The Winding Sheet Outfit. Amber’s work has been recognized by MN Theater Awards as an Honoree in Exceptional Performative Direction and she was named one of the 2019 Artists of the Year by CityPages for her work with The Winding Sheet Outfit. Amber has gone on to create a number of local award-winning projects and direct for Ivey award-wining companies. She is a graduate of University of Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in English Lit and Dramatic Theory.
Matt “Sass” Spring (he/him) is a Founding Member of Four Humors Theater, a Twin Cities based theater company that produces original work with a comedic sensibility and has just celebrated its 21st anniversary. With Four Humors, he has helped create over 30 shows, the majority of which were devised, explored, and refined with the help of his improv background. That improv training comes by way of Huge Improv Theater, The Brave New Workshop, and The University of Minnesota, where he and classmates started their own late night improv club.
Sass is also a Founder of the Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) which will be raising the curtain on its 15th season this October. TCHF is a non-profit, fifteen day festival of horror themed live performances that applied and were selected by a juried committee.
He is exceptionally proud of his most recent collaboration, working with Simple Machines on “Say When…” which he co-wrote and gets to play Chi-Chi the chow chow.
Elora Riley (she/her) is a stage/screen actor as well as a stage combatant certified through the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). Her recent acting credits include A King For All Time (Hopkins Community Theatre), Perfect Arrangement (Walking Shadow Theatre Company), and debuting Say When (Simple Machines) earlier in 2026. When she’s not performing, she’s either reading, playing video games with her partner, or sharing a cup of coffee with him and hanging out with their perfect tuxedo cat, Frida, who is perfect.
Past Participant Testimonials:
“Mark is a very kind teacher who explains things very thoroughly while still letting you fly on your own some”–Fall 2025 Participant
“A game changer for improvisers who want to grow their capacity to receive the gifts that are already there.”–Fall 2025 Participant
“The teacher was excellent at both examples and side-coaching, and it felt like a safe place to start or advance.”–Fall 2025 Participant
Simple Machines 