The International Symposium for Directors, sponsored by LaMaMa Umbria, takes place in Spoleto, Italy, July 7-23. The two-week training symposium comprises demonstrations, lectures and workshops.

As reported earlier, the symposium is fashioned for professional directors, choreographers and actors, and is run by internationally renowned directors and teachers. Participants will be actively engaged in the creative processes as demonstrated by the various teachers. Students will visit the Grotowski Work Center, and take trips to Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and the Spoleto Festival are also planned. Students will be exposed to a variety of theatrical perspectives during the symposium.

Teaching artists for the symposium include Ping Chong and Company artistic director Ping Chong, Fordham University professor of theatre Lawrence Sacharow, award-winning director and creator of the Six ViewPoints movement method Mary Overlie, performance space specialist Jean Guy Lecat and the renowned Indian director Ratan Thiyam.

Participants will reside at the 700-year-old LaMaMa Umbria, which was originally constructed as a guard tower and was later added to. Now restored as a work center and residence for artists located about 2 hours from Rome, LaMaMa Umbria is a nonprofit cultural center, founded by LaMaMa ETC artistic director Ellen Stewart in 1990.

Stewart has told Playbill On-Line that when she first secured the building it was essentially a pile of rocks. "Today we can have 30 artists staying with us," Stewart said, "in the beginning we couldn't even have one." In addition to excursions to the Work Center of Jerzy Growtowski and to Thomas Richards in Pontedera, workshop participants will see at least one performance event at the popular Spoleto Festival. Production notes indicate that Spoleto is ten minutes by car from LaMaMa Umbria. For information contact Mia Yoo, Symposium Coordinator, LaMaMa ETC, 74A East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003 or call (212) 254-6468.

-- By Murdoch McBride