"Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it." - Augusto Boal
As you may realise by the name written all over the site, my name is Ferran Luengo, and I'm currently based in València, Spain. I consider myself as a compromised, passionate (and sometimes kind of goofy) person who's fueled by the need of using theatre and improv as a tool for social and individual transformation and enhancement. I love animals, especially my cats, and to travel around the world gathering and sharing knowledge from other professionals and performers.
Nice to meet you
Ever since the early years in college, I've been into performance arts. Since 2001 I've been hitting the stage doing theatre at first and later getting into improv. I graduated in a computing major, but after that, I studied a postgraduate degree in theatre in education where I got into playback theatre. A couple of years later, I got my applied theatre master degree at Valencia University. Now I'm striving to make a living using applied theatre and improv with communities and on corporate training. And, of course, going onto the stages of many countries. I hope we can work together.
APPLIED THEATRE & WORKSHOPS
APPLIED THEATRE & WORKSHOPS
It's usual to associate applied theatre and applied improv to coaching, team building and corporate training. Of course, that would be correct. However, as an applied theatre facilitator I've been able to work not only on all that but in many social strata and communities. From teenagers to elder women. From college students to cerebral palsy patients. Throughout my career as an applied theatre facilitator, I've dealt with many social issues, some of them very hard. No matter the use, applied theatre and improv keeps bringing me a sense of fullness. I hope I could share it with you or your community someday.
PLAYBACK THEATRE
The continuous increase of social and economic conflicts throughout the planet has also led to the increase in the number of groups and applied theatre companies bound to work with the communities. There's a rise in number of people with an interest in developing the skills to be able to practice it in an optimal way with the goal of fulfilling the social function of the applied theater. That's where I come in.
What is Playback Theatre?
Playback Theatre is one of the many forms of applied theatre and my main tool. There are many ingredients for a Playback Theatre session: a conductor, music, actors... and real stories brought up from the audience. Those sessions normally are oriented to a specific social collective. We work and improvise from the stories, always treating them with respect and trying to honour the narrator.
I've worked with P.T. mostly in the academic background, using it with future social workers and teachers. Also with high school students using P.T. as a tool for conflict resolution.
I taught P.T. for other emerging groups in other parts of Spain such as Zaragoza and Barcelona. Also, I've been workshop facilitator in many P.T. gatherings and I brought a poster presentation to the 2017 Asia-Pacific Playback Theatre Gathering in Japan.
COLLECTIVE CREATION
The collective creation has been, and is, a powerful tool to manifest social concerns in turbulent times. The main reason it was created was to expose a situation of injustice or social discomfort, as indicated by Augusto Boal in his writings on the theatre of the oppressed. However, in relatively rich countries like ours, we are closer to collective creation as a mere tool of dramatization used on theatre workshops where the final goal is an audience oriented show. Is the original essence of collective creation in the first world countries de-virtualized? Not really. The collective creation, as a method of expression of common concern, can not only be used as a tool to become aware of certain social and/or contemporary political situations. Its function is more than legitimized as long as there is an intention to communicate. As long as there is an interest in showing the group's vision on a specific topic.
For my postgraduate in theatre in education in 2014, my research was about the importance of collective creation. During 6 months I facilitated a workshop every Friday in 3 hours session to a group of fellow postgraduate students and actors.
I've worked using applied theatre and applied improv at educational level and for corporate training in places such as
SHOWS
PREVIOUS AND CURRENT SHOWS & WORKS
IMPROV SHOWS
HITORI
"Hitori" is a improv solo show in which I use loneliness as a trigger for creating scenes.
Regular Heartbeat
“Regular Heartbeat” is an improv show coming from Ferran Luengo and Isaac Simon, who discovered that they were born with the same rare heart pathology. They were born with, literally, a hole in the heart.
Now, they’re eager to explore the holes in people’s hearts to inspire them and give a pulse to their amazing and fantastical stories.
Quart de Poblet Improv League (Theatre Sports)
I've been playing 5 years in a row in this competition. Becoming league MVP on the 2018 edition after being in the winning team two years in a row.
WRITTEN & DIRECTED
Llar, Dolça Llar (Home, Sweet Home)
I wrote and direct this play as a result from the theatre in education postgraduate degree. It's a show about the struggles
of migrant young people who were being forced to leave Spain in order to make a living.
The Show was well reviewed and got two awards at the XXXIII Vila de Mislata theatre contest.
Ya nadie se acuerda de Rebecca Black (No one remembers Rebecca Black)
Tackling the struggles of a couple of actors, YNSADRB it's a short piece (20m) written and directed by me. It was shown weekly, many runs per week, from April to June 2016
CO-WRITTEN
L'Últim Sopar (The Last Dinner)
Nit de Reis (Night of Kings)
CONTACT
WHERE I (mostly) WORK
I'd love to hear from you!
If you are interested in a project, let's talk over a cup of .
