Howard has worked for over 25 years as a director, performer, playwright, and teacher specialising in physical theatre, mask theatre, puppetry, and theatrical clowning. Best known as the co-founder and artistic director of Ophaboom, England's premier Commedia dell'Arte company, which toured extensively throughout the U.K. and Europe for 17 years - he has also directed shows for other physical theatre companies in England and abroad, and created acclaimed puppet shows for companies in London, Norwich, and Devon.
Howard has taught Commedia, mask theatre, and movement skills at drama schools in the UK and Europe since 1998, and he's on the faculty of the Curious School of Puppetry in London.
Howard studied Drama and English at Exeter University, Physical Theatre at the Desmond Jones School in London, the History of Western Esotericism (a graduate programme) at Exeter University, and researched the Native American mask ceremonies of Arizona through an Arts Council England grant.
Marcus Violette
Marcus has worked for over 15 years as a director, performer, choreographer, and teacher specialising in physical theatre, circus, theatrical clowning, youth theatre, Live Arts, and multi-media Performance.
He has been a regular performer with Theatre Orval, a physical theatre company, touring across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden; he directs regular productions for Freilichtbuhne Alfter and Circus Calibastra in Germany; and has directed or performed with numerous other companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
Marcus taught in the Masters Programme for Multimedia Formation and Performing Arts at theState Academy of Arts, Stuttgarde, from 2007-2012, and he teaches physical theatre and movement at universities, drama schools, private academies and high schools in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Crotia, and the United States. He is also a lecturer and co-ordinator of the international theatre arts programme sponsored by the Academy of International Education, Bonn, and Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
Marcus studied Speech, Drama, and Theatre in Education at the Theater Akademie. Stuttgarde, and Performance Arts in the Masters programme at the Drama Centre of the University of Arts, London.