“I have never had so much fun in a performance class, ever! I have never laughed so hard or as much, ever! I thought they were going to ask me to leave, I was laughing so much. Jean’s class also challenged me to be vulnerable and honest in ways I never expected; it was immensely helpful to me as an actor, and I would take her class again in a New York minute!”
— Laurence Lau, AS THE WORLD TURNS, AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY
Theatrical clown teaches us many things about ourselves as performers: how to begin from a place of simple yet energized presence, how to sustain the pleasure of playing in the moment, how to mine the power of doing one thing at a time, and above all, clown helps us accept our own unique ridiculousness, which in turn may transform our habits of restriction into skills of open expression.
This workshop offers you an opportunity to embrace, through openness and humor, your unique ridiculousness. The acceptance of the less than perfect helps us bring our full humanity to the forefront and transform our habits of restriction into freer expression. Embodying vulnerability and resilience in playful balance – clown negotiates the awkward moments, the pangs of joy, the little doubts, and the big celebrations with great pleasure and shares them with the “pooblic.”
Theatrical clown can be considered a level of theatre. Clown essentials (such as isolating actions, interrupting your own pattern, singularity of focus, and building a relationship with the audience (“pooblic”) are foundational and can support performing artists in all their work, opening the way to discovering new perspectives about ourselves as performers and collaborators.
The workshop begins with a physical warm-up and a series of movement games (Le Jeu). This is followed by a progression of solo and group activities designed to help you access/experience your clown and the world of theatrical clowning. The smallest mask, the red nose, is utilized as a tool for transformation in the second section of the workshop.
>> Click here to view upcoming Theatrical Clown classes (choose “Specialty”)