I spend a good deal of time on this blog speaking about commedia and commedia mask styles, but relatively little on what is the basis of most mask work (and the acting work that mask work often accompanies):Â The Neutral Mask. Learning to be neutral- to display an action separate from character, to divorce yourself from the acting- is incredibly […]
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PLAYING COMMEDIA A Series of Classes on the Comic Tradition for Teachers, Actors, Undertakers… facilitated by Clint Bolster and Ben Cornfoot from Lightwire Theatrical Productions When: 6.30-9pm, Thursdays March 17, 24, 31 & April 7. Where: Ithaca Church Hall, 80 Enoggera Tce Red Hill/Paddington (Boys’ Brigade Hall), AUSTRALIA! Cost: $85 for all four classes, $70 for students/unemployed (Earlybird discount price […]
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Audrey Crabtree, one of the motivating forces behind the NY Clown Theatre Festival, is teaching two workshops in Mexico City in March.  The workshops, about developing material through improvisation and about clown duos and trios, will take place in March. I believe the classes will be taught in Spanish (or in translation) The workshops are sponsored by ClownMeIn and GABRIELA MUÑO. […]
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At one of my alma maters (The Dell’arte School) , one of the school’s rehearsal mantras when a scene or a play isn’t working right is to rehearse it “Italian style.†By this they mean to perform the scene or the play as loud and as fast as you can, and with as much energy as you can muster.  Pedal […]
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Since yesterday we talked about not playing subtext while playing commedia, the question naturally arises- what should you play? Or how are you going to sustain and continue to improvise a heightened expressive character? There are several theories about the best way to play a commedia character, and basically, I subscribe to all of them. What I mean by that […]
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MARCH 2011 WORKSHOP: 4 THURSDAYS IN MARCH: 3, 10, 17 & 24th from 6:30-8:30 PM. Cost $150. Click the postcard images below for more info, or visit Nina’s Website: http://www.ninalevine.com “FINDING YOUR INNER CLOWN†Dare to be laughed at and love it! What kind of clown are you? Maybe you’re a bossy clown, a shy clown, a tired clown or […]
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Two – Commedia dell’Arte 2010 Summer Workshops from RCCU 1) June 13 – June 25, 2010 in New York NY at Pier Studios in Hudson River Park 2) July 26 – August 6, 2010 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington Virginia in conjunction with Southern Virginia University. For the first time in RCCU’s history students will be able to […]
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Sat/Sun, May 15/16th, 10a – 5p, Triskelion Studios. 118 N. 11th st. 3rd Floor (btw Berry and Wythe) Williamsburg, Brooklyn From fancy to flop to flight, the world of Clown is full of extremes. In solo, duo, trio, and group work, we’ll examine status, minimum to maximum, letting go to the moment & keeping it simple. Come play in a […]
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The 19nth season of Amherst’s Ko Festival has been curated on the theme of “It’s All in the Family.” They’ll have five weeks of shows that take a penetrating and entertaining look at families – both traditional and non-traditional. A rich examination of ways that people negotiate expectations, identity and legacy. The festival runs July 5 – August 8, 2010, […]
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WORKSHOPCharacter Mask to Clown With Deborah KaufmannInspired by the teachings of Richard Pochinko, Canadian clown master teacher “If we face the six directions of self, we can’t help but laugh at the beauty and ridiculousness of all that we are.” — Richard Pochinko This investigation is an inspiring way for the artist to make direct connection to aspects of his/her true […]
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In 1991, I traveled to Philadelphia to the International Clown Congress. There I met a number of other clowns, many of whom I continue to be friendly with to this day (I also met a guy who was from Rhode Island, and we had a number of friends in common, but strangely had never met– and we’ve worked on a […]
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‘Incredibly serious work’ Local man trains Ringling Brothers clowns By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN CircusSmirkus artistic director Troy Wunderle of Cambridgeport gets a kissfrom his daughter Ariana Wunderle during the Circus Smirkus performancein Brattleboro. (Reformer file photo) CAMBRIDGEPORT – There is a lot of pressure in being one of the most important clowns in the country. For the past month, Rockingham resident […]
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Character Clowning and Clowning in Ensemble Workshopwith Suzanne SantosAt the Flying Actor Studio December 5th and 6th, Saturday and Sunday10 am – 5 pm both days, with a 30 minute lunch break $125 This 2 day intensive clown workshop is for anyone who wants to furtherdevelop a clown character that has already been in performance, or for birthing a new […]
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Jango Edwards Clown Workshop Nov 9–11 Jef Johnson’s Clown Lab and Nouveau Clown Institute present:Clown: Formulas and TheoryWith Jango Edwards Jango Edwards is one of the founding fathers of the Nouveau Clown Movement. This is a rare opportunity to study with one of the world’s great teachers. Jango was last here in 1982. The work he has done in Europe […]
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A full on, stuck in the box, walking in place, Marcel Marceau, “Pantomime-Blanche,” mime class. Taught by Clown Conservatory grad Jeff Seal. For more about Jeff, visit our previous post about him. http://www.houseofyes.org/events/ Night School: Beginning Pantomime with Jeff Seal! August 25th $5-15 sliding scale donation. 9pm-11pm @ House of Yes This class will give you the basics of “pantomime […]
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Find out more about Helen’s work in a previous clownlink.She’ll be teaching a few upcoming classes in Canada. August 10-14, Haliburton, OntarioClown: the discovery of your personaSuitable for actors and non-actors alike, adults only.This 5-day workshop is a level one approach to theatrical clown for students with limited or no clown experience. Drawing on various approaches, we uncover your clown […]
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