NY Workshop with Mario Gonzalez

Master Commedia Dell'Arte Mask and Clown Teacher, Mario Gonzalez, former principal actor with Le Theatre Du Soleil and Master Mask Teacher at the Conservatoire National Superieur D'Art Dramatique in Paris, will teach two workshops in New York in the beginning of August.

The workshops are designed for professional actors and other performers, yet are also appropriate and useful for teachers, directors, therapists, and others who work with the public.

The class has three parts:

1) Le Choeur: (chorus) Working with the Neutral Mask.
2) Le Naissance (birth) Creation of characters using masks.
3) Improvisation: texts, songs, props, and interactions with other characters.


Two workshop sessions are offered
July 30-August 4, 2007 from 2-6 pm
August 6-11, 2007 from 6-10 pm

at the Access Theatre, 380 Broadway (2 blocks south of Canal St)

Cost $450 for each workshop
Classes limited to 12 students.
Balance due first day of class.

REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
Contact Ariane Anthony: arianeanthony@yahoo.com
(718) 349 - 0008; or visit http://www.maskandclown.com for more information.

ABOUT MARIO GONZALEZ
Mario Gonzalez, originally from Guatemala, trained in Central America as an actor and moved to France in the late 60s. He spent eight years as a member of Ariane Mnouchkine's Theatre du Soleil, performing acclaimed roles in her productions of LES CLOWNS, LA CUISINE, 1789, and L'AGE D'OR. He also appeared in her films MOLIERE and 1789. With the passion for commedia dell'arte he developed while working with Mnouchkine, he has created his own pedagogy in neutral and commedia mask and clown. He is considered the leading expert in these disciplines in France.

Since 1980, Mario Gonzalez has been the Master Mask and Clown teacher at the Conservatoire National Superieur d'Art Dramatique in Paris, France's national theatre school. At the Conservatoire he has trained some of the most important names in French theatre and film. Mario has given workshops at theatre conservatories throughout the world, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Iran and many countries in Europe, Scandinavia, and Latin America. As a director, he has mounted nearly a hundred productions around the world.

Geneva World Circus 2010

World Circus Geneva 2010 is seeking circus performers, companies, and other related artists to apply for the festival. During 2010, they expect to bring nearly 1000 artists from Switzerland and all over the world to Geneva to bring the magic of the circus

A jury of circus professionals will choose clown shows, street theatre shows, puppet shows, musicians, and other related disciplines to be presented at the international Festival. They are not only looking for established shows but world premieres.

An application with a DVD must be received in their office by August 10, 2008.

Applications without DVD will not be looked at. (They would prefer good quality DVD and a complete show on the DVD vs. a promo tape) Your DVD and application will not be returned.

Visit http://www.worldcircus.org for more information or to find the application for the festival.

Applications should be sent to:

World Circus Geneva 2010
Po.Box 7688
CH. - 1002 Lausanne
Switzerland

Sue Morrison

Sue Morrison has been teaching, directing and collaborating on Clown and Bouffon across the globe for more than 20 years. Her students are currently featured in Cirque du Soleil, Slava's Snow Show, Blue Man Group, Second City and on other international stages. Sue trained with Second City and Keith Johnstone and performed improvisation throughout Canada and later became a Second City main stage writer/performer.

On a 'quest to work from her heart', she met Clown through Mask visionary Richard Pochinko, and after working with him for many years, he asked her to be his apprentice. Today, Morrison's unique and powerful work brings together the diverse elements of Native American and European Clowning, Bouffon, le Jeu, and Improvisation, ultimately creating dynamic performance spectacles. Sue has been Artistic Director of the Theatre Resouce Centre since 1993. She has taught at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre, and works regularly with the LUME company of Brazil. During the past 3 years, she has been a presenter at International Theatre Conferences in Brazil and Argentina. The Bravo Arts Channel aired Burnt Tongue, directed and co-written by Morrison and her work has been the focus of several international documentaries.

Sue collaborated on Absence of Magic, which was acclaimed by Time Out NY and the Village Voice. Other recent works in NYC include John Brown theatre's, The Bastard American Show, and creator of the popular bouffon, Red Bastard.

Sue regularly teaches workshops in Toronto, London, and the US. To find out more about her work, please visit her website listed below:

http://canadianclowning.com/

Gardi Hutter

Gardi Hutter is one of the most well-known female clowns in the world. Based in Switzerland, she has been performing her shows since 1981 on stages across the world. At Carnevale, people dress as her- and her washerwoman character has cleaned the floors of the Swiss Parliament. She's won at least five international prizes for her work, and has written three best-selling children's books. She teaches clowning at two prestigious clown schools in Switzerland & Germany. Despite all this, she is little known in the United States.

Here's what the Philadelphia Inquirer had to say about her show (performed a number of years ago)

With a rat's nest for hair and dressed in dirty long-johns and a raggedy dress, Hutter walks into a grungy laundry room and promptly plops herself down on a heap of rags to read a book titled "Joan of Arc and Other Heroines."

It soon becomes apparent, however, that this laundress doesn't need books to enter adventure-land. She does quite well on her own. Every object around her - a clothesline, a wash basin, a washing machine, a bowl of spaghetti - becomes a vehicle for heroic deeds.

Hutter's character loves getting out of fixes, but she loves getting into them even more. So having finnally figured out how to get out of the washing machine, she joyfully dives back in again. She not only believes in her own catastrophic fantasies, she loves them. So when a paper doll falls to the floor she screams bloody murder, as if it were a real body. Yet so much does she enjoy screaming, she sends another doll to its death.

Gardi will be performing her show Jeanne D'ArpPo at the NY Fringe Festival Make sure to catch it if you can!

Click the date below to purchase tickets....
($15 each at Venue #2, the Cherry Lane Theatre)

Sat Aug 11 @ 9:30 pm

Wed Aug 15 @ 5:00 pm

Thu Aug 16 @ 9:30 pm

Thu Aug 23 @ 2:30 pm

Sat Aug 25 @ 12 pm


To find out more about Gardi's work, visit her website listed below:

http://www.gardihutter.com/

Barnaby King-- Flawed Genius

Barnaby King is a performer, director and teacher based in Leeds, England, and is the Artistic Director of Yellow Belly Theatre, which produces diverse theatre projects in the UK and internationally. In 1996 he completed a Masters in Theatre Studies at Leeds University and went on to be Associate Director with the Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah for five years, directing and performing in plays for young audiences. During this period he also began working with Sue Morrison, first in the UK in 1999, then taking the full Clown Through Mask workshop in Toronto in 2001.

In 2003 he left the Blahs to set up his own company, Yellow Belly, and pursue freelance directing opportunities. That same year he won an Arts Council of England grant to make a show with Sue which became Flawed Genius. Since then he has toured extensively with the show around the UK, Canada, USA, Colombia and Peru (South America). Barnaby also teaches clowning and various performance and improvisational techniques in universities in the Leeds region and has given workshops in the USA, India and South America.

Barnaby's show, Flawed Genius, has been described as like watching "Hugh Grant coming down off a bad mushroom high". It's a whirlwind tour of love, loss, frustration and triumph, via piano lessons, latin lessons, science lessons, tragic tales of stuffed birds and flown girlfriends. The show combines emotional intensity and honesty with a quirky post-modern absurdity and improvised interaction with audience that makes every show a unique and remarkable experience.

It's received a lot of acclaim wherever it has performed.

Barnaby will be performing his show at the Minnesota & Iowa Fringe Festivals this summer. (unfortunately, the Iowa dates have already passed)

To find out more about Barnaby's work, including his U.S. appearances, visit his website listed below:
http://www.flawedgeni.us

Circus Bambouk

Circus Bambouk is the brainchild of accomplished physical comedians Matthew Duncan and Brian Foley. Armed with the conviction that "two bald heads are funnier than one," they have gathered their wits, instruments, and various toys and created a show that features music, juggling tricks, stunts, and classic jokes and clown routines. Based on the aesthetic of an old European circus, Bambouk has opened for acts such as the Drifters, the Platters, and Charo, and has been performed in China, all throughout New York City, and aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.



The two principals of Bambouk are Mathew Duncan and Brian Foley

BRIAN FOLEY (Bouk)
Brian studied acting and directing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He began his career as a clown in 1990 when he first performed for the Barnum Festival. Since then, he has been a featured performer in theaters, theme parks, cruise ships, ice shows, concerts, festivals, fairs, schools and small circuses internationally.

As a Broadway-caliber singer, Brian has several musical entrees. He plays the ukulele, the saw, handbells and on occasion, whoopee cushions. Brian is also a skilled magician and juggler, and has skill entrees that garner both laughs and admiration.

In addition to touring with Bambouk, Brian has a solo show that he performs for family and children's audiences. You can find out more about Brian's individual work at http://www.brianfoley.net

MATTHEW DUNCAN (Bam)
Matthew was first asked by a policeman to stop street performing at age 14. Since then, he's toured as a pianist with Little Jack Melody (with whom he did David Ossman's original play love is a place: an e.e. cummings cabaret), recorded two albums with the Dooms U.K. and one under his own name (Human Cannonball!), written a musical/opera based on Fellini's La Strada, and co-produced two Shakespeare plays with the Much Ado Circus. Matthew also has taught circus skills at circus camps and schools around the country and is an accomplished juggler. Matthew has permission from the state of Missouri to operate a motor vehicle. I couldn't find a website for Matthew, but here's Matthew Duncan's One Man Circus on YouTube.

To find out more about Circus Bambouk, please visit their website listed below.
http://www.bambouk.com

You can also watch this video from YouTube:

Peter Daniel Straus

Peter Daniel Straus is an entertainer with multiple identities- clown, sketch comedian, writer, director, published author, illustrator, and probably a few other ones that I am leaving out. He has performed with a number of illustrious institutions, including the Metropolitan Opera, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Dance Theater Workshop, the National Theatre of Norway, and on Late Night With David Letterman, to name a few.

As the rear-half of the comedy duo, Dapo & Straus, he has appeared all around New York City and on Royal Carribean cruise ships. Previous to that, he worked as a clown-doctor with New York’s “Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit”. And as a stage actor, he has recently been touring his new solo comedy show, BiG TiME in Norway. He is also the lead in a developing stage adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s The First Shlemiel, with music by Elizabeth Swados.

Peter also works as a creative consultant, director, and teacher. he has lent his experience as the “slapstick konsulent” to the National Theatre of Norway’s production of Alice i Eventryland. He created and directed the theatrical family comedy show, Dill og Diger, which toured Norway in the Fall of 2006, and is currently in development as a television program. Peter also has taught physical comedy, with students ranging from interested teens to the seasoned actors of the National Theatre of Norway.

Wearing a very different hat, Peter is also a published author. He is the illustrator-designer and co-author of MenOpop, the world’s first menopause pop-up and activity book. The book has been featured on a number of television programs and magazine articles.

Peter is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, The British American Drama Academy, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

To find out more about Peter's work, please visit his website listed below.
http://www.peterdanielstraus.com

500 Clown

500 Clown is a physical theatre company based in Chicago. They have been creating work together since 2000. Their mission as a company is to create shows that use circus arts, improvisation, and action to create charged environments that allow the performers to take emotional and physical risks, and lets the audience become an active observer. Their signature piece is 500 Clown MacBeth. Since that show, they have gone on to create 500 Clown Frankenstein, 500 Clown Christmas, and the piece that they are currently working on is a 500 Clown version of A Man's A Man, by Bertolt Brecht.

Currently, 500 Clown is in residence at the Steppenwolf Theatre where they are performing Macbeth & Frankenstein in repertory through July 29.. They've gotten great reviews, and in December of 2007 will be in New York at PS122.

Despite their name, the group consists of the following members:

Adrian Danzig
Adrian Danzig is a clown and performer who has been in shows at the Goodman, Second City, Berkeley Rep, B.A.M., The Public Theater, and LookingGlass. He has studied with Ctibor Turba, Philippe Gaulier, Ronlin Formena, Dominique Jando, Avner the Eccentric, and David Shiner, to name a few. Adrian works with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in Chicago, and teaches physical theater at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Leslie Bauxbaum Danzig
Leslie is the director of the 500 Clown shows. She has worked with Redmoon Theatre, Elevator Repair Service, choreographer Molly Shanahan, and at a number of other venues. Leslie studied at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq, and with Philippe Gaulier & Ronlin Foreman. She is currently completing a PhD at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.


Molly Brennan
Molly has worked with a number of groups in the Chicago area, including Barrel of Monkeys, The Chicago Children's Theatre, Second City, and the House Theatre of Chicago, where she is a company member. She won a Joseph Jefferson award for her work in Curse of the Crying Heart. Molly works as a clown and supervisor for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in Chicago.


Paul Kalina
Paul has worked at the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, the Court Theatre, and other theatres around Chicago. He co-founded the physical theatre duos Le Pamplemousse, and the Bumblinni Brothers, for which he has toured across Canada and the United States. He also has worked for Big Apple's Clown Care Unit. Paul is a graduate of the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre and the University of Idaho (MFA)


To find out more about 500 Clown, visit their website listed below:
http://www.500clown.com

UPDATE: Audio podcast interview with Molly and Paul of 500 Clown is available online.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST at http://www.theatreinchicago.com.

Peter Geist

Peter Geist bills himself as a 12-year-old trapped in the body of a 36-year-old man. He has been performing his one-man show for 17 years and has been featured at the International Children's Festival in Virginia, the National Theatre's Family Series in Washington, DC, and the Goodwill Games in New York, among other venues throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Known professionally as Geist, Peter uses magic, pantomime, juggling and physical comedy to create his shows, and performs 150-200 shows a year. He also relies heavily on audience participation in his shows, and will often bring people up on stage with him.


In addition to his stage shows, Geist performs as The Wacky Waiter, a buffoonish waiter who interrupts a corporate dinner or event with his antics. This is particularly popular in corporate settings.

Geist lives in Lancaster Pennsylvania with his wife, where he is on the Pennsylvania Artists On Tour List.

To find out more about Peter's work, visit his website and myspace page listed below:
http://www.visualcomedian.com
http://www.myspace.com/wackywaiter

Happy Birthday, P.T. Barnum!

Today (July 5) is P.T. Barnum's birthday. He was born in the humble town of Bethel CT on July 5, 1810. Barnum always used to say that he was a Yankee Doodle Dandy (plus one!)

Barnum revolutionized American entertainment by giving people what they didn't know that they wanted-- a sense of excitement and grandeur, at a relatively inexpensive price. Barnum really had his finger on the pulse of the American psyche, and from the 1840's to his death in 1891

To find out more about this luminary, visit
http://www.ptbarnum.org

Greg and Karen DeSanto

Currently in their third decade as professional circus clowns, Greg and Karen DeSanto are one of the few husband and wife comedy/clown teams working in America today.

Karen graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1993 and then was featured in Ringling's Blue Unit. A member of the Clown Care (SM) hospital clowning program of the Big Apple Circus, Karen is one of the country's leading clown instructors and has developed teaching programs for the Circus's Arts-In-Education program, the National Circus Project and Ocean Park Amusements. Her performances have taken her to the stages of Carnegie Hall, the State Capital of California and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Greg graduated in 1985 from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He was the featured producing clown and created, wrote and directed original clown material for Ringling's Blue, Red and Gold Units. Greg taught at Ringling Clown College for a number of years (I was one of his students!) Greg has performed in a number of places, including the center ring of Madison Square Garden, the historic vaudeville stage of the Sarasota Opera House, Lincoln Center and the White House. Greg was also a featured performer in the 1996-1997 Big Apple Circus tour, Medicine Show. In 2001, Greg was inducted into the 2001 EHS Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts and humanities.

Together Greg and Karen have served as consultants for Feld Entertainment and have directed the clown material for many editions of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey. They have been featured comics on cruise lines, and in circus' around the world including a command performances for King Hussein of Morocco.

Greg and Karen appeared for seven seasons as the resident clowns at Circus World Museum in Baraboo Wisconsin and appeared together in The Big Apple Circus’ 2005-06 production Grandma Goes To Hollywood.

I couldn't find a website for Greg and Karen, but here are two internet links:

Information about their work is available on Wikipedia (where the bulk of this article was taken)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_and_Karen_DeSanto

Greg DeSanto's myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/130098762

Clownstock 2007-- July 26-29, 2007

The Pioneer Valley Clown Alley COAI will present Clownstock 2007, a gathering convention of clowns. The theme will be 1960's and 70's, so if you are tempted to go, break out your bell bottoms, mini-skirts, and a whole lot of paisley.


WHEN: July 26-29, 2007
WHERE: Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Northampton, MA
COST: $185 ($75 day rate)
WHAT: There will be lectures on clowning, opportunities to meet with vendors, and some performances. Subjects of the lectures will include balloons, magic, face-painting, and other pertinent topics. SEE A FULL SCHEDULE.


Registration Information

Circomedia

Circomedia is the leading centre for circus with physical theatre in Europe.

Circomedia was founded over ten years ago by two people: physical theatre expert, Bim Mason and choreographer and performer Helen Crocker. It rose out of the ashes of Fooltime, Britain’s first ever circus school – and ever since has attracted students from all over the world. It is different from many circus schools as there is a heavy emphasis on combining traditional circus skills with physical theatre and creativity. It is this approach to performance that has led to Circomedia being acknowledged as a centre of excellence worldwide.

Circomedia is based in Bristol England, a vibrant city with perhaps the highest concentration of circus and theatre performers in the UK. The school has two sites; The leafy premises of a former Victorian school on the outskirts of Bristol and the recently restored St Paul's Church in Portland Square. This new centre in the heart of the city has just been refurbished by the Church's Conservation Trust thanks to a 2.3 million GBP Heritage Lottery Grant.

Circomedia offers a number of courses, including a 1 year diploma course, a 2 year professional training course, teacher training courses, introductory courses, workshops, and other events. They also produce performances and events in their church space, and book talent through their in-school talent agency. A wide range of disciplines are studied including, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics and physical theatre.

Circomedia is known in the UK as the RADA of Circus-- which is quite a high compliment.

To find out more about Circomedia's programs, please visit their website listed below:
http://www.circomedia.com/