Director's Note for We Won't Pay

Here is the director's note I wrote for the production I just directed of Dario Fo's We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! Overall, the play went very well. The set was fantastic, the lighting and costumes were great, the actors really stepped up to the considerable challenge.(In fact, Ron Jenkins, translator of the play, Dario's onstage translator and collaborator, and a clown college graduate and theatre professor) told me that he thought we really got the rhythms of Dario Fo in the play-- something that he has seen a lot of professional companies fail at. And later told the people that hired me that they really picked the right guy! -- Ron, the check is in the mail! )


Considering that I was in rehearsal beating the rhythm of the play out with a stick, I feel pretty vindicated and happy. And a lot of the clown routines I added in (including a three minute chase sequence, complete with Chariots of Fire Slow Motion) were very well received.




There were of course notes I could have given to the end (and continued to work on) but I am very pleased with how the show came out.

Anyway, here's the director's note:

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

I met Dario Fo in 1996 in Copenhagen as part of ISTA (the International School of Theatre Anthropology). Dario and Franca Rame (his wife) were presenting at the conference. I'd known who he was, and was excited to meet him of course, but I didn't really get how great he was until he spoke/performed. He was recovering from a stroke, and he apologized for his weakened state. But with each sentence he spoke he drew strength from the audience’s reactions, until 45 minutes laughter (I mean later), he had transformed into seventeen or eighteen different characters, had us eating out of the palms of his hand, and looked and sounded as strong as an ox. He spoke in Italian, and although I speak nothing more than "Ciao Bella", I felt like I understood Italian perfectly. He was that clear at communicating.

I ended up following Dario to every performance, lecture, and art exhibit he attended for the next two weeks, listening to him speak, watching him drink coffee. I'm lucky I wasn't arrested for stalking. Dario was (and is) my ideal theatre artist -- a hybrid playwright/actor/director/artist/theater owner/social activist who was (and is) equally adept at all of them, and just plain hilarious. I realized that I wanted to become Dario Fo when I grew up. Eleven years later, I haven't managed it, not by a long shot, but Dario Fo is still at the root of my thoughts about what makes compelling theatre.

We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! is perhaps Dario’s most produced play and is emblematic of his work-- a story that starts simply, but quickly gets outrageously complicated. His stories and plots have tangents, embellishments, digs at authority (the pope, the cops, and big business among them) and concrete visual images that are logical and absurd, both at once. These tangents and images push the actors to constantly engage the audience, to charm them, to conspire with them, and to entertain them.

It is amazing how relevant this 35 year old play is today. It's a story about two couples pushed to the edge by rising prices, shrinking jobs, skyrocketing crime (both real and imagined), an uncaring government, and an inability to pay for the necessities of living. In the age of the $3 gallon of gas, the $4 cup of coffee, and the $5 gallon of milk, does this sound familiar? I thought so.

I want to say thank you to EVERYONE at Theatre Fairfield. Everybody I’ve met from students to professors to other guest artists, have acted like real professionals. And of course, I must thank my talented, talented cast, who have generously given of their creativity and talent to make this show the wonderful working experience that it's been.

Enjoy the show! And to quote Dario and Franca (who are quoting Moliere) “Laughter opens the mind of the audience so that the nails of reason can be hammered in. "

I hope you leave the theater with your head full of nails.

Adam

Clown Jonas

Clown Jonas (aka Prosper O, aka John Ghysenbergh) is an internationally known performer from Belgium. He has performed in a number of countries, including an upcoming performance in Japan next week as part of the 3rd Yakumo International Theatre Festival. (See their website for additional information. (in English)


Clown Jonas uses juggling, puppetry, magic, music, and clowning to create his shows. In his street show, as Don Prosper O, he cleans up the street sort of like a Don Quixote of dust. He also has a musical clown show with another Belgian clown (Saxofien) called Allegro con Dysastro which features a number of musical disasters that the two clowns cause and then narrowly avert. There are several other shows as well that he tours through Belgium and internationally.

John is the founder and main teacher of Jonna Theater, a Belgian Youth theatre that teaches students workshops in clowning, t'ai chi, rhythm, theatre-making and much more. He has been teaching there for over 20 years, and has taught workshops internationally as well.


To find out more about John's work, please visit the Jonna Theatre website listed below:

http://www.digilife.be/jonna/
(PLEASE NOTE: The website is in Dutch, so may be difficult to follow. There is an English component to their website, but it's not complete)

Jean Peysson: Boxeur Bleu: Workshops in Mexico March 8-15, 2008

Jean Peysson is a French clown, writer, and theatre creator who lives in Lyon. Jean has written over 30 plays, numerous songs, two volumes of poetry and is currently working on a trilogy as a novelist. When he works as a clown, he works under the name Lulu.

He is also the founder and director of Boxeur Bleu Theatre, which has performed at a number of international festivals, including Okinawa, Shanghai, and others. They teach clowning, put on shows, and create theatre. Their clown show Fanfine & Lulu has received international acclaim.

Jean will be teaching a class in San Miguel of Allende, Mexico, March 8-15, 2008. The workshop is being held privately, under the auspices of a group of artists who live in San Miguel, two French people Daniel Sirdey and Florence Dengreville, and an LA Director David Hunter. The class will be about clown and also about theatre-- creating a clown character, and then using your personal life to create the story of the show. At the end of the workshop there will be a performance

To find out more about the workshop or Boxeur Bleu & Jean Peyyson, visit the websites listed below. All of the websites are only in French, so you might have a problem if you don't speak French. To the best of my knowledge, the class will be in French, with some English translation available, but the website is not clear on this point.

UPDATE: There are two portions to the workshop-- clown & theatre. The clown aspect will be taught in French, English, and Spanish if required. The theatre aspect will be working with French texts in French.

If you are having problems understanding either of the websites, I suggest trying to translate it via this webpage www.babelfish.altavista.com It's not perfect, but it will get you 80% of what you need to know.

The class costs $450 Canadian dollars, and a deposit must be paid via Paypal. The class is limited to 15 students.

WORKSHOP IN MEXICO WEBSITE: www.ateliertheatre.san-miguel-allende.com

BOXEUR BLEU WEBSITE: http://boxeur.bleu.theatre.free.fr/


You can also email Florence vipassana9@gmail.comif you have any questions.

Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk

Cirque du Soleil has created a new "christmas" winter show called WINTUK, about a city boy who craves snow, and who goes to a magical winter wonderland called Wintuk. It's playing at Madison Square Garden, which is a HUGE venue, and very unlike the expensive and beautiful tents that Cirque is used to playing.

I've read the previews which make the show sound like a typical Cirque du Soleil show, which means that I want to see it.

And the reviews have come out, and at least two of them are not very pretty:

NY Daily News

Cirque du Soleil offers a 'Wintuk' of discontent

The Cirque du Soleil brand has become synonymous with highly imaginative, infinitely energetic shows.

But after umpteen productions, even the best franchise runs out of juice.

Witness Cirque's seasonal family offering, "Wintuk," at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Clocking in at 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission, the show feels rushed together and as padded as a fake Santa's belly. The music is taped.

As with all Cirque shows, there's a slender narrative. Here, a city boy craves snow. His search for it takes him to Wintuk, a glacial land, which you can read about at cirquedusoleil.com. The program costs $15.

Along the way, the kid runs into unusual people, performers and oversize puppets. Youngsters might get a kick out of the crayon-colored singing street lamps and huge, shaggy white dog puppets. But they might be confused about what to make of the pink shadow of a ballerina who appears now and again. I was.
READ THE REST

and
NJ Star Ledger

Cirque surprise: it's a dud

NEW YORK -- The holiday season begins with a yawn as "Wintuk," a surprisingly duddy event from Cirque du Soleil, bowed last night at Madison Square Garden.

Failing to electrify the holiday slot left by MSG's popular "A Christmas Carol" musical, this numbing new attraction aimed for family audiences is two-hours-plus of nothing spectacular. Aside from being a waste of visitors' time and money, the show's really not much of anything else, period.
READ THE REST

Now, granted, these papers are not the NY Times, but they are usually on the money when it comes to what will appeal to their audiences.

What about you-- are you planning on seeing Wintuk? Have you seen it? Let me know what you think about the show in the comments below:

November 9-11: Conference of Hospital Clowns in Buenos Aires

From November 9-11 there will be The First Congress of Hospital Clowns at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires to teach and talk about the art and science of hospital clowning. It will be in Spanish, and all the information is in Spanish, and my Spanish isn't very good, so some of this info may be wrong-- feel free to correct me, and I'll correct the information)

The conference is being organized by two organizations: Payamédicos, and Clowns No Perecederos. Both organizations organize clowns and artists to help the sick and needy feel better in Buenos Aires. Clowns No Perecederos is a project of Argentinian clown Cristina Marti. I am not 100% sure (as I said, my Spanish isn't very good), but I think they create shows that benefit hungry and homeless kids, and help feed malnourished children. Payamédicos is an organizations similar to the Big Apple Clown Care Unit that connects clowns into hospitals.


There is a full schedule of events during the two days, and it looks like clowns and doctors from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Spain will be there. The conference will be in Spanish (naturally!)

To find out more about the conference, visit their website listed below:

http://www.congresoclown.blogspot.com/

To find out about the organizations sponsoring the conference, visit their websites.

CLOWNS NO PERECEDEROS
PAYAMÉDICOS

Portrait of a Clown as a Young Man (okay, not so young)

I sat for a portrait with Bill Wadman, a photographer working on a 365 day project. Each day he takes a portrait of a different person, and posts it. It might be a book or a calendar, or a something one day. I'm 11/02. (and the rest of the photos are even more amazing!) He's been doing this project for a whole year!

It was a lot of fun to be photographed for this purpose. I generally love getting my photo taken, and like most clowns, have been photographed thousands of times (and am probably on refrigerators and flickr accounts all over the country)

Bill was really great to work with, and he has a great eye. So much of being a good photographer is catching someone in the act of being themselves. (and hopefully fabulous)
So here's the photo that he ended up choosing of me. And then a gallery of 11 others that he took that were possibles. (our photo shoot ended up with over 100 shots-- but to get eleven that were print inclusive worthy is amazing.)

What can I say, I give good photo!

If you like the photo, please click the image to see Bill's page, and comment on it there!

	All photos by Bill Wadman for his project 365 portraits

CIRCA: Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army

CIRCA (The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army) is a very loosely organized group that creates protests, actions, events, etc, that are political (and clowny) in nature. They protest at events such as the G8 Summit, Presidential visits, and other events that they think might make a difference. Their aim is to take the ideas and actions of the clown out of the circus ring, birthday party, and stage, and bring them to the street as a method of protest. Or as they say as part of their manifesto:

"CIRCA aims to make clowning dangerous again, to bring it back to the street, restore its disobedience and give it back the social function it once had: its ability to disrupt, critique and heal society. Since the beginning of time tricksters (the mythological origin or all clowns) have embraced life's paradoxes, creating coherence through confusion - adding disorder to the world in order to expose its lies and speak the truth."

They hold training events for non-clowns to learn their techniques (both clown techniques and civil disobedience techniques), and offer advice to groups looking to form. The groups (called gaggles) are autonomous, and do their own actions and events. CIRCA provides some basic ideas about things to do at a protest, but each group is responsible for their own work.


The group seems to be mostly European based, with many of the actions that they list happening in London, and in Europe. Because of the loose structure & clandestine nature of the group, it's hard to say who is actually a member, and who is dressed at a clown as part of a protest.

To find out more about this group, and how to start a gaggle of your own, visit their website listed below:

http://www.clownarmy.org

Brian Foley's Commedia Links

Brian Foley (of Circus Bambouk) has started a very nice Commedia Link blog-- he's putting up all sorts of great video regarding commedia, as well as book reviews, photographs, pictures of masks, thoughts, philosophy,etc. I highly recommend checking it out. Visit the blog at http://cdalinks.blogspot.com/


He posted two video links that I was especially interested in-- both feature Ferrucio Soleri. I studied with Soleri in 1996 in Copenhagen. (I had gone to Denmark because Dario Fo, Eugenio Barba, and Jerzy Grotowski were all in the same place at the same time. I was able to meet all three. While I was there, there was a large commedia festival. I snuck into Soleri's class, and afterwards introduced myself, and he graciously allowed me to stay and observe. (I also ended up doing a few exercises as well! The class was taught in broken english, so I ended up translating some, because I had the best command of English in the room.)

In the first, Soleri is teaching commedia on some kind of Italian reality show.

In the second, Soleri is performing a piece as Arlechino. His clarity, and his ability to carry us along in his performance is just wonderful.

Enjoy!

Soleri teaching on Italian TV



Soleri as Arlechino

Directing Dario Fo's WE WON'T PAY

I'm directing Dario Fo's We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! at Fairfield University in CT

Here's a Press Release, along with some information about the show. Of particular interest is that opening night will feature a talkback with me and the translator, Ron Jenkins. Ron is a professor of theatre at Wesleyan University, and has been Dario Fo's onstage English translator for over 15 years. He is a graduate of Ringling Clown College (as am I) and has written one of the best books about contemporary clowns Acrobats of the Soul (available via Amazon.com)

Clown Laureate Directs Nobel Laureate's Work in Connecticut

Adam Gertsacov, Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland, will direct Nobel Laureate Dario Fo’s We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! The show will perform at the Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield CT from October 31-November 4. The show will feature Fairfield University students. Gertsacov has been in residence at the University as a guest artist. The opening night performance will be followed by a talkback with director Gertsacov and translator Ron Jenkins

Fairfield, CT, October 22, 2007 --(PR.com)-- We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! is a social farce with a message. In the play, high prices have caused a revolution in the supermarket, with housewives stealing food from the market. When they get home, they realize they can't tell their husbands where they got the food, and pretend to be pregnant. From this one simple lie, a farce develops so that by the end of the play nearly everybody in the cast (including the policeman, who looks suspiciously like a number of other characters in the play) has become pregnant.

Written in Italy in the early 1970’s, the play has sparked social actions. Soon after the play was first performed, a similar supermarket riot took place in Italy. The play was later performed on the site of a Fiat plant strike, and has become a much loved play among workers and political leftists. Since 1974, the play has been translated into over a dozen languages, and performed in more than 30 countries around the world. It is considered by many theatrical critics to be one of the great comedies of the twentieth century.

The author, Dario Fo, is an Italian satirist, playwright, actor, director, composer, and clown. In 1997 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 2006 he ran an unsuccessful race for mayor of Milan, and lost by a very tiny margin. He is the author of more than 20 plays, and currently runs a theatre company in Italy with his wife, celebrated Italian actress Franca Rame.

The director, Adam Gertsacov, is a clown and performer based in Yonkers, New York. Adam is the current Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland. He has performed his original shows in over 39 states and 7 countries, as well as on Czech, Canadian, and American television and radio. Gertsacov is the artistic director and boss clown of the Acme Clown Company. In addition to his work as a performer, Gertsacov is the director and curator of Bright Night Providence, a New Year’s Eve Celebration in Providence, RI.

The show is at Fairfield University, Fairfield CT (exit 22 off of 95) at the Quick Center for the Arts

Schedule:
Wednesday October 31 @ 8 pm (talkback afterwards with Ron Jenkins, translator & director Adam Gertsacov)
Thursday November 1 @ 8 pm (talkback afterwards with director Adam Gertsacov & Fairfield University professors)
Friday November 2 @ 8 pm
Saturday November 3 @ 2 & 8 pm
Sunday November 4 @ 2 pm.

Tickets are $12 ($5 for students of any high school or college)

Call 1-877-ARTS-396 or (203) 254-4010 to purchase tickets or for additional information.

You may also visit http://fairfield.edu/x1534.html for more information.

###

Festival Photos-- Clown Parade & Pie Fight

Searching flickr is fun! I found this set of photographs from the opening day of Clown Festival festivities (can you have festival festivities? Or is that redundant? Aren't all festival activities, by their definition, both festive, and festivities?)

Anyway, these photographs are from the opening day, and include the Clown Parade and the Pie Fight. All these photos are by Allegra Mynatt, and I highly recommend viewing her flickr site.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

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Festival Photos-- Clown Olympics

I was trying to find some photos of the Clown Festival on Flickr, and I found this amazing set of photographs by a photographer named Kurt Dietrich.

They are of the Clown Olympics, and although I wasn't able to be there, they give a pretty good feeling of some of the great and crazy wackiness that must have gone on.


If you like these photos, you should check out his flickr page. He's a really great photographer, and not just about clown stuff. He's got a bunch of great sets of photographs. Highly recommended.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


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NYC Tramp Workshop with Giovanni Fusetti 10/31-11/4

HUMAN TRASH

A theatrical exploration of the American Archetype of THE TRAMP

a workshop led by Giovanni Fusetti


New York theater company The Combustibles is hosting a workshop taught by Giovanni Fusetti exploring the archetype of the Tramp. This workshop is part of the research and generation phase of a new production, Detritus, a show about waste in New York City.

The workshop will explore the Tramp as a human and poetic archetype: homeless, excluded, rejected, rebel, mad, fool, crazy, lunatic, human trash in the cycle of existence, unfit individual, broken mind, broken heart, broken life, witness, judge…he belongs to every contemporary society.

The Program
-exploring individual clown through movement analysis
-from clown to bouffon: from being mocked to mocking
-from clown to grotesque: amplification and distortion of forms
-from movement archetypes to Tramps: creating characters

Admission
The workshop participants will be Combustible company members and invited artists as well as external participants.
A strong background in physical theatre is required, as well an experience in self devised, creation based theatre.

The number of participants is limited to 12
The Tuition is $450. Early registration (BEFORE OCT 15): $400
To enroll, please contact The Combustibles at: info@thecombustibles.com
Or call Liza Zapol at (646) 220-8981

Schedule
From Wednesday October 31st to Sunday November 4th
Wednesday and Thursday: 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm.
Friday- Saturday and Sunday : 10 am-1 pm; 2 pm-5 pm
Before and during this period participants will be encouraged to explore NYC observing the life of homeless people.


Giovanni Fusetti was a student, pedagogical assistant and improvisation teacher at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. He co-founded and served as pedagogical director of KIKLOS International School of Theatre Creation in Padua, Italy, and is now developing the school’s new form: HELIKOS. Giovanni has taught and collaborated internationally with theatre companies, schools and universities such as Scuola di Teatro a l'Avogaria (Venice), The University of London, Rosegarden Theatre House (Norway), Naropa University (Boulder, CO), Centre Generation Tao (Paris), and LISPA: London International School of Performing Arts (London). He is visiting teacher at Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre (Blue Lake, CA) and has taught THE RED NOSE workshops throughout the US in collaboration with TigerLion Works (Minneapolis), Mugwumpin (San Francisco), Octopus League (Boulder), Pig Iron (Philadelphia) and the Boulder Fringe Festival. Giovanni’s 20 years of pedagogical research includes training in Theatre in Education, Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, Gestalt Therapy, Bioenergetics, Wutao and Process Work. His pedagogy integrates physical theatre with different practices of physical and emotional awareness.

For more information about Giovanni Fusetti, please visit his website listed below:
www.giovannifusetti.com.

For more info about The Combustibles, please visit their website listed below:
www.thecombustibles.com

(The Combustibles show Burnt Umber is playing at the NY Clown Theater Festival tonight and tomorrow night. Check out the festival website for more info.)

Special Offer: 500 Clown at PS-122 (December NY)

500 Clown, the award-winning clown company from Chicago, will be performing at PS122 in December with two shows: 500 Clown Christmas and 500 Clown Frankenstein.Both shows are NY Premieres. And they are offering a special ticket offer for 500 Clown Frankenstein!

Composer/musician John Fournier joins 500 Clown to create a clown-rock-pop-jazz-theatre-concert-party(!) Diving into the dark and light sides of the all consuming consumer-driven yet still surprisingly touching Christmas season, 3 clowns and a 3 piece band throw a celebration to make Fezziwig proud, complete with a holiday toast, gift-giving, and original live music written by the incisive John Fournier.

N.Y. Premiere

Friday, December 21- Sunday, December 30
(no performance December 24-26 )

Monday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets (per show) from $20, $15 (students/seniors), $10 (members) http://www.ps122.org/performances/500_clown_christmas.html

In 500 Clown Frankenstein, three clowns embark on a madcap journey to construct Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. Challenging and elaborate period costumes, poor lighting, difficult language, and an ornery table prevent them from properly telling Mary Shelley's classic tale. Comic mayhem takes a sharp turn to a devastating climax when one clown is forced to play the role of the creature and suffer abuse and abandonment. The result is the creation of unexpected horror.

N.Y. Premiere Wednesday, December 12-Wednesday, December 19
(no performance Monday, December 17)
Tuesday- Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets (per show) from $20, $15 (students/seniors), $10 (members)

http://www.ps122.org/performances/500_clown_frankenstein.html

Limited Time offer – order tickets to NY premiere of 500 Clown by October 31 and SAVE! (special thanks to Jeff Seal for the tip!)

Enjoy two-for-one tickets to 500 Frankenstein for these performances:
Wednesday, December 12 @ 7.30
Thursday, December 13 @ 7.30
Friday, December 14 @ 7.30
Saturday, December 15 @ 4

Use code MS500 and get two tickets for only $20 total*!
Enter code MS500 online at check out via www.ps122.org or mention by phone at 212-352-3101.

*special offer based on limited availability; may not be combined with other offers or applied to past sales; offer expires October 31.

To find out more about 500 Clown, visit the websites listed below:

PREVIOUS CLOWNLINK: http://www.clownlink.com/2007/07/500-clown.html

WEBSITE: http://www.500clown.com

Festival Review: Clownifornia

Clownifornia featured two acts, both who trained in California at the SF School for Circus Arts under Jeff Raz. Both acts showed promise, but didn't quite hit the mark in the show I saw.

A Sudden Gust of Gravity featured NY Clown Jeff Seal as he talks about physics, the universe, and gravity. Jeff has an affable likable presence, and physical chops as a performer, and his premise is amusing (he talks about the two dimensions, and then starts to take "requests" --go left and down!" And when he gets to the third, he straps a large rubberband on and attempts to go back and forward in time. The show never really gets much further than that.

Jeff's concept is clever, he's likable, and overall I enjoyed the show. If he can follow through on some of the logical extensions (multiple rubberbands that act as mysterious attractants on the object (him) ), I think he'd get a great physics/science school show out of it, and also be able to tour it as a comedy show to theatres and colleges. But he needs to spend much more time working on the storyline of the show, and make sure that the routines have large enough payoffs/surprises. What if he somehow managed to go back in time, or at least convince us that he had? Or go forward in time? What's the comic payoff for that, that doesn't involve winning the lottery or buying microsoft at a dollar? (which are the trite and hackneyed payoffs)


Damsel’s Demise featured two characters/children/clowns: a girlie girl clown, in love with her mannequin boyfriend, and the tomboy, playing war games in her cardboard fort. The show was created and performed by Suzanne Santos and Summer Shapiro. I saw the first show, and it was the first show of the festival that I saw that was not greeted enthusiastically by the audience. (I'm told by some of the other bloggers that saw both of their shows that the second show was much stronger) I've got some thoughts about this.

It's not that the show didn't show promise-- The opening set, a large moving box with one of the girls in it, next to a mannequin doll was really strong-- and their costumes were great. And the idea of their characters seemed good. However (at least for me), a lot of the acting seemed forced- the interactions between the two, their "play" as children, their "hungers" for love and games-- none of that seemed true to me or to the audience. And that started a little bit of a deadly spin, as they played harder to make up for the lack of the audience response, their acting seemed more forced, etc. so forth.

The show is a little ambiguous until the end about whether or not they are children playing dress up, or clowns in their own world. They end up (I think) being children playing dress up, and that was a safer (but less interesting) choice.

Also, the show had a lot of content that had potentially "heavy" meaning-- gender displacement, the war, illness, love, being spurned, etc. All of that needs a light touch to avoid being cliched or generalized or not well thought out. Unfortunately the light touch wasn't there that night. There were parts of the show that could have been rubberstamped "Meaningful" on top of the scene.

The girly girl's first entrance (she comes in very slowly, with several suspicious slow turns) made it seem a little bit more like performance art, and less like a fun clown show. I think if she had made a different entrance-- had a different engaging energy to start, I might have followed them more. The tomboy entered with a lot of energy (out of the box) but immediately started playing wargames, and I couldn't quite follow why.

And then when the tomboy enters, I immediately started to wonder if they were going to be doing some kind of gender-role reversals. But nothing quite happened in that arena (actually I had a thought about midway through the act that it would have been much more interesting if the girlie girl had been played by a man-- now we've got gender-stuff going on, and in a way that could seem fun and possibly fresh, and not so trite. Of course, now I'm just writing a different play, not the one I saw.

I could see that the performers had done a fair amount of work to create the show, but it didn't quite gel together for me (or the audience I was in). I'd like to see the show in four months or so (and although I may be writing some other show) I'd love to see the children element pulled out of the show, and the drag element put in.

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Toronto Physical Performance Workshops in November

Toronto clown Adam Lazarus and guest instructors Susanna Hood and Meagan O’Shea will present three weeks of workshops focusing on physical performance techniques.

These 5 day courses will challenge students to take risks, hone their improvisational skills and push through performance inhibitions to find the pleasure of being present, space, rhythm, fixed point, complicity, focus, flop and play. Students will have daily work on building spatial and body awareness

Each week will focus on a different subject:

Week 1: The Physical Body and Le Jeu Monday Nov. 5 - Friday Nov. 9

Week 2: Introduction to Bouffon Monday Nov. 12 - Friday Nov. 16

Week 3: Building a Performance
Monday Nov. 19 - Friday Nov. 23

All classes will take place at Pia Bauman's School of Ballet and Creative Movement,
6 Noble Street, Toronto. Classes will be held from 10 am- 2pm.

On Saturday Nov. 24 & Sunday Nov. 25 there will be class showings at Theatre Passe Muraille that are Pay What You Can, with money going back to the students.


Costs: (all costs in Canadian dollars)

$300 for 20 hours of instruction over 1 week ($240 equity)
$590 for 40 hours of instruction over 2 weeks ($470 equity)
$870 for 60 hours of instruction over 3 weeks ($700 equity)

To get more complete information, visit http://www.quiptake.com/Workshop.asp

Portland OR: Intro to Clown Weekend 10/20-10/21

Barnaby King is teaching a workshop weekend in Portland OR.

"INTRO TO CLOWN" Workshops Weekend - Oct 20/21 2-6pm
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
(5340 N Interstate Ave., Portland OR)
Working with the basic concepts of clown work: connection, engagement, knowing yourself, playing with vulnerability and strength.
Cost: $90

Barnaby's Clown Training Philosophy

The kind of clowning I teach stands apart from most clown training in that it is inspired the Native American concept of clown as a transformative and divine being, and blends this with a more traditional European (Le Coq) style of clowning. This methodology was developed by Richard Pochinko and Sue Morrison in Toronto and is still taught by Morrison.

For us, the clown is not merely a fool, an idiot, a figure of fun or a joke-teller (though he/she may be any of these things), but rather a channel for the whole gamut of human emotion and experience, but conveyed in a manner of such extremity, directness and self-exposure to the audience that makes him/her distinct from the actor. The reason that the clown persists as such a potent figure in cultures around the world is that he/she has power to do or say anything, however outrageous or embarrassing, truthful or dangerous, but always in the context of powerful emotional connection with the audience. It is this connection, the ultimate humanity and vulnerability of the clown, which allows him/her to transgress all kinds of boundaries and ultimately to remind us of who we are. The world needs more clowns.

These workshops teach clown through connection, through discovering what you want to communicate and how to communicate it. Learning to clown does not take you down any specific path (any fixed idea of what a clown 'is') but rather supports you in discovering more about who you are and then learning to connect with vulnerability and strength with your audience. Learning to clown is about testing your own limits and going beyond them. As a clown you are able to take people into your world, transform them, and bring them back with a new awareness.


ABOUT THE TEACHER

"Barnaby encouraged me to be more of who I am. I was truly touched by this experience." (Student)

"The clown workshop was engaging and fun, but what I appreciated most is that it challenged me, as an actor and a human being, in profound ways. You are a brilliant teacher." (student)

Barnaby King has studied under master clown teacher Sue Morrison since 2000 and is now a recognized teacher and performer in countries around the world. In 2004 he created a solo clown show, Flawed Genius, which he has subsequently toured internationally with great critical acclaim. He is currently writing a book about clowning with Sue Morrison.


TO RESERVE PLACES CONTACT:
barnabyking@gmail.com
646 673 3014

For more information, visit http://www.flawedgeni.us

Christiaan Oranje: By Invitation Only Oct 23

Christiaan Oranje is premiering his new show By Invitation Only on October 23 at the Duplex, a well known cabaret bar.

Christiaan Oranje is a Dutch performer, currently living and working in NYC. He has been a street performer in Europe for 15 years, and performed at Europe’s TOP theater festivals. He has managed his own theater in Amsterdam, offered his multi-personality solo show at parties and corporate events, and worked as a coach for performers and corporate speakers.

Oranje’s teachers, and biggest influences, are/have been: Carol Fox Prescott, Didier Danthois, Jango Edwards, Nancy Gabor, Philippe Gaullier, Rene Kres, Johnny Melville, Slava Polonin, The Streets and … Life.

The show is inspired by musical comedian Victor Borge. The show features Christiaan's own compositions on the piano as he dramatizes the story of his life, including both successes and misfortunes. The show is directed by Mark Lonergan of Parallel Exit Theatre Company.

A critic wrote of Oranje’s previous show: “… Christiaan is an amazingly talented performer and it really is a pleasure to watch him. His control over his body is breathtaking (I would suspect clown or mime training). He appears to grow and shrink before our very eyes, and every move of his hands is as controlled and meticulous as a magician’s.”

Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 (one night only)
Time: 9:30 pm
Place: The Duplex,61 Christopher Street (NE corner of 7 Ave & Christopher St)
The Cover Charge: $15 (plus a two drink minimum)

To make a reservation, please click on this link or call 212-255-5438.

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

Jane Nichols

Jane Nichols is a teacher, director, and actor who has been teaching Clown for over 15 years. Her work brings together skills and techniques of Improvisation, Mask, Le Jeu, Physical Comedy, Clown, and Fool. She has studied with world-renowned Clown Master Philippe Gaulier, Avner Eisenberg (Avner the Eccentric), Clive Mendes (Theatre Complicite), Ronlin Foreman (DellArte School of Physical Theatre), Michael Kennard (co-founder of Canada’s acclaimed Mump & Smoot, and Master teacher of the Richard Pochinko native American mask/clown technique), Bolek Polivka, Antonio Fava, Davis Robinson, Keith Johnstone, and Merry Conway. She has taught at Harvard University, Institute at American Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Stella Adler Conservatory, University of Washington, University of Utah, Emerson College, Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Lesley College Graduate School.

She is the founder and artistic director of the Crosswalk Theater in Boston. Her acting credits include roles at En Garde Arts, New Georges and SoHo Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Portland Stage Company, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare & Co., the Lyric Stage, Nora Theater, and Berkshire Public. Jane has performed for film and television in School Ties, Heights, Law & Order: SVU, Ed, America's Most Wanted, and Rachel's Dinner.

For seven years she taught at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at American Repertory Theatre, and at Harvard University where she directed Les Liaisons Dangereux, Feed the Monkey, Noises Off, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jane is currently on the faculties of the Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, Actor’s Center in NYC, and Shakespeare & Co in Lenox, MA.

Jane is also one of the official bloggers of the NY Clown Theater Festival. To read her thoughts about the festival, visit http://www.nyclowntheaterfestivaljane.blogspot.com

Les Chiche Capon

This French cabaret was a big hit at last year's festival, and with good reason. It's got a number of things going for it, but most of all, the acting and the relationships between the characters are what make this a remarkably fun evening at the theatre.

You are greeted by two clownish characters wearing mini-skirts and wigs (although Phillipe has his own hair, but in pigtails) A long-haired hippyish-gypsyish musician (Ricardo) is playing songs as you enter.

After a while, to start the show, an IMPOSSIBLY TALL French clown comes out and starts the show. From there the insults and slights, both real and imagined on both the audience and the other performers start to flow, and that's when the great clowning begins. It's hard to describe all of the show, because it flows effortlessly one thing after another-- suffice to say, by the end, you've seen some very funny character work from everybody on the stage.

I'm not quite sure who is who in this faux cabaret, but all of them are great and play their roles to perfection. I especially love Phillipe, who is in motion constantly, dancing off the walls, and at the end of the show, becoming the Human Otter that comes into the audience. The "leader" ringmaster (to the left, the one in the neck brace) is perfectly snide, and is a true prima donna.)

The musical gags are hilarious, and the gags of character status, and insult intentional and not-intentional are also very very funny. The show was about an hour and a quarter, and really my only criticism is that perhaps the show could have been about 15 minutes shorter. There were a few gags that felt like they repeated themselves in, and in an act of " how you say, tossing ze baby into ze drain wizzout ze paddle, oui?" they could have jettisoned the show and left us dying for more instead of just wanting more and different.

Nevertheless this is a tiny quibble on a wonderful show.

I'd highly recommend seeing them if you have the opportunity-- if not in NY, then at any other festival in the world that they are going to be at-- But be warned, you should be prepared to purchase your tickets early!

Two shows remain at the Festival:
Tuesday 10/16 at 10pm
Wednesday 10/17 at 7 pm ***FINAL SHOW PERFORMED IN FRENCH

To find out more about their work, visit www.leschichecapon.com



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Adam Lazarus & Torontoclown.com

Adam Lazarus is a performer, director and instructor whose work in physical theatre, clown and bouffon has taken him to France, England and coast to coast across Canada. As a young man, Adam founded the Toronto based collective company Schmigeggy, where he produced, directed and performed in 10 of Schmigeggy's popular original works. After critical success and monetary failure, the company was put to rest after 6 years.

The next wave of creation came out of intense study and assistance with French Clown Master Philippe Gaulier. Inspired by the creation methods of Jeu, Character, Clown and Bouffon, Adam draws on the brilliance of what we are able to create under strict time restraints. He is a graduate of McMaster University's Theatre Program, Leeds University’s Theatre Program in England and L'Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris, France.

Adam is a regular facilitator of workshops for professional and non-professional artists, including recent Bouffon workshops and consultations for Theatre Passe Muraille, the Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, DanceMakers, Volcano Theatre and Mike Kennard’s The Hollow.

As an actor, Adam performs in numerous cabarets around Toronto, and was recently part of The Gina Project’s silent circus comedy Big Show, Tapestry New Opera Works’ clown/opera workshop for Shelter, and Suit Suite: A Motivational-Seminar Musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival. His one-man bouffon show Fable was recently performed in Victoria, B.C, Halifax, N.S. and Toronto:


Adam also directs plays and clown shows-- he recently directed the following shows:Joe: The Perfect Man, a one woman take on MacBeth starring Rachelle Elie, Bubkus, a one man show featuring Jesse Buck (and recently featured at the NY Clown Theater Festival), and Melissa D’Agostino’s Guadalupe Project - a citywide installation. He also created the show Everyone's An Asshole and a new physical work directed by Pig Iron Theatre’s Sarah Sanford entitled Appetite.

Adam is also the Artistic Producer of the Toronto Festival of Clowns.

To find out more about Adam's work, visit the websites listed below:
http://www.quiptake.com
http://www.torontoclown.com

Bouffon Glass Menajoree

Bouffon Glass Menagerie promises a lot to its audience members-- and delivers on every promise. It's a fantastic show that is well-conceived, well-directed, well-designed, and very well-acted.

Basically it's a parody of Tenessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie: which was Tennessee's first commercial success, and a play that has a long history of being parodied and mocked.

And mock it they do. From the moment the actors enter into the space--they are viciously and hilariously mocking the play, the playwright, the audience, each other, and just about everything else they can get their hands on. In the straight play, the characters are all crippled and limited emotionally, but they seem fine on the inside. Here the visual display of the characters shows them as crippled physically as they are emotionally.

The show features Lynn Berg as Tom (the drunken lout of a brother, with a hunchback and a bald head), Audrey Crabtree as Laura (the self-destructive crazy girl with a fetish for glass animals and cutting herself) and Aimee German as Amanda (the overstuffed mother who is living in the glory days of her past) The Gentleman Caller is culled from the audience, and is allowed free roam over the play (although with some guidance) The show is directed by Eric Davis (he of The Red Bastard.) Eric and Audrey are two of the artistic directors of the Clown Festival.

There are so many great moments in this show-- including the phone sex with the audience, the picking of the gentleman caller, and the beer-chugging contest in the middle (you know I am not kidding!) It's hard to pick one to site-- and I think that's the beauty of this play. This particular show is so much about the audience connection, and what they share with us-- it's really a "you had to be there" to understand it exactly. Meaning that when you go, you might have a whole different set of circumstances that you enjoy. What I have no fear whatsoever of is that you will enjoy it-- the performers are that good, and the situation that they have created is that good.

The play is wonderful and deserves to be seen-- they only have one more appearance at the festival (tonight, Saturday 8/13 at 10:30 pm.) So if you are on the fence about going-- Now is your chance. Check it out.

You can also find out more about the play by going to their website, listed below.
http://www.bouffonglassmenajoree.com

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Stanley Allan Sherman

Stanley Allan Sherman is a graduate of Ecole Jacque Lecoq in Paris France and has been making leather theatre masks since 1976. He was in the original cast of the Off Broadway Show, Grandma Sylvia's Funeral that ran for 3+ years. On NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien he has been in over 40 comedy bits.
Stanley is co-director and founder along with Hovey Burgess of Roving Classical Commedia University* (Totally Unaccredited). He is also known for his solo clown and commedia style shows that toured around the country and has been the featured show at many festivals for over 25 years, Stanley Allan Sherman's AERO SHOW Featuring The Star Spangled Banner was critic's choice in the Los Angles Times. He was a teacher and mask maker in the late 1970's under the direction of the master of Commedia dell'Arte, Carlo Mazzone-Clementi at his school the Dell'Arte School of Mime and Comedy in Blue Lake, California. (http://www.dellarte.com )

As a master leather craftsman he created the world famous Mankind Mask (the Arlecchino of the WWF) for the World Wrestling Federation. He had the longest running exhibition in the history of the NY Lincoln Center Museum of the Performing Arts. As a leather craftsman he has traded leather techniques and secrets with leather workers from around the world. Stanley directed and developed the children's show Bride of Beowulf, which toured for over 6 years. He has written three plays, teaches mask masking, performing, commedia, mime, clown and mask.

Stanley's websites:
MASK-MAKING: www.maskarts.com
COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE: www.commediau.com.
CLOWN FESTIVAL BLOG: Stanley's Clown Theater Festival Blog

Stanley is another of the official bloggers of the NY Clown Theater Festival. In addition, he's teaching a class at the festival! (I told you he was classy!)

Leather Clown Nose Making Workshop
WHEN: Monday October 15th 2-5pm & Wednesday October 17th 2-5pm
COST: $182 (includes material and tool fee. You get to keep the 7 tools.) *
WHERE: Mask Arts Studio 203 West 14th St Studio 5F, New York NY 10011-7138
WHAT ELSE: Maximum of 6 students.
To reserve your spot you must pay the full fee in advance, because Stanley needs to buy the tools and supplies in advance.

To find out more about the class, visit http://www.bricktheater.com/Sherman

* Past Clowns Nose Students of November or January who would like to take the class again may for a reduced fee of $58 including supplies.

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10/15: Original Clown Films in NY

October 15th at the Revue- SHORT CLOWN FILMS! This month the NY Downtown Clown Revue shows original short clown films. And they've got free popcorn!

The show starts at 8:00 pm at the Kraine Theater (85 E 4th St). Be sure to use discount code NOSE when buying tickets at Smarttix.com to save $5!



Films by the following local clown artists:
Happy Hour
Jeff Seal
Derek Scott
Kendall Cornell

To find out more, visit the ny downtown clown revue site at the website listed below:

http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/