Giovanni Fusetti
| There is a crack in everything--that's where the light gets through.Leonard Cohen |
THE GREENHOUSE OF FOOLS
10 December, 2018 → 14 December, 2018 - Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
A Devising Intensive
for Clowns,
Bouffons
and other
Stage Creatures
(1)
A UNIQUE WEEK OF DEVISING
This training is specifically devised to support participants to work on their own material.
What comic dynamic am I working with in my performance?
Why the audience laughs? And why it doesn't?
Why a piece works and how can I fix it if it doesn't?
How can I develop and act into a longer piece?
What is my comic persona based in?
What is REALLY funny for me?
These are some of the questions addressed by this residency.
In order to create and write for one’s own comic characters, one needs to understand what is its comic core. Which are the “mechanisms” .
Is the comedy based on actions, or emotions? On accidents or jokes? Clowns or Bouffons? Gags or stories? Satire, stupidity, absurd, slapstick, mocking…?
Every comic character, or comic writing, works specifically.
And in order to work with comic writings and dynamics, the actor-player requires a sharp understanding of their nature.
There are many ways of being funny: they can all make the audience laugh but they are not in the same comic world.
They are rooted in a variety of writing and performing principles. To know them mean to be able to create with them.
(2)
PROGRAM
Participants will bring their clowns or comic stage creatures, and one existing act, routine or project, solo or not, finished or unfinished, funny or ...not yet. They will present their work on their first day (max. 15 minutes), and this will be the basis for a series of coaching sessions that will focus on the three different hats that the creator needs to wear:
THE PERFORMER
The comic persona, the comic core, the contact with the audience, amplification and articulation of movement, emotional awareness and presence.
THE DIRECTOR
Playing with space; Rhythm: pace and variations; the structure of a number: entrance, presentation, development and variations, crescendo, climax, finale, exit.
THE WRITER
Understanding a character’s potential and weakness, the choice of themes and their development, the mask and counter-mask, the use of the actor’s skills (music, singing, acrobatics, juggling, dance and unusual or unique skills).
(3)
THE DIFFERENT SESSIONS
The aim of this residency is to give participants professional theatre tools, in order to create within their own poetic world. It addresses theatre artists with experience in the world of physical comedy. Participants need to bring an existing project, something they have already worked with and that can be performed on the very first day.
The residency will unfold with different types of sessions:
- Individual coaching with Giovanni
- Autonomous rehearsal time
- Presentation of the work to the group and collective work on the feedback, to understand basic principles of playing, writing and directing.
- Collective exercises on core principles emerging from the work
(4)
PRACTICALITIES
Two modes of participations are possible:
PERFORMING PARTICIPANTS
Minimum 5 - Maximum 7 projects.
Their performing material will be presented in the coaching sessions.
It is possible to participate with a SOLO project or as a DUO or TRIO.
A Project can alos involve
a director/author, who can participate as assistant.
ASSISTING PARTICIPANTS
Maximum 10.
It is also possible to attend this week without any material to present, and assist at all the coaching sessions and presentations, as well as participating to the collective classes and observe the creative process. This role includes supporting the creative process through feedbacks and questions, as well as learning about the different kinds of posture involved in supporting a devising process: director, author, movement coach, pedagogue, "outside eye"... These roles have a different perspective and give different focus and feedback. They are often confused or entangled in ways that make the devising process less effective.
APPLICATIONS
Please write a letter of intent describing the project you want to work at, and a link to some video material.
One spot as Assisting Participants is available.
(5)
TUITION
Tuition for individual projects: AUD 900
Tuition for projects involving more than one person: AUD 1.200
Tuition for assisting participants: AUD 250
LOCATION
Abbotsford Hall
Collingwood Masonic Centre
141 Gipps St, Abbotsford, Victoria 3067
SCHEDULE
9:30 to 5:30, each day
For application, enrolment and practical enquiries please contact 
Tel: 04 68664466
For further information about the content of the workshop, please contact
(6)
PHOTO CREDITS
(1) International Clown School, Christiansand 2007
(2) Helikos, Florence, 2014, Stefano Borghi
(3) Red Nose Training, Boulder, USA, 2008
(4) Bouffons Workshop, Melbourne, Australia, 2007
(5) Helikos, Florence, 2012, Stefano Borghi
(6) Bouffons Training, Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre, Blue Lake, USA, 2007