HELIKOS | THE RED NOSE

THE RED NOSE

8 February, 2009 → 1 March, 2009 - Auckland, New Zealand - Aotearoa

Welcome to this new and unique opportunity to study and practice the essence of Theatre Clown and the roots of physical comedy.
This is the first time that this training takes place in New Zealand:
join us to discover your personal Clown and explore this amazing country.

Clown is about comic poetry: funny and touching, essential and rigorous.
It's a dive into the mystery of laughter.

Deeply rooted in movement based theatre, this course proposes an intensive training in Clown, considered a specific theatre style. The pedagogy focuses in particular on the analysis of the physical and emotional world of each actor, as revealed by her or his natural body. This will lead to the discovery of a unique clown, with a specific body, tempo, voice, costume, attitudes, emotions, and poetic world.
The journey begins with the exploration and analysis of the body within the theatrical space. In terms of movement, no body is neutral; every body carries profoundly expressive themes, embodied in everyday movement. There is a web of "non-neutral attitudes" and physical and emotional “background noises" within each person’s movement and physical presence. If an actor is observed with an eye to movement, using the reference point of the Neutral State, this web appears like painting/markings on a white sheet. They are “dramatic” in the etymological sense: they contain a drama – an action.
The use of the smallest mask in the world: the Red Nose, and the amplification and articulation of these very personal themes allow the actor to enter the Clown state. The clown is not a character – it’s first a state of playing where everyone has access to the key question: what is so funny about myself?
To discover one’s own clown is to reveal one’s own unique comic persona and turn it into a universal comic form.
For a performer, there is something fundamental in the discovery of her or his personal Clown: it's raw, pure, personal, unique, challenging, empowering, revealing, and extremely rewarding... It’s the exquisite pleasure of touching the empty space of complete comedy.
As a theatre style, Clown has a unique poetic potential because it allows the performer to explore and play with the naiveté and the vulnerability of the child, and with the rigor and the technique of the adult, thus revealing the poetry of the ridiculous, and a unique personal poetic power.
The sublime stupidity of the clown is her/his enduring trust in life, despite her/his radical imperfection.

There are as many clowns, as there are human beings.
There is one way to stand, and infinite ways to fall.
Intelligence is limited. Stupidity is infinite.

Giovanni Fusetti

THE PROGRAM

First Week: THE CLOWN “STATE”
- Play, action/reaction and fun
- From the neutral state to the comic state
- The Red Nose as a mask: amplification and articulation of movement
- The clown as a state of being on stage
- The empty space
- Emotional awareness and contact with the emotional body of the actor
- Contact with the audience
- Playing with space and with objects

Second Week: THE PLAY (le jeu)
- The relationship among clowns: hierarchy, leaders and servants, levels of stupidity
- The Circus Clown Archetypes: Augustus, White Clown, Monsieur Loyal
- The Clown's Voice
- Clown numbers and le bide (fiasco)
- The Rhythmical space: entrance, crescendo, development of themes
- The actor’s skills in the service of the clown
- Playing with music, singing, acrobatics, juggling, dance and unusual or unique skills

Third Week: DEVISING CLOWN NUMBERS
- The writing of a Clown Number based on the work of the previous weeks
- Accidents and comic routines
- Devising a clown variety show
- Writing and directing clowns: each clown will work and rework on some numbers-routines to be presented in a public performance
- Rehearsals and public presentation of a final public performance of A CLOWN VARIETY SHOW.

CLASSES

The training will start on Sunday February 8th and will end on Sunday March 1st.
Each day includes 6 hours of Master Classes.
Classes take place each day from 4 to 10 pm
Saturday 14th, Sunday 15th and Sunday 22nd are free.

Master Classes include:
Movement Analysis and Movement Technique
Improvisation
Voice

ADMISSION

The training addresses to professional theatre artists wishing to meet their clown and to artists with performing experience (theatre, circus, dance, music, etc. ) interested in the essence of physical comedy, as well as to theatre students and to drama teachers wanting to further their experience. It is a training based on generosity and commitment, and the desire of turning one‘s own most genuine humanity and folly into playing.

To apply to the Clown Training:

a letter of motivation
and
a CV with artistic experiences

must be sent to Giovanni Fusetti by e-mail.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 15th, 2008

Each applicant will be contacted by Giovanni, and admitted applicants will receive further practical information and will confirm their enrollment by sending a NZ$500 non-refundable deposit.
Once selected, places will be given in order of arrival.

Please note that the number of students is limited to 14.

Update on the enrolment: on November 20th the workshop is FULL. A waiting list has been set up in case some enrolled participants will abandon.

TUITION
NZ$ 1.300 earlybird discount: if deposit (NZ$ 500) is sent by November 15th.
NZ$ 1.600 if if deposit (NZ$ 500) is sent after November 15th.
NZ$ 1.100 for students who are also applying for the MASK training (Wellington, January 17th February 1st 2009). This will reduce the full tuition for both workshops to 2.000 NZ$ for a five-week training period.

Please note that tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Auckland. However, the organization will provide a list of local contacts for affordable accommodation.

TRAINING IN NEW ZEALAND - AOTEAROA

By organizing two intensive trainings in New Zealand, on two essential themes of Movement Theatre such as Masks and Clown, we want to encourage artists from overseas to come and discover this beautiful country. The choice of the period, which corresponds to the summer, and the two different locations of the programs, want to maximize the benefits for those wishing to join training and visiting. Also, the relative weakness of the NZ$ will contribute to make this experience more affordable. Finally, to further encourage overseas students, a discount of NZ$ 200 is accorded to participants travelling from outside of NZ and Australia (overseas birds).

Language
The official languages of the workshop is English. A basic understanding is required.

The training will take place in Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, and will be hosted by

The Edinburgh Institute, 24 Glanville Terrace, Parnell, Auckland.

google maps

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS
please contact: