Giovanni Fusetti
| Nothing exists that has not first been imagined.Michael Meade |
FROM THE NEUTRAL MASK TO THE RED NOSE
20 May, 2009 → 24 May, 2009 - Boulder, Colorado, USA
The Journey of the Poetic Body
and
the essence of Physical Comedy
This workshop aims to introduce the two fundamental masks that are at the core of the training of the actor-creator at Helikos School: the Neutral Mask and the Red Nose, the two archetypical theatrical masks.
First the work will lead the students to find the "Neutral State" and subsequently to tweak that state toward character work and eventually toward the idiosyncratic and personal world of the Clown.
Through the Neutral Mask the actor discovers a state of physical presence, calm and openness to space. There is a web of "non-neutral attitudes" and physical and emotional "background noises" within each person's movement and physical presence. If observed through the reference of the Neutral State, this web appears like paintings/markings on a white sheet. They are “dramatic” in the etymological sense. They contain a drama: an action. The Neutral Mask teaches the actor o unfold any "individual physical drama" to reach a state of pure presence in space, in the silence of the present moment. It’s the basis for all theatre masks.
After developing the actor's awareness of the Neutral State, the workshop will explore some of the infinite possibilities of creating comic characters, based on variations from neutrality. The focus will be on exploring how each character development is based in an unbalance from neutrality.
The final step will be the discovery of the Clown through the analysis of the physical and emotional world of each actor, as revealed by her or his natural body, with the help of the Neutral Mask. The use of the smallest mask in the world, the Red Nose and the amplification and articulation of personal themes allow the actor to enter the Clown State. This will lead to the discovery of a unique clown, with a specific body, tempo, voice, costume, attitudes, emotions, and poetic world.
The clown is not a character, it’s a state of playing where everyone has access to this key question: what is so funny about myself?
For a performer, there is something fundamental in the discovery of his or her personal Clown: it's raw, pure, personal, unique, challenging, empowering, revealing, extremely rewarding...
To discover one’s own clown is to reveal one’s own unique comic persona and turn it into a universal comic form.
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 joining the naiveté and the vulnerability of the child, with the rigor and the technique of the adult, thus revealing the poetry of the ridiculous, and a unique poetic power.
As the Neutral Mask is the mask of humanity, the Red Nose is the humanity of the mask.
CLASSES
The workshop will start on Wednesday May 20th and end on Sunday May 24th.
Schedule:
Wednesday May 20th: 10 to 1 and 2 to 5pm
Thursday: 10 to 1 and 2 to 5 pm
Friday: 9 to 12 and 1 to 3 pm
Saturday: 10 to 1 and 2 to 6 pm
Sunday: 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 pm
The location of the workshop is the BOULDER CIRCUS CENTER http://www.bouldercircuscenter.com/
Master Classes include:
Movement Analysis and Movement Technique
Improvisation
ADMISSION
This workshop addresses to theater practitioners who are interested in the pedagogy of Scuola Internazionale di Creazione Teatrale HELIKOS and/or are interested in exploring Giovanni Fusetti's work on Clown and Neutral Mask.
For students who are applying for Helikos School this coming season, or are planning to do it in teh near future, this workshop will also serves as ADMISSION WORKSHOP.
Helikos school engages the students and the teachers for a very long period of work together, in the mutual commitment of an intense pedagogic relationship. For this reason, before the final admission to the school, Giovanni as the director of the school, wants to meet each applicant in person, in a training context similar to the context of the school.
This will allow both parties to verify if they can and want to work together.
This workshop will be a basic training on two foundations of Helikos pedagogic work, the Neutral Mask and The Red Nose. It’s not an audition of each student's skills as a performer, but of the skills as a learner and a group member.
To apply to the workshop, please contact Giovanni Fusetti.
TUITION: US$ 400
Please note that tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Boulder.
Language
The workshop will be taught in English. A basic understanding is required.
For further information about the content of the workshop and for applications
please contact: