Giovanni Fusetti
| Love, work and knowledge are the well-springs of our life. They should also govern it.Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957) |
THE GREENHOUSE OF FOOLS
12 June, 2017 → 18 June, 2017 - Celebration Barn Theater, MAINE
A coaching residency
for Clowns,
Bouffons
and other
Comic Creatures
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A UNIQUE WEEK OF DEVISING at
This residency 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.
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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).
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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
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PRACTICALITIES
The residency will be hosted by the Celebration Barn Theater, in Maine, USA. An amazing location dedicated to the learning, devising and performing of movement based theatre. A true gem.
PARTICIPANTS
Minimum 6 - Maximum 8 projects.
It is possible to participate with a SOLO project or as a DUO or TRIO.
A Project can involve
- a solo performer
- a solo performer + the director/author
- a performing duo or trio
- a performing duo or trio + the director/author.
The full class cannot exceed the maximum capacity of the Barn which will be of 19 people.
Enrollment updates on APRIL 2nd 2017:
2 spots are still available for Performing Projects.
5 spots are still available for Assisting Participants
APPLICATIONS
Please write a letter of intent describing the project you want to work at, and a link to some video material. For information and applications please contact Giovanni at
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TUITION
Tuition for individual projects: US$ 1.000
Tuition for projects involving two people: US$ 1.400
Tuition for projects involving three people: US$ 1.800
The tuition includes accommodation in double room/cabins at the Barn with full board for the duration of the residency.
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ASSISTING PARTICIPANTS
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.
The tuition for assistants, including accommodation and full board, is US$ 700.
The number of spots available for assistants will be defined after the selection of the performing projects. If interested, please contact Giovanni.
!! IMPORTANT !!
Please note that this program is not organized by the Celebration Barn Theater, but directly by Giovanni Fusetti and HELIKOS School. So, for any enquiry, please contact us and NOT the Barn. Thanks.
See you in Maine !
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PHOTO CREDITS
(1) International Clown School, Christiansand 2007
(2) Helikos, Florence, 2014, Stefano Borghi
(3) Red Nose Training, Boulder, USA, 2008
(4) Bouffons Training, Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre, Blue Lake, USA, 2007
(5) Helikos, Florence, 2012, Stefano Borghi
(6-7-8-9) Celebration Barn Theater, 2016