THE BRIDGE IN THE NOSE

An intensive Clown Workshop for people with previous clowning experience.

By Lila Monti.

 

We clowns knocked down the theatrical "fourth wall". We know that. Now: what does it mean that for us there is no "fourth wall"? I like to think that, if there is no “fourth wall”, what we can find is a bridge. Or as many bridges as there are clowns and audiences. The bridges that clowns create between themselves and those who watch them, can be unique works of art. Through them, the most diverse materials, proposals and universes can circulate.

 

If the bridge disintegrates completely, and the connection between clown and audience is broken, the fourth wall is reborn and -in my opinion- something in the clownish work vanishes. But if we force closeness, invade the space of the people watching, or ask them for too much, or too suddenly, or we lose ourselves in what we think they want from us, we could put our job at a risk, too.

PROPOSAL

In this workshop, we will try to work on those bridges within the safety of our working room. And also, we will investigate them a little bit in "the outside" (the street, a park, a square) Without trying to create a "scene", and lowering the state of urgency and the need for efficacy required by the theatrical scene, without the expectation of an applause or - even - laughter, but with the firm intention of experimenting how the simple visual contact with another person, and the "dialogue" that is generated from that contact, can modify us. And, hopefully, the one who looks at us.

GOALS

To deepen and develop the clown technique, with special emphasis on:

.Contact with the audience. Fine-tuning the listening to it. Expanding our ability to perceive the reaction to what our proposals produce in those who look at us. And also to generate new actions in relation to that.

.Listening to the stage partners.

.The development of imagination and play.

.The transformation of impulses into constructive actions of stage play.

.Projection, availability and stage presence.

.The transit through (and acceptance of) vulnerability, failure and ridicule as constitutive and founding parts of clown work.

 
WORKING ELEMENTS

.Red nose with elastic (or easy to put on and off)

.Comfortable clothes.

.Costumes and objects of each clown + some csotumes and objetcs to share (including shoes and coats suitable for street wear)

.Transport tickets or cards, if necessary.

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LANGUAGE OF THE WORKSHOP: English (without german translation)