A Clown’s Approach to Character

with Bill Irwin

August 11 – August 17

This workshop is currently sold out and the waitlist is full.

This workshop gives artists the opportunity to play with text using the tools and tricks of the clown and the vaudevillian. The body possesses tremendous powers of expression, but it can become constricted as soon as text is introduced. This is especially true when working on a play. Whether they are classics or contemporary, bringing texts to life calls for a marriage of close reading and free play. In this workshop, the task at hand is to bring the sensibilities of the clown and the showmanship of the vaudevillian to the work of the actor.

Each day will include a warm-up, group exercises, and scene work, as well as a few surprises. Prior to arriving at the Barn, students will be cast in a scene, which they will work on during the workshop with their fellow cast members. Scenes will be cast based, in part, on the interests of the students, and could include plays from the sixteenth through the twenty-first century, as well as musicals. 

This workshop is a great opportunity for actors and clowns to sharpen their clown logic through scene work. We also encourage applicants with experience in dance, mime, comedy, circus, and other skills to apply. No prior experience is necessary but some experience in theater, dance, or the variety arts is highly encouraged.

Apply to Take This Workshop

If you would like to enroll in a Clown’s Approach to Character, please submit an application, which you can access by clicking on “Apply” below. Applications received on or before April 1 will be given priority.

Please note that the application requires you to submit an artistic resume or a CV, which we prefer as PDF files.

Applicants will hear about the status of their application in early April.

Cost

Workshop with a standard double-occupancy room: $1,100

Workshop with single-occupancy room and donation: $2,200
This fee includes a donation of $700, which makes it possible for us to offer three deposit-only scholarships to artists from underrepresented communities.

NB: All students will be required to pay a $400 deposit to secure their spot in the workshop. The remaining balance will be paid upon arrival at Celebration Barn on Sunday, August 11.

Please note that there is no early registration discount for this workshop.

Deposit-Only Scholarships

We are making three partial scholarships available for this workshop. These scholarships will cover the fees for a double-occupancy room, including the shuttle fee, above and beyond the $400 deposit.

As with all of our scholarship funding, our priority is to increase access for students from underrepresented communities, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students.

Bill Irwin