Principles of Eccentric Performance

with Avner Eisenberg

July 7 – July 13

This workshop is currently sold out. You can join the waitlist for this workshop and we will be in touch when/if a spot opens up.

Eccentric Performance is one of the most personal and paradoxical of theater forms: It can be ingenious or dim-witted, skillful or blundering. It can have sharp verbal wit or be completely silent. It can be extremely silly while also pointing out the failures of society. Above all, Eccentric Performing is funny!

This five-day introduction to the world of Eccentric Performance is open to performers of all experience levels. Avner will teach classes and be available for one-on-one coaching.

In this workshop you will learn how to:

  • Create rapport with the audience
  • Use your breath to increase your comfort and heighten the emotional impact of your performance
  • Use problem-solving to create comedy out of ordinary activities
  • Apply the training of Jacques Lecoq to clowning
  • Turn any audience member into an exceptional volunteer
  • And much more

Cost

Workshop with standard double-occupancy room with early bird discount: $1,080
The early bird discount (10%) expires on April 2.

Workshop with single-occupancy room: $1,800
There is no early bird discount for single-occupancy rooms.

Note: A $400 deposit is required when you register for a double occupancy room. A $900 deposit is required for a single occupancy room. The remainder of your balance will be due upon your arrival at Celebration Barn.

Registration

We use Humanitix for you to fill out your application and submit your deposit.

  • Head to Humanitix and select your reservation type.
  • Fill out the application questions.
  • Complete your purchase.

After completing your purchase, a member of our team will be in touch to confirm the status of your application within 5-7 business days.

Note: A $400 deposit is required to reserve your space for a double occupancy room in a workshop. A $900 deposit is required to reserve your space in a single occupancy room. The remainder of your balance will be paid upon your arrival at Celebration Barn. See our General Info Page and Student Life for more information about the workshops and learn more about

  • Housing
  • Travel
  • Refund/Cancellation Policy
  • What to bring

Video

In this video, Avner answers a question that is fundamental to Eccentric Performance: “What is the difference between being interesting and being interested?”

Avner Eisenberg

Hailed as one of the greatest clowns of all time, Avner Eisenberg is often a featured performer in comedy, magic, clown, and theater festivals. He studied with Jacques Lecoq from 1971 to 1974. Since then, he has developed a unique physical approach to comedy and acting that he teaches in workshops around the world.

He has been described by New York Magazine as “a clown for the thinking man.” His show Avner the Eccentric was a hit of the 1984–85 Broadway season. He appeared again on Broadway in Ghetto and The Comedy of Errors. Avner is widely known for his scene-stealing portrayal of the holy man in the Michael Douglas film The Jewel of the Nile.

Avner continues to tour his one-man show internationally and has won awards at the Edinburgh Festival, the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, and the Festival Internacional de Pallassos in Barcelona. He won the “Snow Star” for comedy in Switzerland and the “Lachmesse” award in Germany.

During the pandemic Avner has taught over 300 students from 34 countries in a series of online Principles of Eccentric Performance.