The School

The Ume Group School

Theatrical Clown: The Courage to be Honest (and Stupid)

2 Day Workshop with Actor Sean A. Mulvihill (The Exuberant Theatre Company) at the Ume Group
Day 1. Finding My Honest Stupid (Theatrical Clown Persona)
Day 2. My Honest Stupid at Play (Theatrical Clown Composition)

Learn the principles of theatrical clown (e.g. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton) as well as composition techniques for creating clown routines.
The main principle of theatrical clown work is to live in “ambiguity.”  When a infant is observed, there is ambiguity, capriciousness, and unpredictability. The baby wants an object one moment then throws it aways.  The baby laughs then cries for no visible reason.  Sometimes the baby stares at a person without any indications of thought whatsoever.
The theatrical clown, like the baby, is an enigma, and fascinating to watch.  The adult actor though, unlike the infant, has learned to repress capriciousness, impulsiveness, and ambiguity.  The adult theatrical clown must learn to re-create this sensation of ambiguity through technique.
Day 1 will focus on discovering your clown persona through observation, games, and exercises.  You will remove your veils of “I have it together” and “I’m the normal one” in order to reveal your clown self.
Day 2 will focus on how your clown persona interacts with objects, other people, and the world through composition exercises and performance.

Schedule
2 Saturdays (come for either one or both)
February 17 and 24
12-4pm
$50 per day
Both days for $90 (10% discount)
*$5 discount for Students, Seniors and Artists*

One Day Tuition- $50

Both Days- $90

Student, Senior, Artist- One Day- $45

Student, Senior, Artist- Both Days- $85

Location
Grace & St. Paul's Church
123 West 71st Street, New York, NY 10023
(72nd Street on the 1, 2, 3, B, & C trains)

About the Instructor

Actor Sean A. Mulvihill holds an MFA in Physical Theatre from the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. He toured two years in Italy with Turin-based physical and musical theatre company, Action Theatre and has studied clown with Teatro C’Art (Andre Casaca, Castelfiorentino, Italy), Atelier Teatro Fisico Philip Radice (Turin, Italy), and Familie Floz (Bjorn Leese, Berlin, Germany). Sean’s solo clown show, Velo, premiered at the Rooted Moon International Theatre Festival in Sardegna, Italy in July 2016. www.exuberanttheatre.com

Questions, e-mail info@theumegroup.org