Blues? Blahs? Watch Fleurff in Plant Intelligence!
I was honoured to design the headgear for this once-in-a-lifetime theatrical dance event in St. John’s, NL, created by Neighbourhood Dance Works as part of the National Arts Centre’s Grand Acts of Theatre series. Twenty-seven glowing lighthouses/night skies/alien headpieces, created with help from builders Jay Butler and Vanessa Cardoso Whelan. They glowed and shimmered magically in the foggy dusk.
I’m thrilled to be included in this series of online clown films orchestrated by Morro and Jasp. Head to their page to watch my clown Fleurff in her first ever short, Plant Intelligence, as well as a whole bunch of other clowns doing their thing!
I'm very pleased and honoured to have co-authored a piece with Jan Henderson for the new Clowning in Canada issue of Canadian Theatre Review. We talk about neutral mask and Pochinko clown and how the two work together. CTR can be found in most libraries, and subscriptions are available for both online and print options.
Official abstract for the article:
Jacques Lecoq famously referred to the clown nose as the “smallest mask in the world.” While some forms of clowning (such as the commedia dell’arte) use masks in performance, many incorporate the mask as a training element, only to shed it in performance. As a result, the connection between mask and clown often remains hidden to audiences. This article contains a cross-Canada interview (Newfoundland to Alberta) between two of Canada’s leading teachers of clown and mask, Jan Henderson and Sara Tilley. Their discussion reveals the relationship between clowning and a specific mask tradition: the neutral mask. Furthermore, they tell us about how they use the neutral mask in their teaching and their creative practices, and what they wish everyone knew about clowns, masks, and the relationship between them. Their discussion sheds light on the value of neutral mask in clowning, clown training, and beyond.
After much consideration, I've decided it's not possible to move ahead with the clown workshop planned to start in July. The clown work demands that we are in close proximity, sharing props and costumes, in enclosed spaces for prolonged periods of time (even in July, I don't trust NL weather r.e. planning outdoor classes!).
Trying to work around restrictions by removing closeness from clown is antithetical to what it's all about. I feel it would be a greatly diminished experience. I also would never, ever want for this class to endanger anyone, especially those with compromised immune systems...which includes myself. While we've been doing well here in NL with the virus so far, I also don't think I can responsibly teach this workshop this year. It's taken me weeks to finalize this decision, and it wasn't made lightly. After consulting with fellow clown teacher Jan Henderson in Edmonton, we both agreed that we need to look to the integrity of the work we teach and accept that right now it isn't possible to do this training.
The clowns will need to garden and dream this summer...and hopefully burst forth with renewed zip and pizazz before too long!