Giovanni Fusetti
| Awareness is a more comprehensive guiding principle than power. Arnold MIndell |
FROM THE NEUTRAL MASK TO THE RED NOSE: the essence of Physical Comedy
26 June, 2013 → 30 June, 2016 - Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
The essence of Physical Comedy
This workshop aims to follow the journey from the Neutral Mask to the Red Nose, the two essential polarities in the world of theater masks.
First the work will lead the students to find the "Neutral State" and subsequently to tweak that state toward character work and eventually toward the idiosyncratic and personal world of the Clown.
Through the Neutral Mask the actor discovers a state of physical presence, calm and openness to space. There is a web of "non-neutral attitudes" and physical and emotional "background noises" within each person's movement and physical presence. If observed through the reference of the Neutral State, this web appears like paintings/markings on a white sheet. They are “dramatic” in the etymological sense. They contain a drama: an action. The Neutral Mask teaches the actor o unfold any "individual physical drama" to reach a state of pure presence in space, in the silence of the present moment. It’s the basis for all theatre masks.
After developing the actor's awareness of the Neutral State, the workshop will explore some of the infinite possibilities of creating comic characters, based on variations from neutrality. The focus will be on exploring how each character development is based in an unbalance from neutrality.
The final step will be the discovery of the Clown through the analysis of the physical and emotional world of each actor, as revealed by her or his natural body, with the help of the Neutral Mask. The use of the smallest mask in the world, the Red Nose and the amplification and articulation of personal themes allow the actor to enter the Clown State. This will lead to the discovery of a unique clown, with a specific body, tempo, voice, costume, attitudes, emotions, and poetic world.
The clown is not a character, it’s a state of playing where everyone has access to this key question: what is so funny about myself?
For a performer, there is something fundamental in the discovery of his or her personal Clown: it's raw, pure, personal, unique, challenging, empowering, revealing, extremely rewarding...
To discover one’s own clown is to reveal one’s own unique comic persona and turn it into a universal comic form.
It's the exquisite pleasure of touching the empty space of complete comedy.
As a theatre style, Clown has a unique poetic potential because it allows the performer to explore and play joining the naiveté and the vulnerability of the child, with the rigor and the technique of the adult, thus revealing the poetry of the ridiculous, and a unique poetic power.
As the Neutral Mask is the mask of humanity, the Red Nose is the humanity of the mask.
During this training participants will use Neutral Masks by Donato Sartori, Abano Terme, Italy.
CLASSES
The workshop will start on Wednesday june 26, and end on Sunday June 30th
Each day includes 6 hours of Master Classes.
Classes take place each day from 10am to 1 and from 2 to 5.
Master Classes include:
Movement Analysis and Movement Technique
Improvisation
ADMISSION
TUITION:
Earlybird and Concession: 500 Aus$ (if full payment is sent by May 15th)
Full Tuition: 600 Aus$
Please note that tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Melbourne.
To apply for the workshop, please send a letter of motivation to:
Dani Cresp
info4danielle @ gmail.com
0408590759
Once the application is accepted, spots in the class will be given in the order the application was received.
The number of students is limited to 14.
To confirm the enrollment, a deposit of AUS$200.00 is due.
Please note: the deposit is non-refundable.
If you are applying to the workshop in the perspective of applying to the Helikos school, please contact Giovanni Fusetti directly.
For any questions regarding the content of the workshop please contact:
VENUE:
ABBOTSFORD HALL
141 Gipps St Abbotsford
Melbourne