Los Angeles. I took Phillipe Gauleir's two week Master Clown class. He was an apprentice of Lecoq, a well-know clown and clown instructor. He typically teaches at his own school, outside Paris. He teaches in the style "La Negativa", which essentially means through giving negative feedback.
Here is Hollywood Boulevard! I had to go there because it is next to the Value Village where I got my dress for the class. Phillipe assigns you a character, and I was appointed "Madam".
The lineup... Phillipe would line us up and have us do a task, like make a sound like a coffee grinder. The ones who did it the "best", typically meaning with the most enjoyment/delight/pleasure, would get to stay and play longer, or more, or different games.
One of our warm-ups... Mr. Hit.
Teams played jump rope. If you (as an individual) lost for your team 3 times in a session, you were in the handicap group. Here is the handicap group... barely making it here...
...struggling there.
A chorus of vaccume-cleaner sounds.
Game where competing teams try to win the ball.
Me (as a Babushka...Phillipe had me change from Madam toward the end of the workshop) and Ned Brauer.
It was a challenging class. There were 30 of us, so limited solo time in front of Phillipe. It was scary, and eye-opening. I learned a lot about play, lying as a tool to play, and my face/smile. My smile can be a mask, and his job was to peel off our masks. My favorite message from Phillipe, and I quote, "Your smile is an international catastrophe!" I love it.
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