Boulder Clown Club

What is clown? What is my clown?
Clown is all the rage right now, but is very widely and loosely defined. Some say the Clown is a pure and innocent reflection of the inner child, while others say the Clown is a tool for problem-solving. In this class, we will explore several definitions and examples of Clown, while also uncovering unique clowns that are personal to each participant.

Please note: This class will not focus on circus clown skills such as juggling, magic, acrobatics, etc. It will instead be theatrically, personally, and poetically oriented.

Just as every person has their own physical and emotional presence, your Clown will have its own rhythm, body, voice, costume, patterns, and emotions. Throughout the course, we will continuously ask: what's so funny about me?

Finding a personal clown can be emotional, revealing, joyful, empowering, and everything in between. We will work mostly in pairs and groups to support one another in our individual journeys.

By the end of the course, not only will you discover a unique clown, but you'll also come away with other skills:
-The ability to create characters based on versions of non-neutrality in yourself
-Devising tools to develop solo and group clown material
-A better understanding of yourself personally, and in relation to others

Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone interested in Clown, theatre, comedy, improv, and more. You do not have to have any experience in clown to join the class. Even if you have studied Clown before, this may be a new experience as there are many unique styles and types of Clown studies.

Cost and Class Details:
$150 for 6 classes, with a class minimum of 3 participants.
Boulder Clown Club offers one scholarship spot per class for BIPOC and low-income students. Email [email protected] with a letter of intent to be considered.

Tuesdays 7-9pm:
October 1st
October 8th
October 15th
October 22nd
October 29th
November 5th

Please plan to attend all classes. If you miss or skip a class, no partial refund will be offered.

Pedagogy:
This course is taught by Soleil Kohl, founder of Boulder Clown Club, whose coursework pulls from many different styles and teachings, including Somatic Clown with Giovanni Fussetti, Principles of Eccentric Performance with Avner Eisenberg, neutral mask, mime, alt-clown styles emerging from New York and LA, as well as early childhood theories.

To register, email [email protected] or click "Attend" on this event to reserve your spot. Payment is accepted through Venmo, PayPal, or cash.

A free monthly community event to refresh your clown, or for new clowns to explore.

We'll play games, announce upcoming shows, casting calls, and events, and then you'll get time to test your bits, get group feedback, and collaborate and devise with fellow clowns.

Dive into the world of satire and mockery with this one-day Bouffon workshop! We will work with finding play through children's games, group devising, flocking, the perspective of the Bouffon, creating grotesque characters, and more. This class will be taught by Soleil Kohl, a local clown, Bouffon, and physical theatre artist and teacher.

This workshop is intended for theatre practitioners with some experience in clown, physical theatre, or related performing arts.

A description of the Bouffon from Giovanni Fussetti:
"The essence of the Bouffon is in the dynamic of MOCKING**.** The MOCKER is a specific role, existing in all human societies. Bouffons represent elements of their society in an amplified, distorted or exaggerated way, thereby provoking laughter and outrage. Their Mockery doesn’t have an agenda in itself, because the Bouffons don’t have opinions, and they don’t protect any side from their mocking. They just mock everything and everybody. Their purpose is to have fun playing at being humans and therefore they use everything they find, with ferocious ecstasy and jubilation. This is their power: they see and play with everything, they feed on human dynamics in order to play with it. Bouffons never touch on individual or private themes, instead they take on big collective dynamics and roles – involving the social complexity and the very essence of society and culture."

What to bring:

• Water bottle, snack, and notepad (if you'd like to take notes)
• Please wear dark colors with no logos, preferably black, but dark blue or grey is also okay.
• The Boulder Circus Center requires the removal of shoes, so please prepare to work barefoot or wear socks/dance shoes.

Schedule:

• The workshop will last between 1 and 5pm. You must be present for the entire time.
• We will have multiple opportunities to get water, and have a 15-minute snack/bathroom break at 3:00pm

Cost: $60

• We understand that people are in several different financial positions, and therefore we offer partial scholarships to those in need.
• Additionally, Boulder Clown Club offers one full scholarship for BIPOC and low income students. Send a letter of interest to [email protected] for scholarship consideration.
• These costs go towards space rental, Meetup subscription, advertising, and paying our teachers.

To register, email [email protected] or click "Attend" on this event to reserve your spot. Payment is accepted through Venmo, PayPal, or cash.