September 18 → September 22, 2024
Boulder, Colorado, USA
FROM
THE NEUTRAL MASK
TO
THE RED NOSE
The Journey of the Poetic Body
from Silence to Comedy
This workshop unfolds the journey from the Neutral Mask to the Red Nose, two referential masks in the world of movement theater.
First the work will lead the students to explore 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, these movement patterns appear 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 to 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 theater masks. “The masks behind all masks” (Jacques Lecoq).
After developing the actor’s awareness of a State of Neautrality, 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 body in space, 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.
HELIKOS Red Nose Intensive, Padova, 2023
The clown before being a character, it’s a state of playing, in which everyone has access to this key question: what is so funny about myself?
For a performer, there is something fundamental in the discovery of their personal Clown: it’s raw, direct 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 sublime stupidity.
As a theatre genre, 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.
Neutral Masks by Donato Sartori
During this training participants will use Neutral Masks by Donato Sartori, Abano Terme,
Italy.
PRACTICALITIES
SCHEDULE
September 18th to 22nd
Wednesday 18th: 11am to 1pm; 2pm to 6pm
Thursday 19th, Friday 20th, Saturday 21stand Sunday 22nd: 2pm to 9pm
Each of these days includes two half-hour breaks from 4:00 to 4:30 and from 6:30 to 7:00
LOCATION
The training will take place in Boulder, Colorado, at the Boulder Circus Center
4747 26th St, Boulder, CO 80301, United States.
HELIKOS Red Nose Intensive, Padova, 2023
ADMISSION
This workshop is addressed to theatre practitioners with previous experiences in movement based theatre and in the Pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq.
If you are interested in getting to know Giovanni Fusetti’s pedagogy and one of the key steps of the Helikos School Training, this workshop is a great introduction.
HOW TO APPLY
There is no application form.
To apply to the workshop please email
a letter of motivation sharing the essence of your story, vision, dream, desire, fear or un-explicable intuition that leads you to this workshop. Please include in your letter your experience with Neutral Mask and Clown. Giovanni will contact you after receiving the application.
Please send your application to giovanni.fusetti@helikos.com
TUITION
EARLY BIRD TUITION: US$500
If full payment is made before July 1st, 2024
FULL TUITION: $600
If full payment is made after July 1st, 2024
Once accepted, to confirm the enrollment, a deposit of $300 is due.
Please note that the deposit is non-refundable.
Spots in the class will be given in the order the application was received.
The maximum number of participants is 12.
ENROLMENT SITUATION as of May 13th, 2024: the workshop is confirmed and 1 spot is still available.
Please note that tuition does not include accommodation and that participants will be responsible for organizing their staying in Boulder.
You can find some useful information about housing in Boulder in the document: Boulder Information Kit.
APPLICATION DEADLINE : August 1st, 2024
Neutral Mask by Donato Sartori, HELIKSO SCHOOL, 2011
LANGUAGE
The workshop will be taught in ENGLISH and a basic understanding of this language is required.
INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS
For further information about the content of the workshop and for applications, please contact Giovanni Fusetti at
Giovanni Fusetti 