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Helen's Upcoming workshops:
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TORONTO (winter/spring 2012: FULL.)
DISCOVER YOUR CLOWN (Level 1)
Discover the artistry behind this timeless form of theatre! Suitable for those wishing to add more physicality and emotion to their work on stage, or to uncover and celebrate what is uniquely hilarious about the self.
This 6-night workshop 'Discover Your Clown' is a level one approach to theatrical clown for students with limited or no clown experience. Drawing on various approaches, we uncover your clown persona through the use of the worlds' smallest mask--the clown nose. Character and costume will be explored, revealed through both a directed and group feedback experience. Suited for both actors and non-actors alike.
6 Monday nights 6:15-9:45pm
Jan 16, 23, 30, Feb 13, 20, 27
$255 ($204 for Equity/Actra)
@Roseneath Theatre, 651 Dufferin St at Dundas, Toronto
Limit: 12 students
email: info@helendonnelly.com
****This workshop is FULL.
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DEVELOP YOUR CLOWN (Level 2)
Develop your clown persona toward its potential! Suitable for those seeking to explore alternative aspects of their clown, and to challenge and strengthen what has been discovered in previous workshops.
This 6-night workshop 'Develop Your Clown' is a level two approach to theatrical clown for students who have had some clown training. We will focus on rhythm, physicality (gesture), voice and staging in this class. Original pieces will be created and developed. The class will culminate in an informal invitation for friends to view a short performance. Suited for both actors and non-actors alike.
**Those who have already taken 'Develop Your Clown' are invited to join again as workshops are altered to suit the needs of individual clown students.
6 Wednesday nights 6:15-9:45pm
March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11
$255 ($204 for Equity/Actra); $216.75 (15% discount) for returning level 2 students
@Roseneath Theatre, 651 Dufferin St at Dundas, Toronto
Limit: 12 students
to register, call 416-536-4323 or email: info@helendonnelly.com
requirement: level 1 or equivalent: please enquire
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Haliburton (summer, 2012)
CLOWN: The Discovery of Your Persona(Level 1)
INSTRUCTOR Helen Donnelly
DATES July 23-27, 2012
FEE: TBA
Please note: This course is not suitable for those solely seeking a
focus on birthday/corporate clowning.
Tune into your impulses through this exciting physical theatre tradition! This is a gentle guide to revealing the clown within. Learn the basics of clown and physical theatre by focusing on impulses and being present in the world of play. Honesty, real connection and discovery of the ridiculous will be celebrated. What is unique about you, and how that translates into the world of clown is a personal journey that requires integrity and the ability to take delight in the process. Noses and hats provided will be worn during the course and costuming will be explored.
There will be a $10 material fee payable to the instructor
5 full time days, Monday-Friday 9am-4:30pm
@Haliburton School of the Arts, Haliburton, Ontario
Limit: 12 students
Please contact Haliburton School of the Arts regarding registration:
TEL: (705) 457-1680 ext. 3
TFN: 1-866-353-6464 ext. 3
info@flemingc.on.ca
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Discover your inner clown!
Clown goes beyond the realm of entertainment, and does not stop at being the idiot or the wit. We see them in hospitals, theatres and the street as part of political movements. The power of the clown is in the ability to hold a mirror up to society, reflecting the truths of humanity in all its imperfections and beauty. Clowns reveal these truths through vulnerability, empathy and direct contact with the audience. This intimate connection separates clowning from acting; a magic space is created between the clown and the audience. Clowns defy time and space— reality is elastic, anything is possible.
“Clowns are born when society has a need for them. Remember that Chaplin and Keaton were most popular during the Depression. And that the Indians say that clowns appear when the leaders get out of hand!
What we need is a clown for our time. A clown… that celebrates our humanness, our animalness, and the times that we can touch each other in a moment of laughter."
-Richard Pochinko
Uncover what lurks beneath the surface: get at the heart of all that you are—that playful, impish, contrary, curious, tragically delicious YOU!
I offer Discover Your Clown workshops for beginners, Develop Your Clown for a level 2 returning student, and occasionally, Flex Your Clown Muscle! for intermediate students. I also offer private and semi-private coaching for advanced individual clown artists seeking direction and refinement of their character and physicality or to work on theatrical pieces. For information on the next workshops or for coaching, please contact me.
Please note: I am proud to offer students a comfortable atmosphere in which to discover and explore. My workshops are gay-positive and ethno-culturally diverse.
Helen Donnelly
Teaching bio
Helen returned in 2002 after clowning with Cirque du Soleil for 1.5 years, performing over 400 shows all across the United States. She is a professional circus, theatrical and therapeutic clown. Recently she has added busking to her skill set. She has been teaching clown workshops and physical theatre to teens and adults in the US and Canada for over 10 years, including at Second City (Toronto), Puppets: the Animation School (Toronto), the Living Arts Centre (Mississaugua) Fleming College, Durham College and the Haliburton School of the Arts.
Her independent workshops Discover Your Clown, Develop Your Clown and Flex Your Clown Muscle are offered a few times a year. Private coaching is available for more advanced clown artists. For more info, please enquire. See also above schedule.
Helen is a graduate from the University of Toronto with an Honours B.A., Specialist in Drama. Helen is currently studying clown with Francine Cote (Cirque du Soleil, international scene), and has learned from David Shiner (Fool Moon, Cirque du Soliel), Roch Jutras (Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize), John Turner and Mike Kennard (of Mump and Smoot fame), Theatre Smith-Gilmour and Grindl Kurchirka. Helen has been clowning and acting for over 19 years. She continues to perform her own shows and to clown for special events worldwide.
