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Workshops

 

Clown, Play, and Creating Work: a Workshop Series
Instructors: Tom Spangenberg and Sarah Liane Foster

When: PLAY: April 16-17, CLOWN: May 13-15, CREATING WORK: June 4-5

Where: Theatre Puget Sound studios.

Open and useful to all levels. Each workshop informs the next.

Cost: $144 for one, $240 for two, or $300 for all three weekends.*
*$25 discount for registering by Early Bird date (see workshop descriptions).  
*$25 discount for referring another student who registers!

Registration: Contact Sarah (971.219.5791/ sarahlianefoster@gmail.com) or Tom (206.760.9316/ spangenbergt@gmail.com).

 

PLAY: April 16-17 (Early Bird date April 1st)
Sat & Sun, 12-5pm
Instructor: Tom Spangenberg
This first weekend course is an exploration in playful freedom and is perfect for those looking to expand their sense of play on stage or just rediscover their inner child. Through a series of games, exercises, physical movement, and song we will start to let go of our social inhibitions and rediscover our sense of self within the arena of play. This class is an introduction to concepts of play and freedom on stage that will be explored further in the second weekend Red Nose Clown Workshop. The workshop is appropriate for participants with all range of levels of experience – great for all types of performers, public speakers, and humans of all stripes all who want to rediscover a sense of freedom, creativity and playful movement.

 

Red Nose Clown: May 13-15  (Early bird date: May 1st)
Fri 8-10pm, Sat & Sun 10:30am-4:30pm

Instructor: Sarah Liane Foster
 

This course delves into the comedy and poetry of red nose clown, a movement-based theatrical genre that emphasizes the funniness that arrives from truth in play. Through physical analysis and engaged play, students will explore what is specifically, genuinely funny about them, and how to express that on stage through the red nose, the smallest mask in the world.

We begin with the body, incorporating elements of neutral mask work to look at individuals’ movement patterns in space and how to use elements of these to create unique, profoundly naive clown characters.

Next, through improvisational play, we will see what themes these clowns bring to the stage.

The workshop is appropriate for participants with a range of levels of experience – great for all types of performers, public speakers, and humans of all stripes all who want to play, take risks, and discover.

 

Making Work: Clowns in Action: June 4-5  (Early bird date: May 21st)
Sat & Sun 10am-5pm

Instructor: Tom Spangenberg & Sarah Liane Foster

Bring your character, your clown, your skill, the variety act you’ve been working on, your willingness to play … This is a course for people who want to put their bold, poetic, beautiful, and/or ridiculous ideas on stage. A weekend packed with play, devising technique, and workshopping and honing new work.

 

About the Instructors:

Tom Spangenberg
Tom has been studying and performing clown and acting for 10 years. He has studied with numerous teachers including: Sue Morrison, George Lewis, David Taft, Jeff Raz, Avner Eisenberg. He has also studied several pedagogic styles including Lecoq, Pachinko, and American circus-style clown entrees. He written or co-created several shows including the acclaimed clown piece ‘Banquet’ and performed across the United States and Canada.

"Such pure, open-hearted idiocy. Such earnest, hapless shenanigans. How can anybody so ridiculous be so true? And so endearing." - Jane Nichols (Master Clown Teacher)

 

Sarah Liane Foster
Sarah Liane Foster taught movement theatre for four years as part of the core teaching team at Giovanni' Fusetti's school, the Helikos International School of Theatre Creation in Florence, Italy. Her teaching places a strong emphasis on true presence and connection with the body, the space, and the audience; and devising new material through play. A graduate of Brown University and the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Sarah went on to study movement theatre pedagogy with Giovanni Fusetti, and continues to learn more every day from her students and from this mad, fascinating world.
“Sarah is a highly inspired and inspiring teacher.” -- Giovanni Fusetti

"There are not very many people who are fluent in the subtle language of physical theater; Sarah is one of the best." -- Caelan Huntress

"This was one of my most fun, mind-bending weekends ever. Sarah makes the room safe, warm, and crackling with energy not to mention laughter. Everyone, from any walk of life, can benefit from this." -- Gretchen Corbett

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