Clown.

A 6-Week Workshop in Clown Play and Performance

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“The clown doesn't exist aside from the actor performing him. We are all clowns, we all think we are beautiful, clever, strong, whereas we all have weaknesses, our ridiculous side, which can make people laugh when we allow it to express itself.”
— Jacques Lecoq

Are you tired of short, intensive 3 day workshops and craving something more? This workshop is for you…

Clown. is a six-week comprehensive course for people new to clowning and those with more experience who want a deeper dive into the form and practice. During the six sessions students will expand their sense of freedom onstage, exploring core principles of clowning and cultivating a deeper connection between their sense of humour, their bodies, and the audience.

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The focus is on giving the work time: time to play, repeat, notice patterns, and let things deepen naturally. This is a unique opportunity for artists of all disciplines and skill levels to work on your sense of pleasure in the moment, to improve playing beats with intention, clarity and rhythm, and to get comfortable with vulnerability and failure.

What We’ll Work On

Across six Saturdays in March and April, participants will:

• Explore clown through simple play, structured improvisation, and physical exercises
   

• Build comfort with being present and reacting with honesty & vulnerability
   

• Learn basic techniques for shaping and repeating material
   

• Develop a small piece or score to keep working on
   

Teaching Approach

Though both rooted in Lecoq pedagogy, Adam Paolozza and Chase Jeffels bring their own unique approach and perspective to the work. Together they create a room that balances rigor with playfulness. The aim is to offer multiple approaches to clowning, while supporting each participant in finding what works for them.

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Teacher Bios

Adam Paolozza

Adam Paolozza is an award winning performer, director and teacher, and the Artistic Director of Bad New Days. His work fuses elements of mask, mime, movement, physical theatre, clown and object work to create dynamic, original devised creations. His work has been recognized with numerous awards and has toured nationally and internationally. Learn more at: badnewdays.com 

Chase Jeffels

Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d’Étude du Mouvement in Paris, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier, who once said of Chase’s work (in a thick French accent), “I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do.”

Chase has studied clown, bouffon, and idiot work with teachers including Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, and Deanna Fleysher, and is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School conservatory. His performance work spans film, television, theatre, and live comedy. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, one half of the clown duo West 2 West, and the creator of Goofing—a punk-inspired mix of clown, riffing, and improvisation rooted in risk, presence, and laughter through failure.