This is mean. I’m sorry in advance. But it is difficult to listen to actors talk about their clown work. I have heard over the years about how “clown work really blew my emotional work wide open” or some such similar sentiment. And then listening to the specific clown name they came up and then retelling a workshop story from the point of view and in the voice of their clown. I hear the name “Chris Bayes” a lot, who apparently teaches clown work at Yale and other workshops in the city. (Husband and good friends have taken classes with him. He’s also taught like Lupita L’uongo and other famous people.)
The thing is I believe them, and I am fully committed to not being cynical. I want to embrace being positive and promote possibilities and not focus on what can go wrong.
But this is too much. Too personal. Keep this to yourselves. Or better yet, let the work speak for itself. And I’m sure, should I ever find myself in a clown class, I will fully disregard this advice and share, share, share.
xoxo