Clownlympics

My group did the Clownlympic event of Frisbee Golf. We started out backstage, then arrived at the park and squeezed out of our obviously tiny clown car, upstage center. We then picked teams and divided the stage a bit. Even threw it to Fabian, who threw it back but was intercepted by Amanda who threw it to me. I then used a straddle jump to catch it, then tossed it off to Octavio and ended in a 180 degree jump. Then it was thrown to Toby, who didn't catch it, which made Evan and I go for it at the same time. I used leaps to reach the frisbee and then an assemble, which also knocks Evan out. Then I threw it to Octavio, but was knocked over into a side fall by Fabian. After everyone else had been knocked out of the game, Toby discovers he is the last clown standing; which made him do a celebration combo of moves and then leave us behind.

The other two groups explored three-legged races and curling, which we were able to accompany with different instruments. Each group employed several jumps, rolls and traveling moves; with each having a unique way to communicate their event and create a cohesive story.

clownlympics

Our clownlyimpics was ultimate Frisbee. Toby came up with an idea that we should be back stage go forward and then back to simulate a car parking. We then get out and try to push each other out of the way. Then the teams are chosen. Once the teams are chosen the heat begins the Frisbee is tossed to everyone except Toby who avoids it. Then we all get it and everyone knocks each other down and then we all eventually get up when Toby takes off and run after the car.

Movement involved: pike jump, straddle, 360, walking, running, side fall, back fall,chase, sissone, ninja, straight jump

People involved: Octavio, Cassie, Fabian, Amanda, Toby, and Evan.

Clownlympics!

For our event, my team decided to do curling as it provided a way to incorporate our locomotor movements and some silly shenanigans! I personally used cartwheeling, chassé, running, a straight jump, and a straddle jump. My character was very competitive and came up with the idea to cheat by carrying our stone (Emily) to win the game. This unit was a lot of fun for me and I loved watching everyone's creativity with their events!

Our clown olympics bit was a three legged race.  My specific character was the nervous, scared clown.  I was terrified of the competitors, the gun shot, even of winning and tried to hold Miles back.  Miles and I complimented each other because he was the confident brave clown who wanted to win and basically drug me along.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to be at the race and I especially felt that way when Kelcee and Will showed up.

In our bit Miles and I did straddle, ninja, pike, straight, 180 degree, Gallop, Walk, Assemble, Sissone, Side Fall, and a Side Roll.

Reading responses from start of semester to now

Chapter 4- Body Energizers

I really enjoy using the body energies to help create and enhance characters on stage. I often find myself drawn to radiance and potency, as I enjoy playing more serious and intense characters. I have also found buoyancy to come I handy though. For example, I recently play Lady Larkin in Once Upon a Mattress and I felt like she was very boyant and light most of the time, or at least she tried to pretend she was. It was a fun energy to play with, especially being something I’m not usually drawn to.

Bringing the Past into the Present: Period Dance on the Stage and in the Curriculum - Movement for Actors

I have been dancing since I was very young and have done ballet for the majority of my life. I loved to read about all the different styles and periods, and I think it is important in theatre because many shows have period dances in them. The section on postural alignment is super helpful. The exercises included for better posture are really relevant to me, because I have horrible posture and so often I forget about it on stage.

Shakespeare Honors the Three Centers of the Body - Movement for Actors

The three centers are mind, heart, and body.  This chapter focuses on putting the actor into an Elizabethan or Middle Ages character.  I think its very important to keep these in mind when performing more classical text because so many classical works created characters using these centers specifically, and highlighting them within each character will help to develop something really nice on stage. Also using facial and body expressions to show emotion can be a huge help when the text doesn’t offer exact words that describe feelings.

Posture and Alignment - Energy and Relaxation in Movement

I’ve always been very interested in how the human body works and functions as a whole. I loved this chapter and being able to read about the different skeletal and muscular functions that help to create the movements we do. It also really helped to show how important stretching and warming up is before performances and highly physical activity. Being a dancer and an actor, I pay a lot of attention to my body and make sure to try to give it what it needs to be ready for performance.

 

Chapter 10 - Body’s Personal Space Spheres
This chapter talked a lot about imagining and creating a sphere for yourself and using that sphere to take up space. This is something that I’ve been practicing for awhile and is commonly brought up in my classes and rehearsals. It also was something we talked about a lot in voice class and working to use our voices to fill different types of spaces. I have a pretty big voice, so often times its more difficult for me to try and contain it to smaller spaces and I have to work harder in that instance.

Theatrical Stillness - Movement for Actors

So often I see actors feeling like they have to move too much. I struggled with this when I first started acting, and now I’ve come to really prefer using stillness. I also struggled with this in my directing class this semester, and I was concerned about using too much stillness in a scene, but came to be comfortable with it, and it ended up looking much more realistic. In real life we’re not moving constantly, and I think that it should be reflected in acting.

 Chapter 3 - Taihenjutsu - Stage Combat

I enjoyed how this chapter put emphasis on physical warm ups and stretches before getting into stage combat. I think a lot of people forget that this is a highly physical skill and you can really get hurt if you aren’t prepared before you start. I also liked how it made sure to say how important a slower tempo is when first learning and practicing. There is so much detail that you have to pay attention to and if you try and rush it too much, it can be very dangerous for everyone involved.

 

Be A Clown

I think this really just tells about how important it is to have fun and don't worry about being too much when it comes to clowning. There is importance in little details, but mainly its about enjoying the process and creating something fun. Comedy isn't always the main goal either.

 

Clown Video Response

I have always loved Mr. bean, and so getting to watch more of Atkinson's work was great. he paid such attention to little details, and that's what really makes his work so special. I also appreciated the racing video because something so simple was so funny and I think that is a big part of clowning. I was a gymnast for a long time and know how difficult the bars are, so watching that video was also very entertaining. That event is not designed for men and he really showed some skill doing it, as well as showed why it's difficult for men in a very comedic way.

Tech N9ne

    Tech N9ne has been one of my favorite artists for over a decade. He is a rap artist with a style unlike any other. Tech N9ne's real name is Aaron Dontez Yates, he is from Kansas City, MO. Yates has always been a fan of horror films and he is fascinated with serial killers. This has influenced his music greatly over the years. Tech N9ne calls himself and his crew the Killer clowns. This is very different from the type of clowning we are experimenting with, however there are just as particular of mannerisms in each type. This is part of an underground rap movement including the Insane Clown Posse group, Hed P.E. (Sad clowns), Twiztid (Wicked clowns). These are all artists that have taken their clowning to a weird level which I dont like. 

Tech N9ne's Killer clown style does not imply that he is evil. He just kills the style he choses! His movements are extremely particular and precise. I have always admired his articulate speech, however when I see him live I can not help but to respect his ability to be so articulate with his movements as well. He moves very low to the ground and uses his hands and fingers to move with the music. His type of clowning expresses his sinister and also sexual nature. He will use the microphone as a phallic symbol, he will also ask women to home on stage and he will practically give them a lap dance, among other things. Somtimes he is ridiculous, but he is very entertaining.

   Tech N9ne started painting his face when he was a backup dancer and realized that it changed him. The face paint gave Tech the ability to share much more on stage. He says he "stopped giving a f***." The paint gave him freedom of expression and let him bring the things he wanted to hold inside, out! He says in a recent interview that his vulgarity and craziness in his music comes from the freedom he gained from adopting a clown persona.

   Tech N9ne's stage presence have taken him very far. He puts on the most electrifying shows and has created a label to reflect his nature called Strange Music. He recently switched to a mask, probably to avoid harsh face paint every day.

Clown Research Project

Cassie Lujan

THE 3220

6 April 2016

Clown Research Project

Otto Griebling

Otto Griebling was born in Germany on April 28^th 1896 and was responsible for the convention of the silent tramp style of clowning. Griebling migrated to the United States at age fourteen and lived with his mother in Wisconsin. He answered an advertisement for a Bareback Rider for the Riding Hodginis of a famous circus family in Baraboo, WI. Sometime after that, Griebling road for the Hanneford riding act at the Sells Floto Circus.

Then in 1930, Griebling decided after a decade of bareback riding he decided to become a clown full time and this is when his silent tramp style emerged. In 1932, he took up with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. Then, two years later, he became a prominent figure in the Cole Bros Circus. In 1951, Griebling found his circus home in Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Griebling had a style all his own in his tramp clowning. It was silent and featured pantomime and many prop-heavy gags. Some examples of that include hat prestidigation and using blocks of ice to showcase a long running bit during the evening. It has been said that many professional contemporary clowns have based their foundation on the techniques that Griebling coined. Many people refer to Emmett Kelly as the curator of the silent tramp, however this is due to misrepresentation and now Griebling is understood as the revolutionary teacher he was.

In 1970, Griebling discovered throat cancer and had to have his larynx removed, which rendered him speechless. He taught at the Ringling Bros Clown College in Sarasota, Florida and continued to perform til his death in April 1972 as he was doing what he loved during a show at Madison Square Garden.

Works Cited

"Otto Griebling (1896 - 1972) - Find A Grave Memorial." Otto Griebling (1896 - 1972) - Find A Grave Memorial. 

"Otto Griebling." Circus Clown Otto Griebling. 

Sward, Jeffrey. "Otto Griebling Tribute." Jeffrey Sward, Photographer.

Clown youtube clips

The Mr. bean one was my favorite. As a child I loved watching Mr. Bean and it made me cheer up in the worst of times. These clips also show how timing is everything especially in the boxing clip which was very well done. The bar routine was hilarious and looked well done so that no one gets hurt. It is true that everyone should warm up so there are no injuries. Train well and don't try this at home kids unless you are trained!

clown research project

Clown research project

Dimitri Jakob muller was born in Ascona, Switzerland on September 18,1935. He wanted to be a clown at age seven after watching a clown performance by clown Andeff. His parents didn’t know how to help him when they found out he wanted to do clowning. They eventually signed him up for dance classes, acrobatics, acting, and gymnastics. He studied in Paris with Etienne Decroux and met Marcel Marceau. He was told that if he works at it really hard he could be a good mime. He married his childhood sweetheart Guanda in 1961, and has four children. In the early 1960’s he was performing in leading Paris theaters. In 1969, he was invited to swiss circus Knie. His style is solo and involves little to no props and no scenery.  In 1975, he established a school called scuola teatro Demitri.

He was inducted to the international clown hall of fame in 1995. He was an author, songwriter, and operated a theater company with his spouse. To be a successful mime one would have to play some instruments, good at clowning, good with timing, and do difficult tricks such as shooting and catching balls in your mouth.  He has always made people laugh he told an interviewer in 2012. He died at age 80 he passed on July 19,2016 In Borgnone, Ticino.

Dimitri the Clown; Mime artist and circus clown who trained with Marcel Marceau and became a Unicef ambassador." Daily Telegraph [London, England], 26 July 2016, p. 25. Infotrac Newsstand, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&sw=w&u=auraria_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA459224830&sid=summon&asid=244aa22b3f8311ca34b959942903e852. Accessed 4 Apr. 2017.

Graeber, L. (2009, Apr 03). La famiglia dimitri. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://0-search-proquest-com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/docview/1030598085?accountid=14506

Clowning Videos

The videos were very interesting to watch.  I loved the Mr. Bean video.  I have always loved his work.  His ability to make it look like the drums were actually there was amazing!  It reminded me of when we were clowning with props.  I noticed that he had a space between his fingers for the drumsticks just like we talked.  In "Regards of the Flight," Bill Irwin as I talked about in my paper uses dance and his flexibility.  I also liked the way he used an audience member.  Irwin's body movement is special.  I really have never seen anyone like him.  His flexibility is amazing.  The Olympics for People with No Sense of Direction was hilarious.  It was a simple, yet effective clowning.  Charlie Chaplin's movement is so timely and precise.  His dance with the referee was so in time, choreographed, and rehearsed.  It was fantastic.  The Bar Routine was pretty funny.  The way he landed on his back at the end was done so well.  He knew exactly how to land to not get injured.

Reading MA 187-195 ,104-107,36-49

These readings seem to stress the importance of audience connection. Clowning is not always about making people laugh it is telling a story. This reminds me about making contact with the audience to get a good impression. After reading about Mr. Downey J.R. struggling to learn Chaplin it is similar to me when I try to mimic some actors. Bottom line it is important to connect with audience and rehearse with purpose.

Ed Wynn

Kelcee Covert

THE 3220- Stage Movement

Clown Research Project

April 5, 2017

Ed Wynn

            Ed Wynn was an American comedian who was born Isaiah Edwin Leopold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents we’re immigrants from Europe, and were stern about working hard for a living. He ran away from home in his teens, worked as a hat salesman and as a utility boy, and eventually adapted his middle name "Edwin" into his new stage name, "Ed Wynn", to save his family the embarrassment of having a lowly comedian as a relative. Wynn began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was a star of the Ziegfeld Follies starting in 1914. Wynn wrote, directed, and produced many shows on Broadway and was known for his silly costumes and props. He also developed a signature giggly, wavering voice in 1921 for the musical review, The Perfect Fool.

            In the early 1930s Wynn hosted the popular radio show The Fire Chief. Like many former vaudeville performers who turned to radio, Wynn insisted on performing for a live audience and doing each program as an actual stage show. He used visual bits to augment his written material, and wore a colorful costume with a red fireman's helmet. Wynn's customary opening, "Tonight, Graham, the show's gonna be different," became one of the most familiar tag-lines of its time.

            Ed Wynn hosted one of the first network comedy-variety television shows, on CBS, and won both a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award in 1949. He worked with many pop icons of the decade on this show. He than moved to movies alongside his son and starred in Requiem For a Heavyweight. This established Wynn as serious dramatic actor who could easily hold his own with the best. His role in The Diary of Anne Frank won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Wynn skillfully moved between comic and dramatic roles. Wynn voiced the Mad Hatter in Disney's Alice in Wonderland and played The Toymaker in Disney's Babes in Toyland. Possibly his best-remembered film appearance was in Mary Poppins, in which he played Uncle Albert, singing "I Love to Laugh".

            Wynn died June 19, 1966 in Beverly Hills, California of throat cancer at 79. Red Skelton, who was discovered by Wynn, stated: "His death is the first time he ever made anyone sad."

Bibliography

Berman, Garry. Perfect fool: the life and career of Ed Wynn. Albany, GA: BearManor Media, 2012. Print.

"Ed Wynn." Ed Wynn. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ed-wynn

Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ed Wynn." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed-Wynn

Bill Irwin - Clown Extraordinaire

Bill Irwin

Clown Extraordinaire

Bill Irwin is an excellent example of a modern day clown.  In his skit, In Regard of the Flight, (1982), he climbs into a trunk and pretends to walk downstairs.  This particular skit has followed me throughout my life. I am not sure where I first saw it but I have always been enamored with his movement and even attempted to copy it.  Unfortunately, my abilities are nowhere near Irwin’s.

After earning a theatre degree from Oberlin College, Irwin began his clown training by graduating from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College in 1974.  He helped build the Pickle Family Circus as one of its founders.  Irwin has been featured on television, in movies, on Broadway, and even has had a few Broadway shows of his own. 

According to Marvin Carlson, Irwin is considered a “new vaudevillian.” (Carlson 124)  He “mixed traditional clown routines with continually foiled attempts to establish a new avant-garde approach to theatre and with the running accompaniment of a critic from the audience commenting on the work.” (Carlson 124)  Irwin has a way about him that one rarely sees.  He is extremely flexible and does the splits as if he were slipping on a banana.  He also is a magnificent dancer and brings that into his routines.  His character name on Sesame Street, Mr. Noodle, fits well because at times his body moves and literally looks like a noodle.

Irwin uses buoyancy, radiancy, and potency in his clowning.  Using all three at different times makes his character seem heavy, light, and at times nervous.  At times his feet never seem to touch the ground.  His ability to make his legs look like rubber when dancing or walking is quite amazing because it looks as if he is boneless.  According to Bruce Weber, clowning is so ingrained in Irwin that he even ends up using it during auditions.  Irwin’s ability to use his posture as an objective and a tactic is a reminder to all actors that physicality is just as important as vocal ability. 

Irwin discusses the differences between acting and clowning by reciting lines written by someone else and the “ability to use their own material.” (Bilowit)  He also believes that clowning is more physically demanding than acting.  This is reiterated simply by watching some of his clowning routines and comparing those to his roles on television or in movies, unless of course he is playing a clown on TV or in a movie.

According to Weber, Irwin stretches a lot.  He stretches even when doing mundane tasks, which is obvious in his skits, because he is extremely flexible.  In rehearsals, he uses mirrors to watch his facial expressions and get them just right.  Utilizing his eyebrows and mouth he creates the face of his character.

Personally, I would love to emulate Irwin’s imaginative expression.  He makes everything look simple, no matter what he is doing.  His face may show us a different view but his body is so fluid and smooth.  Irwin talks about the years of practice and how it makes him who he is in his interview with the New York Times.  However, Irwin is not just a clown.  He is also the 2005 Tony Award winning actor for his performance of George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Broadway.  Irwin can dazzle the world with his movement and also with his abilities as an actor on stage.  

Bibliography

“Bill Irwin Biography.” The Bill Irwin.com.  2014-2017. Web 3 April 2017. http:// thebillirwin.com/biography.html

Bilowit, Ira J. "Bill Irwin and the fine art of clowning." Back Stage, 6 Oct. 1995, p. 5+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.dop=ITOF&sw=w&u=auraria_ main &v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE %7CA17595095&sid= summon&asid=864c798067517f5aef1bb6e2bcc4e8fb. Accessed 4 Apr. 2017.

Carlson, Marvin.  Performance: A Critical Introduction, second edition. Routeledge, 2004.

Weber, Bruce. “AT THE GYM WITH -- Bill Irwin; Just Clowning Around With Intellect.” New York Times. March 3, 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/03/ garden/at-the-gym-with-bill-irwin-just-clowning-around-with-intellect.html? pagewanted=all

Reading Responses for this week

Reading Response for Movement for Actors

Teaching Charlie Chaplin How To Walk

In our reading this week I was struck by a few things.  I have never really been into Charlie Chaplin but after reading about his walk and movements on stage, I had the desire to watch him in action.  After watching several clips, I felt that Dan Kamin was right on when he said that Chaplin's movement were fluid.  I did not know that Chaplin was an alcoholic and maybe that added to his fluidity.  When I am drunk, my movements are definitely more fluid, or at least I feel that they are.
I really connected with the section about Robert Downey Jr.'s struggle to get Chaplin's movements.  When we are playing characters that are more relaxed then us we should start are warmup process with daily relaxation and work that is specific to that character.  In fact, we should cater each warm up like we do with vocal warmups and base them on the nature of our characters.

The Smallest Mask: The Red Nose

This reading reminded me that we need to make a connection with the audience.  It's so important in clowning to make eye contact, keeping the fourth wall open. Another area that struck me was to use our limitations as comedy.  I feel in clowning we must be more vulnerable.  This will make our characters stand out and make the audience feel a closer connection to us.  The three-second wait was a great exercise to get us out of our own personal movements.

Movement Training: Dell'Arte International

This chapter helped to remind me that truly the audience bases everything off of what they see and what they hear.  To just walk across a stage as yourself, when you are playing a character that is totally different than you, is a failure.   We as actors must make our characters believable.  We want the audience to feel something.  The other part that really spoke to me was about how as we grow up we have learned to mask our emotions.  This is so true and we need to remind ourselves that showing the audience is extremely important.