The Local, June 22, 2010
Clown. For some that word conjures up Bozo, or Krusty from “The Simpsons.” For others it may be a scary image such as Pennywise from Stephen King’s novel, “It.”
What may not immediately come to mind is a group of performers together in a classroom, singing improvised group songs and creating characters. But that is what was waiting inside a small white building on South Oxford Street last week during a clown workshop taught by neighborhood resident Christopher Bayes.
Mr. Bayes runs a series of summer workshops exploring clowning, including some taught by Virginia Scott, who uses Mr. Bayes’ method. Classes include Clown 1, Clown 2, Commedia Dell’arta and Clown Show.
“There are so many amazing artists and theater people in Fort Greene,” Mr. Bayes said.
Some students go on to work as clowns. Some are actors, just looking to learn new approaches to their work.
“I believe that most actors decide to take clown because they want to rediscover pleasure in their acting and want to gain a sense of ownership of the actor-audience relationship,” Mr. Bayes said. “Some people do go on to use the pure form of the clown, but many just become more playful, beautiful and open actors.”
A recent morning session of Clown 2 felt more like an acting class than a circus. Mr. Bayes instructed students on their performances as well as the development of their clown personas. The clown, he said during class, is the character each person would be if they had never been told no.
“Clowns,” he explained, “generally don’t follow any social rules of conduct.”
