A Conspiracy Of Clowns

Masks in theatre and beyond from the Neutral mask to the Red Nose

A lecture-presentation with Giovanni Fusetti

This Friday, April 3rd, Baxter Theatre. Tickets on sale at the door - 50 bucks. 2-4pm.  It’s dirt cheap, it’s fascinating, the guy is indeed a master.  BE THERE.  It’s that simple.

Giovanni writes:

From shamanic rituals to contemporary carnival, masks have always been essential human expression. As sacred objects mask are connected with the mystery of shapeshifting and journeying into different realms of reality. Peoples in all continents and times have used masks to perform rituals and to connect with the world of spirits.

Masks are connected with the mystery of the human soul, with its multiples archetypes and powers. Carl Gustav Jung used the word masks to describe the different psychic personas that inhabits every human. The possibility of exploring the different powers is the gift of mask to consciousness.

In recent history, masks moved form ritual to theatre, and were already present in the first codified form of theatre, the Greek Tragedy. The actor is the master of shapeshifting, and masks are the ultimate tools of its transformation.

During this presentation the Italian theatre master and fool Giovanni Fusetti, will guide the audience into a journey of discovery of the world of masks. After an anthropological introduction the space will be brought to life with the Neutral Mask, the starting point of Physical Theatre training, as developed by Jacques Lecoq and Amleto Sartori. This mask reveals a state of calm and absence of conflict, bringing the body to a state of silence. Once the neutral state is reached, all stories can be told, like dramatic signs on a white page of silence.

The appearance of the first simple forms and dynamics are visible in the Larval Masks, which belongs to the Swiss carnival tradition. Expressive masks will present a growing complexity of lines, shapes and dramatic nuances.

Once the mouth is uncovered we enter the world of half masks, from Naïve Masks to Commedia dell’Arte Stock characters, both traditional and contemporary.

The final step is the smallest mask in the world: the Red Nose. The mask of sublime stupidity, which reveals the unique comic presence in every human being, based on his unique physical and emotional space and body. The clown is the poetical transposition of the unique silliness of every person.

(from www.giovannifusetti.com)

Wow.  OK, I know I promised to write up the process as it’s been happening, but man oh man it has been such an intense rush of discovery and exploration that it’s been nigh impossible to find a moment to reflect on the search.  Better to just go with it.

Let’s get some smoodgy stuff out the way.  I have been really fortunate in my life to experience some great teachers.  With the greatest of respect for all of them though, Giovanni is quite simply a master.

Hardly batting an eyelid or without too much concern, within minutes he swept the 13 of us up and has held us enthralled the past 5 days.  And that’s not to imply he’s disinterested – on the contrary, he is able to give, to every single person in turn, his utmost focus and generosity as he expertly guides us to personal revelation.  As more than one person has said with admiration: there’s so much learning going on.

So far, it has been such a rejuvenation of personal creative energy and passion.  I’ve been feeling quite low ever since we closed at the Baxter (I suffer horribly from post-production blues), and have been staring down the barrel of creating 2 brand new works for festival and feeling creatively dead.  But here comes new life, stirring in the changing of seasons.  It has been truly amazing to participate on this course.  And if I were a younger guy, with fewer commitments and responsibilities…man, I’d be applying for his school in a heartbeat!

Today is the final day where we continue to play with our clowns that have been midwived by Giovanni.  I can’t believe the week has sped by so fast.  I wish we could slow down time and make this last much longer.