Led by Aitor Basauri
July 3 – July 9
A love of the grotesque, the forbidden, of bad taste, irony, parody, and all things deformed: these are the toys and tools of the Bouffon, the outcast who lives to provoke the audience without losing the love of the audience.
In this rich theatrical world of invention, the Bouffon lives to provoke the audience without losing their love. The stakes could not be higher: if they lose the love of the audience, the Bouffon will be KILLED.
In this workshop, we will play games and exercises that will help every performer find that place where their personal Bouffon is—a place of risk, a place of danger, a place of daring. In contrast to the Clown, the key to the Bouffon is discovering the intelligence of the performer in parodying, their cleverness in daring to mock and provoke the audience, while simultaneously staying alive, a balancing act which requires supreme sensitivity.
Please note: This workshop invites students, through playful performance, to critique power in its many forms. Students should be willing to dive into and embody material that may be considered dark or edgy, as the workshop aims, through Bouffon, to bring historically marginalized voices and bodies, as well as subjects considered to be taboo or risqué, to the forefront.
Cost
Now through May 1 (Early Bird Rate):
– Workshop with standard double-occupancy room: $720
– Workshop with single room: $1,080
Starting on May 2:
– Workshop with standard double-occupancy room: $800
– Workshop with single room: $1,200
Multiple Workshop Discount (5%) is available for participants taking more than one workshop.
Register Today
There are three steps to register:
1) Make a deposit via Eventbrite to reserve your slot in the workshop via.
2) Fill out an application via a Google Form. Applications include the submission of a resume and headshot.
3) Read the General Info page to learn everything you need to know about workshops at the Barn.
Aitor Basauri
Aitor Basaui is joint artistic director, performer, and co-founder of Spymonkey. He is a performer, director, and one of the most eagerly sought-after teachers in the world for clown and physical comedy, a visiting tutor at the École Philippe Gaulier in Paris and Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde Foundation in Las Vegas. He teaches clown around the world in London, Berlin, Barcelona, Zurich, New York, Los Angeles, Colombia, and Mexico.
About Spymonkey
Since their inception in 1998 Spymonkey has created some of the most outstandingly original comedy theater, including Stiff, Cooped, Moby Dick, Oedipussy, and The Complete Deaths.
Television and stage appearances have seen them work alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, Naomi Campbell, Miranda Hart, Sandi Toksvig, Ronnie Corbett, Fiona Shaw, and Nick Frost.
Widely acknowledged as world leaders in the fields of clown and physical comedy, they are sought out as teachers, consultants, and directors for their insight and experience in creating brilliant, original, and singular work by organizations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
Their expanding program of professional masterclasses and workshops regularly sell out in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and London.