Volume 1 Number 12

Hi Folks,

Thanks for all the feedback on the newsletter and the new website.   I have taken onboard what people have said and made adjustments where I can.   I would like to ask for your assistance in completing a short survey I am conducting.  It relates to my return to studies at university.  It has 12 questions and should take less than 2 minutes of your time.  Essentially it is a quick look at attitudes towards Drama and Technology.

I'd also like to apologise in advance that next week there will be no edition of Drama Ed Weekly.  I'm off to Sydney to catch up on some live theatre!

LESSON/ACTIVITY IDEA

• Clowning Around (Pt 2)

Last week I talked about the notion of the "simple" clown and drew some parallels between clown and shaman.   This week I'd like to extend the clowning topic a little to include the "child" clown.   

The Child Clown

This is another important character to understand.   The child clown is sometimes referred to as the "naughty" or "mischievous" clown.  This clown's key features are insatiable curiosity, an uncontrollable desire to participate, fun-seeking, responsibility avoiding.    

I'd like to share one activity I use with students to explore the child clown (after we have thoroughly played with the idea of the "simple" clown)

The Task

First step is to get the students to pair off in working partnerships.

Secondly they are to decide who is person "A" and who is "B".  At this stage they do not know what role each will be asked to do.

Phase One

Person "A" is to be the clown - a character somewhere between Simple and Child.  This is a transitional phase.  The following limitations and qualities should be applied to developing the character:

• This character is essentially mute - the odd word may be spoken or mumbled but only if there is no manageable way to meet the outcome non-verbally;   
• This character seeks to please others;
• This character is easily distracted;
• This character is very playful;
• This character feels subordinate;
• This character is emotional;
• This character maintains a naiveté.

Person "B" is a regular person and can be characterised as such.  They may have any normal human attributes in a relatively normal balance.  They can speak and act in a relatively realistic style.

The students are then asked to devise a scenario.  

• "B" runs a small business and is seeking help - eg.  an ice-cream vendor
• "A" arrives and is mistaken for a candidate for the job.  
• "B" should begin to instruct "A" in how to complete a simple job - eg. how to prepare a cone, fill it and top it for a customer.
• "A" is keen to please but, unnoticed by "B", gets distracted at some points and misses essential aspects of the task.
• "B" is then called away unexpectedly and leaves "A" to undertake the task.
• "A" is to show what happens as a result
• "B" returns and has to deal with "A".

This scenario should be rehearsed and presented to the class.

Phase Two

Have A and B swap roles.   B is now the clown.

This time the clown is actually a little more deliberate in the mischief... the lack of ability is not so much due to distraction as the clown's intention to play.  There should be nothing malicious in the way the clown operates, i.e. the clown does not intend to hurt other people but the awareness of consequences may be very limited.   The clown is also unwilling to accept responsibility for any negative consequences but seeks praise for everything else.  The child clown is far more vocal than the simple clown.  They can ask questions, brag, beg, whine, etc...

In a similar scenario to the one above the students will explore how the child clown reacts to events.

Phase Three

An interesting exploration is to then team up pairs and have both the simple and child clowns represented in a scene.  Explore how their relationship works.  Include in this scene a couple of regular people to see how each clown responds and reacts.  It is likely the child clown will seek to divert responsibility to the simple clown, the child clown is likely to lead the simple clown astray.   The child clown will begin to judge others in the scene, the simple clown remains the innocent.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITE

• Big Book of Skits 

Complete descriptions of 100+ clown routines and skits.  This site is a godsend to any teachers introducing the idea of clowning to their students.

• Creating the Carnivalesque

  This is an examination and explanation of the principles and practices learnt and developed over seven years of making public festival entertainment. It includes mumming shows, puppetry, circus, strolling bands, parades, image building, site decoration, pyrotechnics, walk arounds, improvisation, site management and rehearsal.  This work was undertaken by students and staff in the BA Communication at Charles Sturt University. It was initially informed by the work of Welfare State International, by popular theatre, new circus and street theatre.

   

• Devising the Celebration - Taking it to the street

  We have gathered some material from the workshop and added it to this website. We have some samples of the work produced in the newspaper object and bookie stand exercises. There's also some notes about making banners, shadow puppets, the bug/car constructions and the street parade. Phil Relf's notes on where to find lantern materials are now online.

PROFESSIONAL NEWS

• YOUTH THEATRE JOURNAL

Call for Submissions for Volume 18, 2004

Youth Theatre Journal is a juried publication, dedicated to advancing the
study and practice of theatre and drama with, for, and by people of all ages.
It is concerned with all forms of scholarship of the highest quality that
inform the fields of theatre for young audiences and drama/theatre education.


Contributors are encouraged to make submissions at any time to the editor
at the address below. Final date for all submissions is October 1, 2003.
All contributions should conform to the following guidelines:

• Four (4) hard copies of each manuscript must be presented along with a
  computer disk in MS Word format. Manuscripts should synthesize information
  cogently in 10-20 double-spaced pages, excluding selective Works Cited, figures,
  tables, photographs, and appendices.
• Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the latest
  edition of the APA Publication Manual or the MLA Handbook. 
• For research involving ?human subjects?, authors must verify that they
  have met the Ethical Standards for the Reporting and Publishing of Scientific
• Information (see APA Publication Manual, 5th edition, Appendix C) either
  in the text of the paper or in the cover letter to the editor.
• A cover sheet, attached to one copy only, must include: the title of the
  manuscript; the author's name; affiliation; address; telephone; fax; email
  address; a brief biographical description of the author and a 25 word abstract
  of the paper.
• To insure anonymity, the author's name and affiliation must be struck from
  the text of three copies of the manuscript.
• Only manuscripts submitted with a self-addressed, stamped manila envelope
  will be returned Black and white photographs cannot be returned.
  
  For further information contact Dr. Laura A. McCammon 520-621-8741 or mccammon@email.arizona.edu
  
  Please submit papers to
  
  Youth Theatre Journal Vol. 18
  c/o Laura A. McCammon
  School of Theatre Arts
  P.O. Box 210003
  University of Arizona
  Tucson, AZ 85721-0003

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Creative Clowning
by Bruce Fife

A great introduction to shaping the character of your clown as well as a guide to building the performance qualities.

Kim Flintoff

Copyright © September, 2004