CLOWN FOR MUSICIANS
WITH TOBY PARK
2-DAY WORKSHOP
PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH
SPYMONKEY INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS
In this 2 day workshop we will explore how music and comedy co-exist, and how having a sense of both can lead us into new and totally original comedic and musical territory.
Using the principles of clown, (which will be familiar to students of Spymonkey’s work), vulnerability, generosity, pleasure, optimism, complicity - we will explore these things and more:
We will explore Pleasure!
The clown’s pleasure of being ridiculous on stage, of playing with our friends, of performing music together, of pursuing grand ambitions, of unlikely choices, of aiming high, of making terrible mistakes and of failing woefully!
And the pleasure of making an audience laugh their socks off.
Who is this course for?
Anyone who is interested in exploring the intersection between music, rhythm, and comedy! This course is an introduction to Spymonkey clown work, specifically targeted at musicians, opera singers and musical theatre performers who want to explore music and clown, and discover their unique comedic selves.
We welcome musicians and performers of all disciplines, from opera singers and triple threat musical theatre performers to cabaret entertainers, variety acts, concert violinists, dub poets and street musicians. And everything in between. Experienced clowns with an interest in music are also welcome to enroll.
Music has always played a huge part in the Spymonkey creative process - we think early on in our writing about what the show might offer in the way of deliciously inappropriate original songs, musical theatre genres that we want to explore, unlikely cover versions of existing songs, speciality variety acts, original music in a range of genres and styles to inspire us to new choreographic heights, sound effects that establish their own theatrical conventions.
INSTRUCTORS: Toby Park
DATE: Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th
TIME: 10AM-3PM
TUITION: $295
*Sign up for Spymonkey’s 2-week creation school, and take Clown for Musicians for a reduced rate of $225
CAPACITY: Maximum 20 participants
LOCATION: TBA
“Music and Clown have always existed side by side for me, the one feeding the other. As we’ve started working intensively with musicians as part of our directing and teaching, we’ve realized how useful our work can be in opening up new ways of being on stage, new ways of being true to our comedic performing selves. This is the first time I’ve offered this workshop in New York. I’m excited to see what brilliant, mad, strange concoctions of music and theatre we come up with! How much of a musician or clown I leave in your court - you won’t need to know how to play or sing with any degree of proficiency to stretch your musical and comedic sensibilities and create new work unique to you.” - Toby Park
