Clowning in the Art of Improv - Weekend Workshop

Scratch Theater presents

Clowning in the art of Improv
Saturday July 29th and Sunday July 30th.

This class is for improvisers, actors, clowns, comedians or anyone who wants to get to the root of funny.

Robert Rodgers from Cirque Du Soleil is teaching a weekend course on “Clowning” In this safe and fun environment, Robert will transform you and your clown into a whole new level of performance. Have you ever wondered why Charlie Chaplin is so watchable and still so beloved? It’s the complete sense of honesty in movement and voice.

We will work on finding the essence of you and what makes you funny. Everyone is funny in different ways. We all have a voice. Sometimes we think we know what the funny is, but if you show yourself, who you truly are, we get to the individual truth of what is funny through your eyes... A clown is someone who finds the innocence of a child or the nativity to the world while balancing the contradictions of who we are individually If you understood or grasp the notion of this, you can tackle anything and it will change your way of any artistic work that you trying to convey whether through improv, acting, clowning or even life. Through simplicity, physical grace and honesty you will set the foundation to grow in a new way.

This 12 hour workshop will be split up into two days.

We will cover:

• White and Red clown roles.
• Master servant roles
• Baffoonery
• Contradictions in clown character
• How you are perceived
• Finding the loser in you
• Your Lovely thing
• Physical eloquence
• Getting into trouble
• Creating chaos
• Listening to the audience.

Take this opportunity to learn the power of clown and how to apply it to improvisational work, plays, screenplays or Clown routines.

This weekend workshop will be on July 29th and July 30th.
The class is at FMP1, Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin
From 11-6 Saturday
11-4 on Sunday

This course will be taught by me, Rob Rodgers (biography below), and costs 190 EUR. Early Bird special is 175 if paid by July 19th. payable to:

Robert Rodgers
Berliner Sparkasse
DE13 1005 0000 1068 0212 30
BELADEBEXXX
Finanzamt & Steuernummer: Pankow 31, 495/00 232

Please email [robert@scratchtheater.com](mailto:robert@scratchtheater.com) to let me know you have paid, as sometimes the payment can take a couple days to go through and I want to be sure you get your spot in the course! Also, let me know if there are any questions.

I’m looking forward to meeting you,
Rob

—

Biography: Robert Rodgers, founder and director

Robert is the founder of the Scratch Theater Improv School in Berlin and has trained players in a new way of performing, some new to improv and some looking for something different. A method based on emotion, rich characters, and narration that provokes the audience.

Scratch Theater was created in 1995 to explore long-form improv and to take it beyond what audiences have come to expect. Robert Rodgers trained at B.A.T.S in San Francisco as well as L.A.T.S in Los Angeles. He also trained under Rafe Chase from “3 For All” for years in the Bay Area and was part of the advanced training under “True Fiction Magazine” where he was guided under Barbara Scott, Regina Saisi, Tim Orr, Steven Kearin, and Rafe Chase. He has also trained under Keith Johnstone.

Taking his knowledge from improv theater, Robert also applied his knowledge of acting skills from where he was trained at A.C.T in San Francisco and also the S.F. Circus School where he studied movement, clowning and acrobatics. Robert has performed in repertory theaters, and a variety of circuses around the world, including Cirque Du Soleil. In 2005 Robert was asked to join L.A.T.S to perform and teach at the Amsterdam Improv Festival, which led him to return to teach both in Amsterdam and Paris numerous times. He then went on to direct many shows around the world where he used his improv skills, circus training and acting ability to actually create shows that inspire audiences to think differently about theater. His main focus has always been on how to bring forth the voice of each actor to rise above their own ego and lead everyone into stories that are imprinted in the audience’s memory.