Clown Through Mask

Richard Pochinko (1946-89) played a pioneering role in North American clown theater through the creation of an original pedagogy synthesizing modern European and indigenous Native American techniques. In Clown Through Mask, Veronica Coburn and onetime Pochinko apprentice Sue Morrison lay out the methodology of the Pochinko style of clowning and offer a bold philosophical framework for its interpretation. Morrison is today a leading teacher of Pochinko's Clown through Mask technique and this book extends significantly the literature on this underdocumented form of theater.

“Christopher Bayes is a master, an extraordinary visionary who has done more to liberate young American actors over the last two generations than I can possibly express. His classes in Clowning are philosophical manifestos; the power of his laughter inextricable from the depth of his spirit. This book is a treasure. Nothing can replace the experience of being in the room with a master teacher, but this practical, playful, brilliant book is the next best thing. Read it. It is indispensable.” —Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director, The Public Theater Discovering the Clown, or The Funny Book of Good Acting is a unique glimpse into the wild world of the Clown, unveiling “the playful self, the unsocialized self, the naive self…the big stupid who just wants to have some fun with the audience.” An essential guide for artists and actors wanting to set free the messy and hilarious Clown within.

Richard Pochinko: Clown thru Mask has the origin of the famous clown technique developed by Richard Pochinko and a process loved by many artists, teachers, guides and those that want to know themselves better. It is an intuitive, inner child, exploration with clay mask made with eyes shut representing the 6 directions and a process loved by many in its ability to reach a sacred creative place. There are 12 Essential exercises. Included with this book is a 10 pages of a Dairy written by Della Burford when studying with Richard in 1986. Some of Richards students have commented in a Clown Registry started online. There is many historical photos taken by Ian's brother Douglas Wallace.

By its very nature the clown, as represented in art, is an interdisciplinary phenomenon. In whichever artform it appears - fiction, drama, film, photography or fine art - it carries the symbolic association of its usage in popular culture, be it ritual festivities, street theatre or circus. The clown, like its extended family of fools, jesters, picaros and tricksters, has a variety of functions all focussed around its status and image of being "other." Frequently a marginalized figure, it provides the foil for the shortcomings of dominant discourse or the absurdities of human behaviour. Clowns, Fools and Picaros represents the latest research on the clown, bringing together for the first time studies from four continents: Europe, America, Africa and Asia. It attempts to ascertain commonalities, overlaps and differences between artistic expressions of the "clownesque" from these various continents and genres, and above all, to examine the role of the clown in our cultures today. This volume is of interest for scholars of political and comic drama, film and visual art as well as scholars of comparative literature and anthropology.

Raised from infancy by duplicitous clowns who entertain by day and menace by night, Pirouette dreams of washing the paint from her face and escaping to a better life far away from her cruel adoptive circus family... because when the spotlights dim and the crowd disperses, the clown princess' big-top dreams give way to a nightmarish world of monsters with painted smiles. M.L. Miller (Gravetrancers) spins Pirouette with authentic darkness and depth of character, while Carlos Granda's (CALEXIT) sweeping, exuberant line art evokes all the exotic charm and mysterious gloom of Pirouette's shadowy big top. "A comic unlike anything you've ever read before!" -Zac Thompson (X-Men Black, The Dregs, Undone By Blood) "I loved Pirouette! It's hard to think up a more story-friendly setting than an old timey circus, and M.L. Miller and Carlos Granda truly make the most of it!" -Charles Soule (Star Wars, Daredevil)

Clown Girl lives in Baloneytown, a seedy neighborhood where drugs, balloon animals, and even rubber chickens contribute to the local currency. Against a backdrop of petty crime, she struggles to live her dreams, calling on cultural masters Charlie Chaplin, Kafka, and da Vinci for inspiration. In an effort to support herself and her layabout performance-artist boyfriend, Clown Girl finds herself unwittingly transformed into a "corporate clown," trapping herself in a cycle of meaningless, high-paid gigs that veer dangerously close to prostitution. Monica Drake has created a novel that riffs on the high comedy of early film stars — most notably Chaplin and W. C. Fields — to raise questions of class, gender, economics, and prejudice. Resisting easy classification, this debut novel blends the bizarre, the humorous, and the gritty with stunning skill.

Profiling 30 mask makers from around the world, this book explores the motivations and challenges of contemporary artists working to bring the traditional methods and conventions of mask making to an evolving global theatre. There are 181 photographs--including two sections of color plates--which illustrate how the mythic iconography of masks is used in the modern fields of dance, mime, theatre and storytelling. Topics include the ways in which mask artists and performers maintain a sense of universality despite varying local customs; the legacies of Italian mask makers Amleto and Donato Sartori and of the California-based Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre; and the ways in which traditional approaches in mask artistry continue to influence commercial mask performance ventures in film, on Broadway, and in touring companies.

Acting with masks is one of the most ancient stage techniques still in use today. Masking Unmasked is a basic guide to using this ancient art to develop character and movement in four sections that correspond to mask size: Full-Face Masks, Clowning, Bag Masks, and Half-Face Masks. Each section addresses fundamental acting principles and shows how the ancient technique can be applied to the contemporary stage. It is the perfect book to use as background to traditional, non-masked acting principles. For instance, mask acting provides a great way of strengthening core acting skills. Actors in masks experience the primary goal of acting because they are required to tap into profound physical, vocal, emotional, and psychological transformations in the course of creating a character. In addition, masking promotes honest, believable, and detailed work. Illustrated profusely throughout, the hands-on exercises developed by Simon teach actors to shift cleanly between beats, execute moment-to-moment specificity, unleash creative impulses, take risks and expand character range, power and vulnerability. Masking Unmasked is a book of ancient acting techniques that are indispensable for the actor of today.