TaPS MASTER CLASS RESOURCE PACK: Me, my nose and Meisner
By Matt Godfrey
March 2014, Toronto TaPS SSS
Me, My Nose and Meisner
Development of the vocal clown
Introduction
This Master Class sets out to discover and free the clown’s voice. As students give birth to their clowns
they loose their ability to speak. Clown students actually experience difficulty speaking.
When a clown is born the student has just gone through a rigorous stripping down of all the guards and
masks they are used to using in their lives. They are asked to be emotionally raw, vulnerable, do nothing
but breathe and exist in their honest reality. They are challenged to react as a baby and not perform.
They are challenged to be governed by basic human needs. Language skills depart. If they try to speak
they will try to say something clever in order to escape the awkward and terrifying feeling of doing
nothing on stage.
One of the most difficult things to learn, as an actor, is to do nothing on stage while remaining true to the
emotional reality of the moment.
When the actor discovers this ability they then have to discover the need to speak without betraying that
moment of emotional reality, vulnerability, nothingness and truthfulness. The need to communicate must
be efficient, vital and instinctual. The impulse to communicate must still reside in that moment of
truthfulness. This is the point where Meisner and Clown intersect.
Overview:
Sanford Meisner set out to train the actor to “Live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”
Red Nose Clown sets out to liberate the actor of their own mask.
This Master Class merges the teachings of Sanford Meisner and the world of Red Nose Clown.
Meisner trains the actor to respond instinctually and truthfully to their given circumstances while abjuring
the presentation of artifice or the mask of what is seen as socially acceptable. Red Nose Clown trains the
actor to drop their personal mask while responding truthfully to the immediate world around them. The
truthful response is where these two practices cross.
The actor and the clown must live truthfully in imaginary circumstances. The clown is on a different
level from the actor. The main difference is the absence of the fourth wall. The actor presents while the
clown interacts. The actor has a script and a story to follow and they must be truthful to the human
experience in order for the audience to share in the experience. The Clown can also have a script and
story to follow but they are also accepting and reacting to the audience’s real-time shared emotional
response to the world around them as it exists on and off the stage.
Genre or Means to and End
We start this session by initiating the clown student. Ideally this is at least a two hour workshop, or
course of study which will be reduced (for this workshop) to just a few exercises - exploring clown logic,
the sense of play and a rite of passage. I find it necessary whenever I start a Clown workshop to bring the
clown students up to speed. Whether it is a one off workshop with experienced students or a continuation
of study, each workshop requires building the momentum of Clown energy. A reminder of where we
were.
Me, My Nose and Meisner Exercises
So let us begin to begin. The following are a series of exercises which merge key concepts of Meisner
and Clown; exploring truth in performance, where Meisner and Clown cross.
Kunja! (Tom Schulz – ISTA, from an unknown clown in Chicago): Until you play this game it is rather
difficult to explain although ultimately it is simple.
Kunja is a passing game and a great way to ramp up the energy.
The students form a circle. Everyone slaps their thighs on the syllables chanting Kunja, Kunja, Kunja.
All further commands keep to the rhythm set by the two syllable chant of Kunja, Kunja, Kunja. The
instructor begins by catching and passing “Bunny Bunny (catch) Bunny Bunny (pass) (double-time to the
Kunja chant). The student catches the “Bunny Bunny” and passes it to another student across the circle.
This pattern is continued for the duration of the game.
The two students on either side of the catcher/passer are required to bounce from side to side flailing their
arms in the air, facing toward the catcher/passer while chanting “Talkie Talkie (on the catch) Talkie
Talkie (on the pass) in the same double-time rhythm as “Bunny Bunny / Bunny Bunny”.
Should anyone miss the pass/catch “Bunny Bunny” or the supporting “Talkie Talkie” they are eliminated
and have to dance around the circle of non-eliminated players chanting “Kunja Kunja” in the same
rhythm as the participants who are not actively catching and passing while continuing the thigh slap.
The game continues until there are just two players left at which point all of the eliminated players stop
their Kunja chant and bow down to the two victors proclaiming: “We are not worthy, we are not worthy”.
The two victors clasp hands and raise them in the air proclaiming: “You are forgiven! For we are Korean
Gods!”
I can send video of the game being played if further explanation is needed.
The Pinch and The Ouch Meisner and Mr. Hit Clown
This is an active listening game that can be played over and over again as a warm up. It is also a name
game, but it incorporates Meisner’s action / reaction of the Pinch and the Ouch developing the need to
communicate while developing the clown’s sense of exclusion and failure, humiliation and consequences.
Meisner spoke of the Pinch and the Ouch as a foundation to the idea of transferring the point of
concentration outside of yourself – ie: “A” performs an action (Pinch) to “B” who creates an instinctual
response (Ouch). The point of concentration has moved from “A” to “B”. The goal of the actor is to be
always Pinching out of response to an Ouch. The Ouch is the active listening response to the Pinch.
Mr. Hit – “The group stand in a close circle so that the students are almost touching. Teacher starts by
calling out someone's name. Bob. On hearing his name the student hits or touches some ones shoulder.
Whoever is touched calls out someone else's name. But they can not call out the name of the person who
has touched them. If you call a name when you should touch you are out. If you touch when you should
call a name you are out. If you call an incorrect name (someone not there) you are out. If you delay in
your response you are out. Last two standing win." CTM Pg 69
Removal of the Brain and The Black Ball of Damocles (Stephen Feingold –ISTA)
Meisner said: “How does and Actor think? He doesn’t think – he does.” Meisner Pg 57
Removal of the Brain: Stand facing the students and ask them to remove their brains. Lead them in the
exercise as you unscrew your own skull cap, lift your brain out and throw it in the corner. It will not be
needed. One could also build this into a circle / name game where each student has to remove their
brains in a unique fashion without repeating previous brain-ectomies.
The Black Ball of Damocles: Still facing them, ask them to imagine a black, dense, evil ball of death
lying on the floor before them. Regard it. Envision it. Pick it up and toss it in the air. Feel its weight as
you catch it. Repeat a couple of times. Finally toss it in the air so that on its way down it stops and
hovers above your head. There it will stay no matter where you go. Try to escape it – it will follow, just
hovering there. When it falls, if it falls, it will kill the clown. The Black Ball of Damocles follows the
clown forever, hovering about three feet above their heads, and is part of their world outlook. Life could
end at any moment. This eventuality is forever on the clown’s mind and drives the clown to live honestly
and truthfully for the moment.
The following exercise is part of my Workshop “Exploring Clown as a Tool for Acting”
Charge of the Bum Brigade (Laird Evans – HS Drama teacher at Arts Canterbury): This as a right of
passage exercise prior to the students receiving their noses. Use this exercise if the students have not
been initiated and have not received their noses yet. Find any right of passage that will work for you but
it should be something extreme, silly and physically demanding. If you model it first they will follow
you. This is an opportunity to set the parameters of expression as very high.
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Form two lines facing each other. These are the opposing clown armies and they are
about to go to war. The reason is that one army wants all the food, power, land (but food
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is best) that the other has and visa versa – use of clown logic {CC IV **See Clown
Commandments appendix}.
Announce that they are all on horse back and wait until they mime being on a horse
(usually 2-3 seconds), then sit down on the ground with your legs together and in front of
you and say something along the lines of, “but you ride like this”. They should follow
you into this position.
Raise your right arm like you were holding a sword “this is your weapon” they all follow,
“however it is more ceremonial use than for actual hitting” (safety).
Demonstrate how to ride their horse. Charge forward, retreat, flank to the left or right.
Vocally commit to the war like CHARGE, RETREAT, GO LEFT, GO RIGHT,
CHARGE!! Actual movement is done by scooting forwards, backwards and sideways
(more like bouncing sideways) while seated with your legs forward.
With the two armies placed and ready, set the scene (pre dawn, an ominous mist, a
general giving a pep talk, remind them of the food awaiting them…). The object is for
each army to pass through the other army and end up on the other side.
Step to the side a yell CHARGE!! And all the other commands as needed over their war
cries until each side reach the other side.
Stand them all up and call “Attention!” Form them into two lines (ranks) facing each
other.
Have them face away from each other (About Face!) and present them with their noses.
Before they turn to each other explain that whatever they are feeling is alright as long as
they are true to it.
When they turn (About Face!) and see each other they will giggle. Let that happen but
then encourage them to do nothing except breath and be true to what they are feeling
without indicating it. Many will try to do something amusing to dodge what they may be
feeling. Have them keep eye contact with the facing line of clowns. Encourage them to
do nothing but breath and be where they are. {CC III, XII, XIV)
Repetition Meisner and Repetition Clown
Meisner speaks of the Repetition exercise as: “An exercise for Actors where there is no intellectuality. I
wanted to eliminate all “head” work, and take away the manipulation and get to where the source of all
organic creativity comes from, your impulses.” (not from his book)
He could have just as easily have been speaking about Clown.
The exercise is simple enough. “A” and “B” face each other. “A” observes something about “B” and
“B” responds using the same/similar words in response to “A”. The repetition should not change unless
something, an “Ouch” instinctually responds to a “Pinch”.
A – I like your hat.
B – You like my hat.
A – I like your hat.
B – You like my hat?
A – Yes, I like your hat.
B – My hat.
A – Yes. Your hat.
B – My hat?
A – Yes. I like your hat.
..etc..
Through the repetition there comes a point when you have to respond to what the repetition is doing to
you and respond to it through your instincts. The instinct will be right because it has come out of your
truth. It will be wrong if it created for effect. This exercise is about training the instinct.
“Let your instincts dictate the changes, not just the repetition.” Meisner Pg 30
This exact exercise is run in clown mode. Gibberish may be the language spoken, but the instincts behind
the gibberish must remain truthful without contrivance.
A – Baden yodan lap.
B – Youan baden lap.
A – Baden yodan lap.
B – Youan baden lap?
A – Daba, baden yodan lap.
B – Yodan lap.
A – Daba. Baden lap.
B – Yodan lap.
A – Daba. Baden yodan lap.
..bagabat..
In Clown, as in Meisner, instinct must be trained. How much is enough, how much is too much? When
do you let a moment of emotional vulnerability exist and when is the right time to break it.
“Committing something to words is the first step to making it real and it is easier to believe in something
that is real.” CTM Pg 71
Independent Activity Meisner and The Thing Clown
And
Knock at the Door Meisner and Presenting Yourself Clown
“The foundation of acting is the reality of doing” Meisner Pg 16
Truth lies in behavior. Our words can betray that truth.
Independent Activity: The core component of Meisner’s work is finding the truth in behavior which in
turn leads to the instinctual creation of the words spoken by the performer. This exercise starts in a
physical improvisation. One actor is on stage engrossed in an activity which is vital to their life at that
moment. It should not be mundane or vague (sorting papers, cleaning the apartment) but should be
connected to a specific need (finding a receipt in your filing cabinet which your job depends / cleaning the
apartment because your future in-laws are arriving at any moment and you are about to ask them for their
child’s hand in marriage).
This exercise trains the actor to focus their attention away from them. Application of The Pinch and the
Ouch.
Presenting Yourself: “When the clown enters in truth they are visible to the audience. It is all about the
clown. When the clown sees the audience it becomes about them too. The experience is shared. The
audience recognize their own humanity in that of the clown and now whatever is happening is not just
about the clown but it is also about the audience...Clown is not about reflecting the audience (bouncing
off of the but rather “it’s about connection. It’s about recognition. It’s about something being shared.”
CTM Pg 83
This exercise is infinitely complex. The clown enters on the stage and does nothing. The teacher assigns
them tasks on stage (while they are on stage – eliminating the “planning” that may happen off stage),
encouraging the connection to the audience while not “doing” anything but the task assigned. The goal is
to elicit a natural action/response without trying to perform. It is as much an improvisation for the teacher
as it is for the student. It is better to be interested than to be interesting.
The Thing: One clown enters the stage to discover a thing (piece of material). They do not know what it
is and have to discover what it is through play and experimentation. The clown discovers an emotional
connection to this thing. Once the clown has discovered what The Thing is they present it to the audience
and it becomes their Independent Activity. A second clown enters, connects to the audience and
approaches the first clown. The first clown presents The Thing/Independent Activity to the second clown
and leaves the stage (always maintaining a connection to the audience until they are off stage). The
second clown is left with The Thing and has to discover anew what it is to them. The second clown, in
turn, creates their own Independent Activity with their discovery. A third clown enters and repeats the
process.
A core component of Clown is that Everything is a Discovery. This discovery can not be faked. The
audience will see this fake behavior: “You are not entering as a character. You are not entering in a state.
You enter as you are at that moment in time. You enter in truth.” CTM Pg 82
Truth lies in behavior and reality of doing. Clowns move the audience because they are discovering, with
the audience, a shared emotional response to the world around them.
Knock on the Door: This exercise builds on The Thing / Independent Activity. One student is outside /
offstage while another is on stage engaged in their Independent Activity. The student offstage finds an
emotional need to enter, grounds themselves in that, and knocks on the door. The student on stage is
involved in a very specific task which requires all of their concentration. Is the knock believable? Is
there a need for that person to enter? Does the student on stage acknowledge that knock?
Each student remains truthful to their motivation or task. Words will be spoken, but at this stage the
scene is played out through the repetition exercise, developing the performer’s ability to translate
instinctual response through the application of text. Neither student is to do anything but their activity
until behavior and instinctual response forces them do something else.
This exercise is about connection: Meisner’s connection to the truth of the moment, and the Clown’s
connection to the truth of their relationship with the audience.
“An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words” Meisner Pg 5
The Interruption: One Clown comes on the stage to perform a very difficult task. It is a task that
requires all of their attention. They enter in their truth and go about discovering what it is they are doing
while building a relationship with the audience. Here is where the clown exercise differs greatly from the
Meisner Exercise. In the Meisner world the audience does not exist while in the clown world the
audience does exist. The clown on stage remains focused on their activity while being interrupted by the
other entering clown who is focused on their own task.
The second clown’s job is to engage / interrupt them what they are doing, using the gibberish repetition
exercise.
The greater the focus on the task, the more emotionally involved the Clowns will be and the more
instinctual their repetitions and eventually their speech will become.
The Clown Commandments
I.
The audience is your friend (play-thing).
II.
The Gods may surprise you. If something unexpected happens, USE it!
III.
Everything is a discovery.
IV.
Obsession is normal, until you’re distracted.
V.
If it happens it’s real. If you created it, it’s real.
VI.
The environment is alive. Everything can become anything.
VII.
Costume is less important than a state of being. Except for your hat.
VIII.
Without your hat you are naked.
IX.
Don’t forget your nose.
X.
Fight authority.
XI.
Music & rhythm effect your movement, breath, emotions and timing.
XII.
Breathing is listening.
XIII.
Everything will affect you.
XIV.
Emotions are deeply felt.
XV.
Highs and lows are shared with the audience.
XVI.
The closer you are to each other the safer you will be.
XVII. There is no 4th wall.
Practitioners Pathway
The culmination of this workshop is a result of the writings and teachings of Lecoq, Pochinko, Gaulier,
Johnstone and Stanislavsky who have influenced my Teachers and Directors: Pierre Lefevre, Perry
Schneiderman, Leah Cherniak, Adrian Hall, Jim McNabb, Laird Evans, Jane Moore, Johnson Moretti,
Robin Phillips, Sue Morrison and Kathleen Cornish; and the artists who have inspired and taught me
through their work when I first came to clown: Scott Florence, Margo MacDonald, Heather Jopling and
Maureen Welch; and the countless other performers and over a thousand clown students who have
constantly challenged me to keep working on and discovering this ever evolving art form.
Bibliography
Coburn, Veronica & Morrison, Sue. Clown Through Mask (CTM). Glasgow, Bell & Bain Ltd., 2013
ISBN: 978-1-84150-574-9
Meisner, Sanford & Longwell, Dennis. Sanford Meisner On Acting (Meisner). New York, A Vintage
Original, Random House, Inc., 1987
ISNB: 0-394-75059-4
Lecoq, Jacques. The Moving Body. New York, Routledge, 2001
ISBN: 0-878-30141-0
Matthew Godfrey
ISTA
Branksome Hall
Toronto TaPS – 2013
[email protected]
310-346-1145