CLASSES
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CLASSES 🍎
LANGUAGE OF nonsense w/ Chad Damiani
LANGUAGE OF NONSENSE
A new intensive from Chad Damiani — the creator/director of STAND UP AND CLOWN and CLOWN ZOO! Clowns do more than just connect with audiences. They invite them to become part of the show. But how can we get a roomful of strangers to not only go along with our joyfully dumb ideas, but also become our eager co-conspirators?
This two-day intensive explores a fundamental element of clown work - communicating through The Language of Nonsense. How do we start a conversation? Build a vocabulary through movement and pattern? Establish games people will be excited to play? A deep exploration of primal communication. It’s also a chance to be live directed by Chad in a class show – on the amazing Elysian stage!
CLASS:
Monday 2/19 from 11 AM - 3 PM
Tuesday 2/20 from 11 AM - 3 PM
CLASS SHOW:
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Chad Damiani has spent over a decade as one of the architects of LA’s dynamic modern clown scene. He leads CLOWN ZOO (an all-star ensemble that employs theatrical mask) and is the creator/star of the hit monthly show STAND UP AND CLOWN - where he directs well-known stand-ups as they attempt clown work for the first time. He also performs solo work at traditional comedy clubs and variety shows — including regular spots for the international sensation STAMPTOWN and an appearance on AGT. In 2024, Chad will appear in TBS’s reboot of JOE SCHMO as a series regular.
When Chad isn’t traveling and teaching, he’s often working for the Vegas-based circus powerhouse Spiegelworld (he’ll be appearing in the upcoming Formula One-themed clown show BOX BOX this November). In past lives, Chad worked as a Blacklist-winning screenwriter and as an announcer for World Championship Wrestling (where he learned from the greatest physical storytellers in the world).
A LITTLE MORE ON CLOWNING
What does it mean to be a modern clown? If you’ve been to the Elysian, you’ve most likely seen clowning presented in a multitude of ways. From offbeat standup to outrageous characters to mind-bending bits of inspired surrealism. The work is an exercise in contradiction. The clown is a harbinger of mischief, defiance and danger; while also a purveyor of joy, kindness and connection. Clowns present their dumbest ideas, while connecting to audiences in a deeply profound way.