Jango Edwards Clown Master Class Cannes, France, June 2nd to the 9th 2007
Dear Friends,The 13th Annual Clown Master Class will take place at the ‘Performance d’Acteur Festival’ in Cannes (France) from June 2nd to the 9th 2007.
This year’s major theme will focus on the creation, production and premier of their most recent French Broadway hit “Yes You Canne Canne - the Nude Musical,” composed by Mr. E, Echo and Peskin. This EEP production is a around the world in 1 hour caravan of song and dance. A whirl wind foot and mouth swinging and singing musical stew revue of a global design. An International potpourri of music, customs, songs and dance, “Yes You Canne Canne” will be one of the feature presentations of the festival program. You will be treated to the elegance of Somenerve Nijinsky and the Romanian Splitightski National Ballet or rock to the original percussion beat poets from Tazzania “Stamp-the Mothers of Stomp”. You will be touched by the Grey Panthers Liver Dance Company of Ireland or shocked by the The Fuckawees from Bora Bora. This pigmy tribe of cannibals performs their traditional song and dance dinner ritual, “Yum, Yum, Eat Em Up.” All this and much more not to mention a special all Fool Rednose Revue to Salute James Clown The Hardest Working Fool in Show Business,
Say it loud: “I’m a clown and I’m proud” !
As a Clown Performer you will work with other professionals in an ensemble; relate to the audience in unpredictable and spontaneous situations and learn how to improvise and adapt in order to give the gift of laughter to an unsuspecting public. You will explore the role of the comic actor as a social warrior, laughter terrorist and mercenary of humor. “The world is a stage and each must play his part” might seem a cliché to some people but for the clown it is the truth.
The Cannes Master Class Dream Team assisting Jango this year will include some of the following instructors, teachers, professional animators, musicians and clown actors:
PETER ERCOLANO (Italy)
TOM GREDER (Australia)
GRADA PESKENS (Netherlands)
CARLO COLOMBAIONI (Italy)
LUCAS TRAPAZA (Spain)
LITTLE HITLER (Austria)
GIOVANNA BELLINA (Italy)
ELLIOT JENICOT (Belgium)
SLAVA POLUNIN (Russia)
ALEX ROIT (Brazil)
ANGEL AMIEVA (Spain)
CRISTINA BORRAS (Spain)
BARBARA VILLA (Italy)
JOHNNY MELVILLE (Scotland)
GUSTAVE PARKING (France)
ROB SPENCE (Australia)
JEAN LOUIS DANVOYE (Belgium)
SHIRLEY FERRINI (USA)
Plus Guest Lectures from various professional performers who are appearing on the program at the festival during the period of the Master Class.
THE HISTORY OF THE CANNES MASTER CLASS 1971 to 2006
The annual “Clown Theory Master Class” has a unique history. From 1971 through 1990 Jango Edwards developed a specific method for students to explore comic formulas, rediscover the art of clowning and embrace its social value. Through extensive research, clinical educational experiments and an open exchange of selected improvisational exercises, comedy styles, games and acting methods, Jango created the three level “Clown Theory” workshop. Its success led to the need for a more personalized and intensive workshop for the professional clown performer and the “Clown Theory Master Class” was started by Jango Edwards together with Peter Echo and Nana Divina.
A group of international instructors were enlisted; each specialized in a comic technique, to function as a comedy dream team. With this unit we could also offer a multi lingual course. Since the “Clown Theory Master Class” was inaugurated in 1995 at the “First International Clown Festival” in Leukerbad, Switzerland, it has been conducted annually at numerous international events in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Holland, India, Brazil and the United States. Each year we present a different aspect of the clown art, so that the class is always a new experience in the learning process, both for students who have attended previous master classes as well as for first time initiates.
Over the years we have presented an assortment of theme work.
In 1999 it was the presentation of a full stage musical “Hollywood Express” produced and performed during the 7 day session.
During Master Class 2000, teams of actors created and performed selected street theater events including the surprise attack on the Cannes Croisette bathers by “The Fucawees”, a 10,000 cream pie fight and a 3 hour safari expedition to uncover and capture the world’s only “Singing Palm Tree”.
At the “Montreux Festival du Rire”, the focus was on an animation ensemble production. In 2005 we recruited, trained and deployed “The Fools Militia,” a revolutionary clown task force acting as comic mercenaries staging absurd animations of anarchy. Last year we presented on stage “The Air Orchestra” which consisted of a choir ensemble vocal concert, a return engagement of “The Cannes Magical Mr. E Detour” and comic karaoke video clips.
Since 2002 each year we increased our faculty of international instructors, expanding on the individual and team teaching events. As part of the training each student is required to write, cast, film and direct a 1 minute comedy short based on the cosmic law of comedy, the 3 gag routine. This year the assigned theme is a 1 minute clown correspondent news report factual or fictional.
Also, as part of our permanent curriculum, we continue to offer each student one on one private master class sessions with an individual instructor from the Clown Theory faculty.
The Master Class is for 8 days. Besides the intensive training sessions the fee includes food, accommodation and a pass to all the events at the festival. In addition, everybody graduating from the Master Class achieves the MCS (Master Clown Status) and will receive the official Diploma. Each participant must be flexible, willing to apply their whole imagination and have a desire to achieve the art of total communication. The ensemble animations are compulsory for everyone. Applicants must have a professional performing status to be considered for selection. Enrolment is based on a limited number of participants and will be on a first come first serve basis after a full review of each applicant by all members of the CLOWN THEORY MASTER CLASS schoolboard of fools. Jango will review the schoolboard of fools nommines and have final approval.
To attend this year’s Master Class, please fill in and return the attached application form as soon as possible to:
MrEproductions (at) hotmail.com.
You will then receive all the necessary information, a festival program and a map of Cannes.
If you have additional questions please contact Peter Ercolano at Mr. E. Productions Italy at tel. 0039 347 4420837 or Cristina Borras at Mr. E. Productions Spain at tel. 0034 661111127 or by e-mail.
