Permission to Play

Name: Permission to Play
Start: 2024-05-18T09:30:00-04:00
End: 2024-05-19T18:15:00-04:00
Location: Deep End Studios, 1313 S 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19146

Schedule

Sat May 18 2024 at 09:30 am to Sun May 19 2024 at 06:15 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Deep End Studios, 1313 S 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 | Philadelphia, PA

“I can't speak highly enough about the class. I felt like I was allowed to play for the first time since I was a kid. That freedom has already made be a better performer in my other endeavors, but more importantly, it's made daily life fun and new in a way I never thought I'd get to experience again..” EW, San Diego
Journey into the magical world of clown over two full days of exploration and play.
What is a clown? A clown is not a character, but a pre-socialized version of ourselves. A clown knows nothing of social conventions and pursues pleasure and fun. A clown needs access to their emotions to be a fully expressed version of themselves.
Through movement exploration, games, improvisation exercises, scene work, breathwork, writing, and discussion, you will gain knowledge of core clown archetypes while discovering how your own distinctive humor, passions, and life experiences shape your "inner clown." We will meet each activity with courage, playfulness, and support for our peers as we overcome fears and celebrate the profound liberation of expressed emotion. By leaning into failure as a source of discovery rather than embarrassment, we will find our ability to play freely and fearlessly.
Drawing from indigenous ritual clown practices, European physical theatre lineages, and the Clown School's unique integrative approach, we will focus on themes of play, failure, and imagination to unleash the clown inside you.
No prior clowning experience is necessary. This workshop welcomes new and seasoned clowns alike to this ephemeral community, where authentic self-expression takes center stage. Come ready to play!
Days & Times: Saturday May 18, 9.30am-5pm / Sunday May 19, 11am-6.15pm
Location: Deep End Studios, 1313 S 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Instructor: Danielle Levsky
Cost: $199 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants)
About The Clown School:
The mission of renowned Los-Angeles based The Clown School is to bring creativity, authenticity and beauty into the world through the study of clowning and the physical theater arts, and to promote extraordinary theatrical classes and events. Our classes, productions, outreach, international partnerships and special events are all dedicated to a celebration of the expressive potential of live theater. We anchor our work in the discipline of clown because we believe that clowning embraces and celebrates the totality of human experience and offers unparalleled freedom in art. We love to play.
About Danielle Levsky:
Danielle Levsky (she/they) is a multidisciplinary theater artist whose creative practice focuses on clown and physical theatre, poetry, and movement education. Originally from Chicago, she is currently based between Philadelphia and NYC. As the child of Soviet Jewish refugees, issues of diaspora, tradition, resilience, and humor have deeply shaped Danielle's work. They specialize in facilitating workshops on fundamental clown techniques and their original embodied class that combines yoga practice with clown training, The Fool's Yoga. Danielle received her clown teaching certification through The Clown School in Los Angeles and received her 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification through a Vinyasa Flow program conducted through the Lab Yoga Studio in Chicago. They have additional clown training from teachers from Cirque de Soleil and Theater Unspeakable, as well as individuals like Avner Eisenberg, Aretha Sills, Antonio Fava, Eric Davis, and more. With a background in both clown pedagogy and yoga instruction, Danielle aims to create a playspace that encourages mindfulness, self-expression, and connecting with one's inner fool.