Clown Dramaturgy: Theory and practice of clown creation

CLOWN DRAMATURGYTheory and practice of clown creationby HERNÁN GENÉTranslated by Barnaby KingABOUT CLOWN DRAMATURGYThis book is the fruit of four decades of experience during which Gené has worked as a teacher, actor, director and playwright; roles which for him are inseparable from each other. Alongside his experience, he has spent years reflecting upon and studying his art, which has in turn enabled him to share his experiences in a multitude of books, conferences and master classes.This particular book is rich in analytical rigor, which is complemented by examples from dramatic texts and classic films which show how the concepts he talks about—gags, suspense, incidents, deus ex machina, timing, rhythm, etc.—work on stage. This makes Clown Dramaturgy a very useful book for those who want to delve into the theatrical dramaturgy and / or create numbers or clown shows. As an epilogue, Gené illustrates specific aspects of clown dramaturgy using three of his own productions: “Superman”, “Deconstructing Shakespeare” and “On Horatians y Curiations”.ABOUT HERNÁN GENÉBorn into a family of theatre artists and trained as an actor and clown, Hernan Gené’s theatre productions and publications have made him a prominent figure on the Spanish and Latin American theatre scene. Beginning in 1985 with "Arturo", his first clown show, he has directed over 60 theatre and circus productions, and premiered works in major theatres including the Centro Dramático Nacional and the Teatro de la Abadía in Madrid. His latest staging, "Pericles, Prince of Tyre", by William Shakespeare, premiered at the Merida Classical Theatre Festival in 2019 before an audience of 8000.He has received several awards for his productions, including the Max Award (the “Oscars” of the performing arts in Spain) for the Best Play for “On Horatians and Curiations”, and in 2017, the Teatro del Mundo Award for the Best Foreign Show, awarded by the University of Buenos Aires for “Mutis”.He teaches physical theatre, clown and circus workshops and gives seminars around the world. Between 2014 and 2018 he was Professor of Physical Theater Applied to Circus at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. In 2017 worked as Professor of Stage Presence for Musicians, at the University of Berklee at Valencia Campus. He is the author of several books on clown theory published in Spanish— among others "Clown dramaturgy" (ed. Paso de Gato, Mexico, 2015), "The Art of Being a Clown" (Ediciones Artezblai, Spain and Paso de Gato, Mexico, 2016). He was awarded the Teatro del Mundo Award for Best Essay in 2017.REVIEWS FROM PROFESSIONALSThis book is extremely readable and insightful for anyone thinking of creating material for clowns, both long form and short form. His ideas on structure and dramaturgy are clearly outlined, and best of all, his examples provide clarity on how to put it into action.Hilary Chaplain (Clown, USA)With a profound and practical vision of the theatre, the clown universe and comedy, Gené dissects the foundations of drama, without fleeing from the gag and without underestimating the triggers of laughter.Donald B. Lehn, Director of Carampa Circus School, Madrid.INDEXPART ONE - From experience to theoryCHAPTER 1 - Theatre and meCHAPTER 3 - Dramatic structureCHAPTER 4 - Clown dramaturgyPART TWO - From theory to practiceCHAPTER 1 - Sketch or show?CHAPTER 2 - Constructing a clown sketch or showCHAPTER 3 - Writing a clown showPART THREE - From practice to experienceCHAPTER 1 - Superman Structural analysisCHAPTER 2 - Deconstructing ShakespeareCHAPTER 3 - On Horatians and Curiatians Read more