To stay informed about upcoming workshops, email sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca with ‘put me on the email list’ in the subject line.
NEUTRAL MASK
with Sara Tilley
NEUTRAL MASK is a powerful tool for any creative person – it allows you to simplify, to reconnect to the physical body, and to live in the present moment. The neutral mask pares us down to the essential. It is a beginning place from which to approach any new character or project. This work is beneficial to all artists – actors, writers, musicians, dancers, visual artists – as well as to anyone who is curious about mask.
LEVEL I will focus on the essentials for work with the mask. We will use the mask as a clearing tool for the body, to help shed old habits, gestures and postures in order to be ready to take on new experiences. Some work will occur with using the mask to channel new energy.
LEVEL II will take the neutral mask experience further into its application as a sponge for energy and experience. Using the mask to channel different natural energies and to create the foundations for character, this session will build on the work done in Level I. We will look at a variety of ways to use the mask as a springboard for creative expression (you must take Level I first).
Sara Tilley has studied neutral mask with Ian Wallace, Dean Gilmour and Jill Courtney. She is a trained mask teacher, and works with artists and non-artists in Neutral Mask, Pochinko Clown Through Mask and Kinetics.
“Neutral mask allows those who wear it to get in touch with their core being, their most authentic, intuitive self. The mask encourages a sense of wholeness, of physical, emotional, and intellectual centeredness. In the mask one lives in the moment, questioning nothing, yet empowered to make changes as needed. It integrates mind and body, clarifies impulse and allows the wearer to experience the power and increased presence that come from absolute self-acceptance. Energy that formerly would be wasted on self-doubt and critical comments about a given situation is now used on problem solving. Neutral mask allows you to take off all the other masks.”
- Jan Henderson
Sara is available to teach Neutral Mask on demand. Certain class minimums/maximums may apply.
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Clown Through Mask
Clown Through Mask 2010
Reid Theatre, Arts and Administration Building, MUN
Mondays and Wednesdays 6-10 pm, Saturdays 1-5 pm (except May 30 – Sunday 1-5 pm)
May 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 30, 31, June 2, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 30, July 3
“Clowning isn’t something we need to learn so much as something we become aware of in
ourselves. Any time that we are curious, playful, or creative, we are in clown mode. When we
are in a state of wonder or awe, surprise or amazement, we are in clown. Whenever we have
hunches, act on impulse, or digress – we are in clown. Whenever we have strong emotions, we
are in clown. The clown lives in the place of laughing and crying at the same time.” –Jan Hendersen
Pochinko technique, or Clown through Mask technique, is an intense, personal process which takes each participant through a series of exercises designed to open up hidden creative possibilities, and bring us back to an experience of play, impulse, wonder, and limitless potential for expression.
We face ourselves in six directions, in innocence and experience. By making and wearing a full-face mask, we explore the body first. By transferring this mask work into a red nose (the world’s smallest mask), we arrive at a powerful, unique character – the clown.
This training is not intended to prepare you for the circus. There are no tricks, no juggling and no stilts involved. Rather, we seek to expose human vulnerability, innocence, and wonder through the exploration of clown.
This work is a powerful tool for any artist working in any discipline. It opens up new avenues of exploration which can be pursued in any medium. Participants do not need to be performers – all that is required is the willingness to experiment, to face yourself honestly, to explore, and to move beyond your comfort zone.
This intensive training process is available free to participants. A maximum of 10 people will be accepted. Attendance is required at all sessions. If you are interested in this work please email Sara at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca as soon as possible to secure a spot.
Sara Tilley trained with Ian Wallace (nion) and Sue Morrison in Pochinko Clown Through Mask technique, and has created many different clown performances in the past ten years, ranging from full theatre productions to burlesque numbers to improvised characters who are occasionally seen in public places. In 2008, she trained with Ian Wallace to teach Clown through Mask and Neutral Mask. She is the artistic director of She Said Yes!, and uses the Pochinko work as inspiration not just for clown, but for acting, directing, writing and design.
Clown Through Mask is also available on demand, given a minimum group guarantee. It takes a minimum of 50 class hours to complete this training, preferably 60-70. Rate to be negotiated depending on circumstances, group size, whether materials are included, etc.