Clowns In Conversation

295 Pages·2022·6.884 MB·English

by  Ezra LeBank, David Bridel

CLOWNS
Clowns: In Conversation is a groundbreaking collection of interviews expanded
in this second edition to include over 30 of the greatest clowns on earth. In dis-
cussion with clown aficionados Ezra LeBank and David Bridel, these legends of
comedy reveal the origins, inspirations, techniques, and philosophies that under-
pin their remarkable odysseys.
These artists speak candidly about their first encounters with clowning and cir-
cus, the crucial decisions that carved out the foundations of their style, and the role
of teachers and mentors who shaped their development. Follow the twists and turns
that changed the direction of their art and careers, as they explore the role of failure
and originality in their lives and performances, and examine the development and
evolution of the signature routines that became each clown’s trademark. This new
edition has been fully updated and expanded, bringing in Lila Monti, Cristina Marti,
Leo Bassi, Danise Payne, Bernice Collins, Ketch, Robert Dunn, Nina Conti, Hélène
Gustin and Tanja Simma, Michelle Matlock, Shannan Calcutt, and Gardi Hutter.
Clowns is a unique and definitive study on the art of the clown, exploring
their role in the modern world – a fascinating series of discussions for students,
scholars, and teachers of clowning.
Ezra LeBank is a Professor and the Head of Movement for the Department of
Theatre Arts at California State University, Long Beach. He is a frequent con-
tributor to Digital Theatre Plus and Total Theatre Magazine. His acrobatic plays
Three and Flight have toured worldwide to critical acclaim.
David Bridel is the Founding and Artistic Director of The Clown School in
Los Angeles. As a playwright, director, choreographer, and performer, his work
has been seen in major theatres and opera houses around the world. His plays
I Gelosi, Lunatics & Actors, and Sublimity are published by Original Works Press.
Learn more at www.theclownschool.com

CLOWNS
In Conversation
Second Edition
Ezra LeBank and David Bridel
Cover image: Lila Monti. Photo by Diego Vinitzca
Second edition published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Ezra LeBank and David Bridel
The right of Ezra LeBank and David Bridel to be identified as the
authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2015
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 9781032065649 (hbk)
ISBN: 9781032065601 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781003202820 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003202820
Typeset in Bembo
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Dedicated to our friend and colleague Felix Ivanov
1950–2022

CONTENTS
Foreword to the Second Edition ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction xvi
The Clowns 1
1 Leo Bassi 3
2 René Bazinet 12
3 Shannan Calcutt 23
4 Angela de Castro 32
5 Bernice Collins 42
6 Nina Conti 47
7 Dimitri 54
8 Robert Dunn 62
9 Jango Edwards 68
10 Avner Eisenberg 77
viii Contents
11 Aziz Gual 90
12 Hélène Gustin and Tanja Simma 97
13 Geoff Hoyle 105
14 Gardi Hutter 114
15 Bill Irwin and David Shiner 120
16 Ketch 134
17 David Larible 139
18 Cristina Marti 149
19 Michelle Matlock 154
20 Lila Monti 160
21 Bello Nock 166
22 Danise Payne 173
23 Larry and Lorenzo Pisoni 179
24 Slava Polunin 192
25 Oleg Popov 200
26 Nola Rae 204
27 Peter Shub 215
28 Misha Usov 225
Reflections 231
29 Ezra and David in Conversation with Phil Burgers 233
Appendix of Terms 242
Index 263
FOREWORD TO THE
SECOND EDITION
When we embarked on the first edition of Clowns, we developed a list of clowns
who were considered by a selection of our peers and consultants to be at the
height of the profession, and set out to capture their voices. As these interviews
unfolded, however, we began to learn of other luminaries in the field who had
not been a part of our original game plan. Clowns we hadn’t heard of. Clowns
under the radar. Clowns un-named in the limited academic research available to
us, or the popular or prevailing discourse. And clowns whose life and work epit-
omized the struggles of minority artists against the dominant narratives of their
art form and its practice. Little by little, it became clear that our initial investiga-
tions had been limited by primary language, geography, culture, and tradition in
ways that we had not anticipated, and not been fully prepared to challenge. By
the time we reached publication, we had come to accept that our first attempt at
gathering a representative selection of the world’s greatest clowns for our book
had, in fact, been a dress rehearsal.
In this new edition, expanded from 20 clowns to over 30, we hope you will
find a far greater breadth and depth in the examination of histories, lineages,
and techniques within the discipline. We have aimed to embrace more fully
the diversity, internationality, and multiplicity of experience that can be found
among performers at the highest level in this most elusive art form. A close read
will reveal a wealth of fascinating connections linking disparate individuals and
demonstrating the vastness of the contemporary clown world, crossing borders
of geography and generation. At the same time, we acknowledge, now more
than ever, that even this new edition provides only a taste of the rich world of
the fool. As we bridge the gaps of geography, language, history, and context to
reach into the stories of some of the globe’s great clowns, we are mindful that
other gaps remain.