Sunday, November 5th 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
This workshop gives attendees a taste of the fundamentals of Bouffon, a traditional, grotesque, satirical form of physical theatre codified from many traditions throughout history (including the Feast of Fools celebration during medieval times, the Satyr plays of the ancient Greeks and shaman traditions of indigenous communities world wide) by the French theatre provocateur Jacques Lecoq in the 50s and 60s.
This workshop is ecstatic, physical and somatically durational. No previous skills or training are required but an openness and willingness to humbly mine personal and collective bias and our complicity in the social and cultural issues of our time. This form of theatre turns taboos into ecstatic ritual in order to create a sublime mix of comedy and tragedy that is a harbinger for deep reflection and social change. Attendees should be willing to risk failure, to risk being ferocious, to risk being offended or offending, to risk playing extremes. Students will leave with an understanding of the fundamentals of grotesque satire and its activist functionality in society.
Ross is an award winning Actor/Creator, Bouffon, Physical Comedian and Circus Performer (specializing in Chinese pole), who has studied with world renowned master pedagogues, including Dodi DiSanto, Giovanni Fusetti, Ronlin Foreman, Stephen Buescher, Dominik Wyss and Master Lu Yi. Ross’ lineage of training and experience allows him to create provocative performances that combine circus and bouffon to develop extreme characters and tell stories from the fringes, igniting dialogue and change around ignored or taboo social issues. For more information on Ross and his work, please visit his website: www.rosstravis.com/about-ross/