Last night I rather lengthily explicated my precise reasons for wanting to be a clown. Tonight I want to talk about what it will take for me to get there. Almost just a summary for me to look back in the future.
The easiest way to get in would be to have a contact in the Cirque who would be able to get me a sweet deal and jam me in there somewhere. Unfortunately for me, I know no such person. So moving swiftly along...
From all the information I could find on the site, it seems Cirque du Soleil hires people on two grounds. Either you rock up to one of their open auditions, which are generally for new shows, or they find you via their talent database. The former method has several auditions for clowns, unfortunately they are either in Mexico or Las Vegas, both of which are sadly outside of my reach. Furthermore, I really doubt they do auditions here in Australia because I don't think there to be too much interest and the office here is for marketing and sales, it seems.
So the latter method. I must submit myself via their online database. Here's what the site says:
Cirque du Soleil is seeking clowns of all kinds, from so-called contemporary clowns and buffoons to representatives of the Russian school and the purest slapstick tradition. ALL are welcome. Clowns carry their own unique world with them, recreating it in each of our shows. Often without words, their language is that of laughter, catastrophe or lunacy. But first and foremost, they each have their own planet and invention is their guide. Applicants may be considered for a new creation or a specific role in one of our existing productions. Solo, duo or trio acts: anything is possible!
Please note that we only evaluate candidates who submit a CV, a photo and the required demo video.
Description
This opening is for applicants wishing to be included in our applicant bank in clowning. Casting checks its talent bank every day to find candidates with specific skills to match certain roles or to invite candidates to auditions in their area.
Qualifications
Excellent improvisational skills;
Good pacing and precision;
Stage experience;
Willing to work in a group or under a director;
Age: 18 or older.
So general random musings. This is moreso for me than you.
So my particular 'brand' of physical humour is generally a fusion of awkward. Awkward tends to be my keyword when I describe my humour. I'm heavily influenced by the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, David Hyde Pierce, these three form a great trio in my mind of that semi-slapstick type of humour. Mostly, they're characters who are uptight, sophisticated, who react in the most bizarre ways to seemingly normal situations. Else have wierd situations just happen to them.
But there's also just general clumsiness ... A tendency for me to stick actions through, even if they are dangerous or are causing me pain, I often keep going because of the laugh. There've been times when I've been on stage and hurt myself rather badly during a falling gag, but used the pain to my advantage. That sort of thing.
Do I have a particular world of my own? Me as a person, yes, yes I do. But that's part of who I am, it's no persona. And I suspect that would be something I would workshop with the Cirque. I'm open really to try and pull any kind of character off. I am an actor as well, so these things appeal and infuse my clownism.
Qualifications? I adore improvisation, and for the physical comedy aspects of things that's a huge pro-trait for me. As I'm perpetually looking for the humour as it is. Pacing and precision, yeah I think I can do that. Stage experience ... Well, I had Crabtree in Allo Allo in 2005, which was a comedic role that involved much slapstick. Which, might I add, garnered standing ovations. Victor in Totally Over You was also rather comedic in bits. Prince Araby... No so much, but as a leading role I think that experience is invaluable. And I understand this ain't any professional experience but woteva. Gorup and director working - check, I'm totally fine with that.
So let's take a look at what videos need to do.
DEMO REQUIREMENTS - CLOWNS
Please prepare the following materials for submission with your online application:
a resumé;
one or more photos;
a recent video not exceeding 12 minutes in length (150 MB maximum). We accept video files in all formats except for executable (.exe) files. Your video does not have to be of excellent quality, a simple homemade video is fine. We want images that haven't been touched up or edited.
WHAT SHOULD THE VIDEO CONTAIN?
A one-minute presentation to the camera: tell us your name, your age, your background and the reasons for your interest in Cirque du Soleil;
Two or three acts totalling five to nine minutes, filmed live (without editing);
If you have experience warming up audiences prior to a show, include footage of your work.
This is gonna be tricky. My video needs to be well balanced and show off my versatility, as well as be amazingly funny. AJ was kind enough to offer me some advice on this matter. A strong part of it, be thinks, is the vocal versatility. Which is a very good point, problem is they aren't looking for verbal humour, so I need to be able to deliver humour form the sound of my voice either alone or in conjunction with actions, without it being linguistically relevant.
This is gonna be tough. But here were my preliminary thoughts Saturday night.
Do the skit which I was planning for the world's weakest man. Take him, and give him a situation in which he is a mover delivering a box that for one man is rather light and free. But for me it is the heaviest thing in the world. Basically it's a drawn out 3 minutes of me trying many different ways to move the box. There are a few bits here and there which would be funny (have a rope scene when I'm trying to pull the box; not heavy enough to activate motion-sensor doors; knocking over the box and praying nothing's broken).
Other than that, I was just thinking a few random things done in public to show off improvasation. These include but are not limited to: a man with an umbrella being pulled about Civic via the breeze which feels like a gale to him; a man at the bus stop who has his shoelaces tied together and stumbles around the bus stop; man with bags of many oranges who drops it all in the middle of Civic and stumbles around like a baffoon trying to pick it all up; a man with really slippery shoes slippin' and a slidin' around town.
That's really all I can think of. Most of them could potentially developed into fuller 'skits' like the weakest man. But I gotta remember these cannot be editted. They have to be continuously filmed. I suppose they want the humour to be derived without effects as this would be on the stage. That makes sense. And suits me, really.
I need to refine my ideas then find the time and people to help me execute them properly.
Some more search about the process. I can't find anything concise to copy and paste, but Shanan, yuou know where it can be found. It's just more about the process. It seems if a talent scout believes me to be adequate, they'll call me in for an audition/interviews, how that works precisely I have no idea, considering I'm in Australia. From then, if I make it, then I go through a training period, which could last from a week to months. These are general training things, I should think. I would look forward to that, actually, acrobatics and stuff is compulsary training.
After training I would likely do a serious of workshops. I think as a clown this would involve the genesis of my stage persona, possibly with my partners. If not it would be helping out the genesis of an actual large scale production. From there would be a period of integration into an existing show (or go straight into a new production, I guess). It seems so exciting.
Hang on! Here's an interview one of the Clowns gave. This is invaluable information!
Christian Fitzharris
USA
Clowning and improvisational comedy
KOOZA
INTERVIEW
Your biggest artistic achievement in your pre-Cirque du Soleil career:
Principal actor in the film Sister Act 2 with Whoopi Goldberg.
Please tell us about your artistic background and training previous to joining Cirque:
I have been performing since I was a child, and professionally since the age of 15. I studied acting at The Young Actor’s Space and The Beverly Hills Playhouse in Los Angeles . I studied improvisational comedy with Comedy Sportz and The Second City.
When did you join Cirque du Soleil?
In October 2006, for the creation of KOOZA.
What was your first contact with the organization? What was the context?
Through David Shiner’s workshop and audition for the creation of KOOZA.
What kind of an experience was your workshop and audition?
The audition was a one-week workshop under the direction of David Shiner with 19 other clowns from all over the world. It was the best performing week of my life.
How did your integration go in Montreal and on the show?
We worked from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. , Monday through Friday to improvise and create ideas and material to be integrated into the storyline and clown acts. The hours were long, but we were in a constant state of creativity and productivity. Very exciting.
How does being part of a Cirque du Soleil show allow you to express yourself in your discipline?
At every show I am able to experiment with ideas and audience interaction. I learn new ways of communicating a funny idea or a bizarre outlandish concept for the benefit of the audience and my own career as a performer. It is priceless and an opportunity which is not given to many people, especially at the calibre that Cirque du Soleil delivers.
What do you like the most about being part of Cirque du Soleil?
I appreciate my craft being synonymous with the quality and excellence that the Cirque du Soleil brand is known for all around the world.
How did the transition go between your former career and your current Cirque career?
The transition was a bit bumpy, but there are always growing pains when you are taking yourself to the next level. You leave your friends and family, but you gain a new outlook and a completely transformative experience that there is no going back on.
How is life on tour?
In a lot of ways touring is what I expected it would be: the hardest I have ever worked in my life AND the most creatively fulfilling work I have ever done. A tiring blend but one for which I am thankful.
Also:
David Shiner
Montreal
Director and clown
What is your approach with the clowns on Cirque du Soleil projects you have taken part in?
I try to find people who are talented, funny, interesting in the way they move, who have interesting faces and I help them develop their potential. I teach them things like 'pointe fixe' , how to develop a character, how to develop a really good sense of rhythm and timing, how to improvise with an audience, etc. I give the clowns I work with a lot of the basic things that I learned over the last 25 years.
People are born clowns usually, it’s not something you can study to learn. You can learn certain techniques, but you’re either funny or not funny. So I always try to find people who have something funny about them. If they’re funny, there’s got to be a way to take that funniness and make it work for them. So I’m not always looking for someone who has great technique or great movement abilities or great slapstick abilities. I’m just looking for someone who’s funny. From there we can start to teach them the techniques.
All the different styles of clowning (Russian, American, European) can work, but we have to make them modern for a modern audience.
What do you find challenging and stimulating about working with clowns from different backgrounds?
Giving them all my knowledge. As a mentor, I’m there to help them learn the stuff fast. If I look back at my career, I wish I'd had a mentor, but I learned on my own.
I help them find a style. What makes you funny? What’s going to make you distinct from another clown? I teach the clowns the importance of using the body, of communicating without language. Because someone who learns how to extend their energy and access their creative core can walk on a stage, do very little and be very interesting to watch.
What is your creative philosophy?
As a director or as a mentor, trying to help people discover their own source of inspiration and creativity. To help them get out of their head, get into their body and get into their breath. To learn to trust themselves, trust their ideas, to believe in themselves, to have confidence. To help them celebrate the joy of performing; the pure sense of joy out of being on a stage and performing for an audience. Respecting yourself, respecting the other performers, learning to give, and give, and give, and to make an audience happy. And most of all, to know who you are: to find out who you are as an artist, what your message is, why you are there. Once you know that, the rest is easy.
What role do you think clowns play in Cirque du Soleil shows?
Principal. Without a clown in a circus, there’s no circus.
How do the art of clowning and Cirque du Soleil mix together?
Cirque has a great tradition of always having good clowns. The place they hold in a show depends on the director. As a director, since I am a clown, the clown has a principal role. He’s the character who’s taking us through the evening.
The clown is the one who has the deepest emotional connection with the audience. All the artists have a deep emotional connection with the audience, but the clown really gives us a sense of our humanity, because he’s a fool, he’s playing the role of a fool. He’s revealing our human weakness and he’s allowing us to laugh at ourselves. Great clowns have always been loved, because they allow us to laugh at those parts of ourselves we’re the most afraid or ashamed of. The clown helps us to accept ourselves, as who we are.
The more I research it the more I WANT to be a part of this. I so turly want it, it's unbelievable. And it seems so doable. I have enough confidence to make that demo tape. Once it's in, I can just wait. It may take a month it may take a year, but I have enough confidence that they will call. The moment they call is the moment I drop out of Uni. Or at least defer for a year or two, try and talk them into letting me because Cirque is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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