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The word “clown” conjures an image of a face-painted, red-nosed, balloon animal-creating funny character. RocHaha, the first clowning festival hosted in Rochester, will expand that vision. Using physical theater and clowning, local artists and performers from around the country will present a style of comedic theater that takes it a step beyond the laughs.
As clowns themselves, festival creators Katherine Marino and Ashley Jones met while working as members of PUSH Physical Theater. After experimenting with their own individual styles, they decided to try offering clowning workshops to fellow performing artists in Rochester. They were surprised to find much more interest than anticipated.
“We quickly realized there was a need to fuel that interest in the community by learning and seeing types of clown shows,” said Marino. “We want to continue building the community with professional and exciting work.”
The exciting work at RocHaha will include performances by New York City-based artist Julia VanderVeen and performers Natasha Mercado and Isaac Kessler from Los Angeles. “Itchy Clowns Cabaret” will kick off the festival with pieces by local artists, ranging from experienced performers to those who are just beginning their clowning journeys.
The festival’s extensive programming lends itself to seeing more than one show a night, along with participating in workshops and then seeing the teachers perform using elements they taught earlier in the day. The communal experience of the audience and the performers is a theme carried throughout the festival, beyond the mingling and chatting between shows and workshops. Due to the nature of clowning, the same show may take on a different feeling each night. The performers play off the audience, so the audience’s reactions directly impact what happens on the stage.
Kessler, a native of Canada, is no stranger to feeding off the audience’s energy. A former student of the world-renowned Paola Coletto and Philippe Gaulier (mentor of Sacha Baron Cohen), Kessler’s art is inspired by Bouffon clowning, which uses mockery as a key element.
“In some ways, it’s a theatrical, anti-theater kind of show,” Kessler said of his piece, ‘1-MAN-NO-SHOW.’ “It’s anti-theater because there’s a fourth wall for a general theatergoer. The lights go down, the curtain comes up, and the actors aren’t looking at you. In this world of clown, there’s no fourth wall.”
The absence of the fourth wall brings the audience into the world created onstage. Because clowning depends largely on the viewer, clowns often tweak and change pieces throughout their creation process. Performers gauge success based on reactions, often presenting work in progress in informal spaces. Sometimes the audience loves it, and sometimes, they don’t.
“That’s the thing that’s so life-changing in the work, when you as a human can try something and make a mistake and fail,” said Kessler. “We’re taught that’s a bad thing in life, but in clown it’s the most beautiful thing you can do, to make friends with the failure. You level up and get more confident, and that’s how you create the material.”
The material at RocHaha may be rooted in comedy, but it also uses humor to tackle themes that may be difficult to think about or see onstage.
“Clowns can test an audience, in a funny, loving way," said Jones. "RocHaha has the kind of work that’s a bit on the edge, that lives in that area of real excitement that anything can happen."
With layers of substance and an absence of a fourth wall, audiences can expect to experience something completely different than traditional theater or dance.
"It’s one thing to showcase that to Rochester, but I also hope RocHaha shows what clowning is and what it can achieve," Jones continued. "It says, ‘Look at the connections we can make using this form.’”
RocHaha Clown Festival runs September 24-28 at the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC). Tickets are $15-35. rochaha.com
Sydney Burrows is a contributor to CITY.
As clowns themselves, festival creators Katherine Marino and Ashley Jones met while working as members of PUSH Physical Theater. After experimenting with their own individual styles, they decided to try offering clowning workshops to fellow performing artists in Rochester. They were surprised to find much more interest than anticipated.
“We quickly realized there was a need to fuel that interest in the community by learning and seeing types of clown shows,” said Marino. “We want to continue building the community with professional and exciting work.”
The exciting work at RocHaha will include performances by New York City-based artist Julia VanderVeen and performers Natasha Mercado and Isaac Kessler from Los Angeles. “Itchy Clowns Cabaret” will kick off the festival with pieces by local artists, ranging from experienced performers to those who are just beginning their clowning journeys.
The festival’s extensive programming lends itself to seeing more than one show a night, along with participating in workshops and then seeing the teachers perform using elements they taught earlier in the day. The communal experience of the audience and the performers is a theme carried throughout the festival, beyond the mingling and chatting between shows and workshops. Due to the nature of clowning, the same show may take on a different feeling each night. The performers play off the audience, so the audience’s reactions directly impact what happens on the stage.
Kessler, a native of Canada, is no stranger to feeding off the audience’s energy. A former student of the world-renowned Paola Coletto and Philippe Gaulier (mentor of Sacha Baron Cohen), Kessler’s art is inspired by Bouffon clowning, which uses mockery as a key element.
“In some ways, it’s a theatrical, anti-theater kind of show,” Kessler said of his piece, ‘1-MAN-NO-SHOW.’ “It’s anti-theater because there’s a fourth wall for a general theatergoer. The lights go down, the curtain comes up, and the actors aren’t looking at you. In this world of clown, there’s no fourth wall.”
The absence of the fourth wall brings the audience into the world created onstage. Because clowning depends largely on the viewer, clowns often tweak and change pieces throughout their creation process. Performers gauge success based on reactions, often presenting work in progress in informal spaces. Sometimes the audience loves it, and sometimes, they don’t.
“That’s the thing that’s so life-changing in the work, when you as a human can try something and make a mistake and fail,” said Kessler. “We’re taught that’s a bad thing in life, but in clown it’s the most beautiful thing you can do, to make friends with the failure. You level up and get more confident, and that’s how you create the material.”
The material at RocHaha may be rooted in comedy, but it also uses humor to tackle themes that may be difficult to think about or see onstage.
“Clowns can test an audience, in a funny, loving way," said Jones. "RocHaha has the kind of work that’s a bit on the edge, that lives in that area of real excitement that anything can happen."
With layers of substance and an absence of a fourth wall, audiences can expect to experience something completely different than traditional theater or dance.
"It’s one thing to showcase that to Rochester, but I also hope RocHaha shows what clowning is and what it can achieve," Jones continued. "It says, ‘Look at the connections we can make using this form.’”
RocHaha Clown Festival runs September 24-28 at the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC). Tickets are $15-35. rochaha.com
Sydney Burrows is a contributor to CITY.
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