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The new talents of contemporary comedy at the center of “Clownpedia Live”, on 28 June (9.30 pm) at the Nike Theater of the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park in Giardini Naxos. The key and final event of Finc Summer Edition, the summer tranche of the contemporary clown festival of the same name – conceived and curated with Theater Degart by the artists Daniele Segalin and Graziana Parisi, aka Dandy Danno and Diva G – will have as its objective the public restitution of the training and creation work developed in recent days by eleven artists under 35 from Italy and the world.
The interns, selected as part of the special project “Clownpedia – The Clown Heritage of Humanity”, supported by the Ministry of Culture, were guided by David Shiner, a reference figure in contemporary physical comedy, winner of a Special Tony Award for the production “Fool Moon”. Not a traditional show, therefore, but the outcome of a true creative process, in which different experiences, poetics and languages are compared according to Shiner’s own method, among the most renowned in the educational field. We talked about it with the artist himself.
What does his famous method consist of?
“First I observe the kids and see what they do; I analyze them to understand what their weak points are, and I help them. First of all I make them aware of those vulnerabilities, I point out things that perhaps they don’t see or don’t know. In this way, first of all, a surprise effect is created, and knowing that they are already on the right path gives them confidence to move forward. But the fundamental aspect of my teaching is to help them find a unique voice, and discover great ideas for a clown act. And this is based on the ability to feel the emotions in depth, because as I always tell them, the best ideas arise from the life lived up to that moment, from accumulated experiences”.
So what peculiarities must a clown have to perform at his best on stage and entertain the audience?
“The fundamental aspect of the best clowning performances lies in the ability to truly understand what human suffering is, to truly understand one’s position in life and how it affects us, so that we can find a unique and personal voice. We often want to look only at the positive aspects of life, avoiding the negative ones, which are just as important. If you can combine these two opposing energies, then you acquire great power on stage, because when you go on stage, you are immediately present; with the awareness of who you are and what it means to be an artist.”
The festival combines historical memory of clowning and space for new talent. How do you see the future for young talents in the sector?
“I really hope that social media and cell phones and AI don’t ruin everything. Kids today are faced with situations that we haven’t had to deal with. And I’m worried. We’re not doing enough to take care of our planet, or each other. The world is so unbalanced and scary, really terrifying for young people, so the more clowns there are around, the better.”