Clowning For Actors Workshop To Return To Shakespeare & Company
Participants will be guided through a journey of presence, play, and authentic connection, rediscovering the joy of performance through laughter and mischief.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 15, 2025
This spring, Shakespeare & Company is inviting actors of all backgrounds and experience levels to take a bold, hilarious leap into the world of Clown with Clowning For Actors, a three-day workshop led by renowned faculty member and master clown teacher Michael F. Toomey.
Running Friday, May 9 through Sunday, May 11, this workshop blends physical theater, improvisation, and personal exploration to help actors reconnect with their Clown-the most human, vulnerable, and ridiculous version of themselves. Participants will be guided through a journey of presence, play, and authentic connection, rediscovering the joy of performance through laughter and mischief.
"Across cultures, the Clown has always served as a mirror-revealing what is most honest and deeply human in all of us," says Toomey. "This work is about inviting the audience to laugh with us, at us, and ultimately at themselves."
The workshop schedule is as follows:
-
Friday, May 9: 7:00 - 10:00 PM
-
Saturday, May 10: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
-
Sunday, May 11: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Held on the Shakespeare & Company campus in Lenox, Massachusetts, Clowning For Actors is open to performers of all abilities and backgrounds. Tuition is $395, with discounted rates available for alumni (15%), union members (10%), BIPOC artists, and students ($345).
Videos