Four Clowns Set for Residency at Stanislavsky Institute

From March 7-23, Los Angeles-based touring clown company Four Clowns will spend a three week residency at the Stanislavsky Institute in Sao Paulo Brazil, in collaboration with the Latin American Film Institute and the Brazilian Museum of Sculpture.

The residency will feature workshops and masterclasses in the art of clowning for the general public, and the creation, rehearsal, and presentation of a 40 minute performance with Brazilian actors Victor Moreno and Luciana Stipp, and Four Clowns members Jamie Franta and Zachary Steel, based on the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Old Testament. Written and Co- Directed by The Clown School's Artistic Director David Bridel, and Directed by Four Clowns' Artistic Director Jeremy Aluma, this physical clown piece of epic proportions poses one of the central questions of the Old Testament: to whom does man owe allegiance, himself or God? As we investigate Abraham's character - man of fear or ruthless fanatic? - modern themes rear ugly heads and humor transforms into terror.

This will be the first time Four Clowns has worked internationally, and the company plans to document the experience, accomplishments, challenges, and outcomes of the residency with the help of a videographer assigned to the project by the Latin American Film Institute. The resulting video will not only inform LA residents about the project, but through its creation bring together together US and Brazilian artists in a unique creative dialogue and partnership that the company is striving to maintain. Additionally, Four Clowns plans to mount a US version of the Abraham & Isaac story as part of a larger Old Testament project that the company will be rolling out in the next several years. The company's first installment of the project, Noah and Jonah, was mounted at the Annenberg Beach Community house in Santa Monica, CA last July for the 2014 Artist in Residency program.