Blog | Shearwater Productions

Holly poses in her clown makeup in front of a vehicle at the Abu Dhabi airport

Clowning: some what, some why, and a little history Part Two

July 13, 2012

To follow up on part one, a history of clowning, this little section looks at ‘what is clowning’ and how that was understood early in the history of Islam in the Silk Road countries. What is clowning? The exchange of styles, skills, characterizations and so forth was (and is) facilitated by the itinerant nature of performers. Three main reasons why performing clowns traveled were: *The search for new markets *As part of royal court retinue (they were expected to accompany various court members) *Self-preservation; as laws changed and social pressure increased, it became in the clowns best interest to keep

A clown meeting with women at an orphanage in Kabul

Clowning: some what, some why, and a little history Part One

July 6, 2012

As some of you may know, my Master’s Thesis was called “The Search for Indigenous Clown Forms in Afghanistan” (of course it was), stimulated in part by participation in a humanitarian mission to Afghanistan in February of 2002 with the the Italian military, an Italian film crew, and approximately two dozen clowns, mostly Italian. My passion for Silk Roads clowning continues unabated. Thus, this blog entry! This is an excerpt (sadly made slightly ‘rumpled’ in tone in my attempt to cut words) from a paper I presented at a Silk Roads Conference in Australia. It also provides a working definition/explanation

Arts in Community: creating a smoother process flow

June 29, 2012

Whether you are directing a show or putting together a community pageant, you need a smooth process flow. Without one you’re likely to encounter major stress and early onset balding (or maniacal laughter…), not to mention a less positive outcome for all involved. Here’s a few tips to help it go well! Schedule Number one arch nemesis. Everyone has other things to do, there are different skill sets represented (and so, of course, different members of each subgroup have different needs), people forget, and things come up at the last minute. What are some steps you can take so as

Performance as Protest

June 22, 2012

As I consider a recent production “The Pirates of Penzance” and the commedia masks I’ve made, I am reminded that the Performing Arts have been a form of protest since people gathered around a campfire and a storyteller wove critique into his or her tale, since the first time homo erectus cracked a joke at the expense of someone with more social power. Although the Performing Arts certainly include music (and I would count the haunting soundscape of the Casserole Protests, with their conscious ‘symphonizing’ of rhythm, volume, and melody, in this category), my emphasis here will be on protest

A tall and a short clown stand next to each other

Workshop Openers: connecting to the self and others using movement

June 8, 2012

A colleague recently asked me for some opening exercises to do with a clown class. The class would include folks with a variety of challenges, from the usual “I don’t like being vulnerable with other people” to learning challenges to challenges that accompany Down Syndrome. What an AWESOME question and AMAZING project! There are sooooo many terrific clown activities to use and do—it’s an ancient, myriad, mulitplexed art form. Even its practice in a workshop setting can change how one feels in the world. I have included below ‘openers’ that are great for many workshops—not just clowning, not just theatre.

Holly Adams in her studio recording an audiobook

Pirates! In praise of swordplay

June 3, 2012

I love pirates. Not, of course, modern real-life pirates, but the pirates of history and fiction with whom I fell in love as a girl. I still remember the thrill I felt when I met my first wild and adventurous pirate, Sinbad the Sailor from 1001 Arabian Nights. I was a shy, bookish, wandering girl of 8 who spent long afternoons alone in the woods to recover from school where having both too much energy and an agile, hungry mind made me ….. well, let’s call it “less than popular”. My discovery of the swashbuckling, adventurous narrative saved me. To

Three clowns in a hospital in Tuscany, Italy

A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste

May 25, 2012

(Sigh.) Let’s face it. I’m gonna let the truth be known. YES, I studied as a mime. I loved Shields and Yarnell (start with “The Breakfast Show”), Marcel Marceau, and the Mummenshanz, so it seemed natural to have intensive mime training as a part of my career development. I took workshops and courses, and enrolled in the renamed Dell ‘Arte School of Physical Theatre. As the official website beautifully frames it, “Originally called the Dell’Arte School of Mime and Comedy, the School’s name was changed to The International School of Physical Theatre in the late 1980s as a result of

A boy puts makeup on a girl getting ready for her clown therapy session

Clown Therapy Projects: love at first nose

May 20, 2012

Many projects in the expressive arts have a built-in lifetime, and a part of the pleasure arises out of the pre-knowledge of the project’s life expectancy. Clown Therapy, projects, however, are not wrought, like a performance, but rather exist as a process, like the water cycle, where beings are drawn together, change, affect and are affected by their environment, are lifted up, then are quite literally expressed. Like water, the process itself does not need to have the same exact people in it all the time to feel continuous, although like water, repeated action in the same place and close

Holly holding a mask and sign that says "Theatre Transforms Lives"

State of Arts-in-Ed with guest Marsha Wheeler

May 12, 2012

Arts-in-ed issues and conversations have gained momentum and greater public significance of late. A number of studies have been published indicating the importance of the arts in academic success and in post-school success. For these reasons, I opted to interview an incredible friend and colleague, Marsha Wheeler, an administrator in the arts-in-ed world for many years. Marsha is the Arts-in-Ed Coordinator of the Oswego County BOCES program in upstate NY. She is also a long-time organizer of conferences, initiator of opportunities, and inspirer of dreams. Below are her words, followed by an excerpt from President Obama’s Remarks at the Reception for

A group of kids paints on the floor of a hallway

Theatre for Discovery & Transformation: Prince Ahmed and Peribanou

May 4, 2012

For many years, the Canada Centre for Faith and Social Justice held monthly open meetings, and at each meeting, they would go through four phases in order to bring the social forces and ‘pre-scribed’ relationships into greater transparency. The four phases are: Identifying Ourselves and Our Interests Naming Issues Assessing Forces Planning For Action Why is that important? Many of us in Arts and Arts-in-Ed do work based in an idea of social awareness and justice, of remembering that ART is the great equalizer and singular opportunity to newly understand and re-imagine what is and what could be. Below is