Play the Fool Festival lets clowns abound
Clown and physical theatre festival attracts international clown performers
SuppliedWhat: Play the Fool Festival
Where: ATB Financial Arts Barns
When: September 27-30, 2018
Festival Passes and Tickets: Prices vary per show and are purchasable here.
As Play the Fool Festival kicks off, Edmonton audiences will be surprised to find out that clowns are more than funny-looking people with red noses and big shoes.
The event, which is Western Canada’s only international clown and physical theatre festival, will begin with a free opening night gala on Thursday, September 27. Attendants will have a chance to watch a sample of many shows and decide if they would like to buy tickets and festival passes. Most of the performances are geared towards teenagers and adults, although an all-ages show will be held as well. A panel discussion, called “Audience Interaction in an Age of Enthusiastic Consent,” will be held on Sunday, September 30 at 2:00 p.m. to address the importance of respect for audience members.
Christine Lesiak, Play the Fool’s Artistic Director, says the festival has significance in the regional theatre scene.
“It is very important to not just me, but the whole community in Alberta,” Lesiak says. “It offers people who practice this form of performance an opportunity to put their work up in a professional environment.”
As a former research physicist, Lesiak has noted many similarities between effective researchers and clowns. Her recent clown show, For Science!, featured clown scientists performing experiments with the audience, and was part of the Holdover Series at the 2018 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
“A researcher and artist both have to work from this place of inquiry, excitement, and curiosity,” Lesiak explains. “Both jobs live in a place of uncertainty where you have to undergo some experiment. In research, it’s a measurable outcome, while in art, it’s a social outcome.”
According to Lesiak, many people seem to think that real clowns must have the grotesque facial and bodily exaggerations which horror movies depict. Lesiak says this stereotype prevents people from recognizing legitimate clown performers in the arts and entertainment industries.
“[Our culture] feeds into these classic horror tropes, which is why there are a lot of modern clowns that aren’t perceived as real clowns,” Lesiak says. “People like Rowan Atkinson — who plays Mr. Bean — Melissa McCarthy, and Jim Carrey all work from a place of clown philosophy.”
One of the festival’s aims is to challenge common misconceptions surrounding clownery by presenting a series of diverse performances, such as The Daily Deal with Lady, The Performance, and Mona Lisa. The full schedule is available on the festival’s website. According to Lesiak, this is all in an effort to foster a space of creativity and discovery.
“It’s about opening your mind, seeing some shows, and understanding that what people think of as clowns is an extremely narrow definition,” Lesiak says. “The vast majority of [clown performers] don’t fit that definition.”
Having devoted her career to clown theatre, Lesiak has developed an enriched view of what it means to be a clown. She believes that clowns are much more than their appearance and represent a greater philosophy of presentness and authenticity.
“I think that good clowns live in the moment,” Lesiak says. “They listen, respond, and tell the truth about what is happening around them.”
