Clown schools are experiencing a surge in popularity, particularly in Los Angeles, which has become a hub for clown education alongside New York and San Francisco. Institutions like The Idiot Workshop, Lyric Hyperion, and The Clown School offer top-tier teachers and boast alumni working in film and television, including actors like Helen Slater, June Diane Raphael, Matthew Gray Gubler, and comedian Emo Phillips. These schools provide a unique environment that emphasizes vulnerability, collaboration, improvisation, and spontaneity, offering a therapeutic outlet for performers from various backgrounds, whether stand-up, mainstream acting, or circus.
Unlike traditional circus clowning, modern clown education, often influenced by the French school of Philippe Gaulier, focuses on self-discovery and embracing one's "idiot." Students learn to shed societal expectations and connect with their authentic selves, fostering resilience, confidence, and emotional regulation. Gaulier's method, taught at his school in Étampes, France, and by his trained teachers, has produced notable alumni such as Rachel Weisz, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Clown classes in Los Angeles offer a distinct regional flavor, with different pedagogies like John Gilkey's "headier" approach at The Idiot Workshop, Mercado's "soft clown" teaching, and Jet Eveleth's "Clown Church." Teachers like David Bridel, who founded The Clown School in Los Angeles, emphasize that clowning is not solely devoted to comedy but helps performers embrace self-mockery and work in troupes. Many believe that the juxtaposition with Hollywood's polished image makes clown school especially attractive in Los Angeles, providing an outlet for performers to express their authentic selves.
The benefits of clowning extend beyond performance, with research at UNC, led by Associate Professor Tracy Bersley, exploring how it affects the nervous system and builds protective factors like problem-solving, empathy, and discomfort tolerance. Bersley's class, Dramatic Art 156, teaches students to navigate discomfort and embrace spontaneity, helping them not only in their acting careers but also in daily life. This trend reflects a broader desire for connection and self-exploration, with institutions like Circus Center, Church of Clown, and The Clown School of San Francisco also seeing an uptick in student interest.
