A decade ago Jeff founded the Clown Conservatory the only comprehensive professional clown training program in the United States. He is now the Bay Area Casting Partner for Cirque du Soleil, the Artistic Director of the Medical Clown Project and a coach with the global consulting firm Stand & Deliver.
A graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Jeff has performed with Cirque du Soleil, The Pickle Circus, Vaudeville Nouveau and Make*A*Circus. In 2007, Jeff spent the year touring the U.S. as the lead character in Cirque du Soleil’s “Corteo.” In 2009, he reprised his role in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, Japan. He will continue to perform with the company from time to time.
SZ: Jeff you performed as the lead clown in Cirque du Soleil’s “Corteo” how much leeway was provided for creative spontaneity in this role?
JR: I was replacing the man who originated the role and had hoped to make some changes in the routines and add some of my circus skills. Given the complexity of “Corteo” and the fact that most CdS shows run for decades, there is not much room for big changes. That said, I had a lot of leeway with the language, improvising and re-writing sections of my part. Daniele Finzi-Pasca, the director, designed the show for flexibility, asking the performers to bring their own personalities and relationships to the stage every night. This gave the show, and continues to give the show, a freshness that is rare in a long-running production.
SZ: Did your performance transform a lot over the duration of time you played this character? Physically or mentally? Can you offer an example of the transformation you experienced over time?
JR: Yes. For one, I performed the role in English (with little bits of French, Italian and Russian) for 385 shows and then did it mainly in Japanese for another 115 performances. When doing 8 – 10 shows/wk, it is a struggle to be an artist every day and not slip into being a hack (someone who does what they do without intention, without heart.) Every show, I would try to focus on a particular scene or change my approach to a certain moment that had become stale. Luckily for me, “Corteo” is so complex technically that there are often little glitches, glitches that forced me to improvise and kept me from ‘dialing it in’. For example, it was the last show of a 10 show week, 10 minutes before the final bow. I was on the bike, suspended in the wings ready to make my computer controlled flight across the stage – a beautiful picture for the audience that was not much of a strain for me. I was dreaming of my day off. My cue came and went but the bike didn’t move. My mind flew into overdrive, reworking my lines, thinking about ways to get down, etc. Finally, the computer kicked in and I flew across the stage, improvising madly. The glitch saved that scene and kept me honest.
SZ: You’ve been a performance clown for over thirty-five years. What types of physical/mental training is useful in becoming a performance clown outside of performance training? Are there other disciplines you study or studied that have influenced your performance skills?
JR: It takes about 6 hours of practice a day for quite a few years to become a professional juggler. I started when I was 14 and that discipline has helped me immensely as a performer. Acrobatics is more social and the training, while more painful, is not as monotonous. It is, however, dangerous and scary. For an acrobat, the acting concepts of ‘risk’, ‘a life or death situation’ and ‘trusting your partner’ are visceral. If an actor loses focus, the scene dies; if an acrobat loses focus, their partner might die. In the ‘80’s, two partners and I had a company called ‘Vaudeville Nouveau’. We ran the business together. I learned how to write grants, do budgets, set up a not-for-profit, negotiate contracts, etc. These skills are invaluable for a free-lance performer. Finally, my experience as a teacher, which started out of necessity (I had to pay the rent and teaching is often a ‘fill-in’ gig for a performer) has grown to be one of my favorite things to do. When I am performing, I try to follow the advice I give to my students. This can be very hard – I was never a good student and I find I’m no better when I am the teacher.
SZ: While performing a show with a consistent story line show after show for over a year what are engaging elements of performance that feed a performers energy and help keep up the level of excitement for the actors?
JR: A ballerina came up to me after a workshop and said, “I could never do a show over and over like you do.” For her, the joy of being an artist was the variety and challenge of learning and performing 5 – 8 ballets/year. I understand her completely – variety has been a hallmark of my career. So the challenge of a long running show becomes a new artistic horizon. As I mentioned before, technical glitches are gold for a clown (when the sound board crashed and I got to talk with 2800 people without a mic and without competing with the band, I was in heaven.) Cast changes, different audiences, ideas from the director, etc. also kept me awake and alive on stage. Finally, I tried to interact with at least a few audience members before every show, to warm up my heart and ground me in the reality that this show, while old for me, is new for them.
SZ: You are currently a coach and director of the consulting firm “Stand & Deliver.” What are some of the challenges of working with business leaders in developing performance skills?
JR:: Now that I’ve become somewhat familiar with corporate culture, I find that my corporate ‘students’ are facing the same challenges and working on many of the same skills as my professional clown students – How to be fully yourself in front of a bunch of people? How to use all of one’s tools –voice, body, mind and heart – to engage other people and influence them? The moment when I can see a student’s block, name the challenge and watch them become fuller and more dynamic in front of their colleagues’ eyes is as rich a moment in a boardroom as it is in a ring.
SZ: Aside from presenting interesting and relevant material, what is a presentation skill that most people find immediately effective towards capturing the attention of their audience?
JR: Using their bodies to support their material rather than distracting from it; talking with audiences rather than at them; varying the pitch, volume and tempo of their voices to shape the meaning of their words and keep an audience from tuning out.
SZ: What are some of the life perks that have come along with the distinction of being a high level performance clown?
JR: Working with fascinating, skilled, wildly creative people on a regular basis; meeting people who were fans when they were kids become kids again when they see me; visiting interesting places around the world (although I often complain more about the plane trip than crow about the sights); watching my students succeed and surpass me in their skills and careers (now that I am officially an elder of the tribe, my cutthroat ambition has mellowed to mild jealousy mixed with pride.)
SZ: You and your wife psychologist Sherry Sherman recently launched the Medical Clown Project. Can you describe what the organization provides?
JR: Through the therapeutic art of play and humor, medical clowns help patients and their families reduce fear and anxiety while increasing their strength and motivation to cope with illness. The medical clown connects with patients in a way that is markedly different from the rest of their experience in the hospital.
Clowns use expressive therapy modalities such as magic, music, circus and puppetry as part of the healing process with patients, families and medical teams. They provide services in many settings including patient rooms, intensive care, emergency departments as well as in hallways, waiting rooms and elevators.
SZ: Your career embraces a global range of experience. Do you have a favorite quote or story that has guided you on your professional path? Many little stories – I collect and remember them.
JR: My mentor, Jael Weisman, has dropped many pearls over the years, including “If the first half goes well, pretend you really blew it so that you don’t get complacent in Act 2.” A couple of others: Auditioning for a big shot director; he liked me and asked to see more. I got excited and started showing him everything I had – juggling, acrobatics, music… Finally, he said “Stop. I like you now, don’t change that.” I got the part and the show eventually went to Broadway. Whenever I want to throw the kitchen sink at a scene, I remember that one. Another director once said, when I was complaining about something or other, “I agree, it is terrible. The worst thing you can do to an actor is give him a job.” That shut me up and broke off a big hunk of my actor’s cynical armor.
Jeff thank you for your taking time out of your very busy schedule to chat about life as
a performing artist.
Jeff wrote and is performing in the play, “The Road to Hades.” Performances continue at John Hinkel Park in Berkeley through Sept. 11th.
*Featured guests are not current nor former clients of Susan Zaro
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