IN PERSON Classes
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: DIRECTING
Class Type All Comers
Dates March 21-22, 2026
Times 12-4pm Saturday/Sunday ONLY
Location Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601
Instructor David Bridel
Cost $325 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants)
For the first time, The Clown School offers a workshop in directing for the stage. David draws on a long career and his vast experience in theater and opera to explore the tenets of directing. From concept to realization, from script work to working with performers, this weekend immersion in the art of directing offers a comprehensive overview of the art form, fleshed out with practical exercises and clearly articulated principles that can be utilized swiftly and effectively.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequiste: None
Special Weekend Workshop: Permission to Transform — Clown School Philadelphia
Class Type Intermediate
Dates Saturday April 4 & Sunday April 5
Times 11am-5pm
Location Deep End Studios, West Philadelphia
Instructors Danielle Levsky
Cost $199
"Permission to Play felt transformational! Danielle taught us that clowning is all about connection - to oneself, to the audience, to the fellow clowns. I feel that connection more deeply throughout my life in my personal relationships as well as my work in healthcare." — RB, Therapist
Limited to 12 participants
Back by popular demand after its inaugural run, Permission to Transform returns with a refined and deepened curriculum. This intimate two-day workshop invites clowns to move beyond introduction and into the essential question: who is your clown, really? Building on the foundational joy and discovery of Permission to Play, we'll journey through the two great archetypes of clowning: the vulnerable, perpetually surprised Auguste and the magnificently confident Joey. We will discover how both live inside you.
Saturday belongs to The Auguste, the tender, bumbling clown who encounters the world as if for the first time. Through guided failure work, emotional scale exercises, and the seven-try sequence (where every problem contains seven doorways to delight), we will develop a rich vocabulary of vulnerability and discover the profound comedy hidden in struggle. Sunday, we meet The Joey, the inner director, your magnificent self, the part of you that commands space unapologetically. Through pride walks, the Grooving Exercise, the Expert Show, and Joey Clown Songs, you'll find the version of you that assumes the world rearranges itself in your honor. Then, as class winds down, the two archetypes will merge. Through guided costume work, the sacred nose ceremony, and a culminating Status Feast improvisation, your unique clown emerges.
What to Expect:
Intensive ensemble work rooted in emotional authenticity. Deep exploration of Auguste and Joey archetypes through structured exercises and guided improvisation. A costume journey that lets your body discover your clown's physical expression. Sustained practice in audience connection: the triple take, the shared glance, the generous failure. And a safe, fiercely supportive environment where your "no" is as sacred as your "yes." Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of clown character construction, practical tools for navigating status and emotional range, enhanced ability to sustain presence in the nose, expanded awareness of how Auguste and Joey dynamics fuel scene work, and strengthened ensemble skills and performance confidence.
Prerequisites:
While all dedicated students are welcome, this workshop will be most impactful for those with introductory clown experience.
FRIDAY MORNING SERIES: SILENT MOVEMENT PRACTICE
Class Type Open
Dates Fridays in April (10,17,24)
Times 10am-Noon Fridays ONLY
Location Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601
Instructor David Bridel
Cost $209
“Understanding each other without verbally communicating is so powerful. Thank you so much for this incredible experience.” NM, Los Angeles
A unique, original class that explores energy, physical communication, and connection - with self and others - in silence. Fusing elements of meditation, contact improvisation and balance work, Viewpoints, and David’s own movement curriculum, each session unfolds without speech and opens up new channels of somatic listening and learning. By joining this class, you pledge to enter the studio in silence and to maintain that silence throughout the class experience.
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: MAD CIRCUS SKILLZ WITH MATT WALKER
Class Type Open
Dates April 18/19, 2026
Times Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm
Location JJ Gym, 6232 Mary Ellen Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
Instructor Matt Walker
Cost $325
He’s back! Learn the proper tricks and techniques of various circus skill disciplines, including juggling, balancing, and hat tricks! Ringling Bros. Clown College graduate and former circus clown Matt Walker will guide you through the necessary practices and protocols to add to your bag of tricks! Hands (and feet) on training on all the circus apparatus over the course of the weekend. Develop practical application of these skills to help create a vital, well-rounded clown! Or, just kick-ass at parties!
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None.
SUNDAY NIGHT SERIES: CLOWN 2
Class Type Beginners
Dates April 19 - May 31, 2026
Times 6-9.30pm, Sundays ONLY
Location The Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90032
Instructor David Bridel
Cost $475 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants)
Clown 2 offers an amazing opportunity to explore clown archetypes. Bring your vulnerability and playfulness to the Auguste, the clown at the very bottom of the ladder, and the Joey, also known as the boss clown, the clown that wins! The class brings incredible transformations, a deeper connection with your clown, and the joy of creativity in this beautiful discipline.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: Clown 1 or Intensive
SUNDAY NIGHT SERIES: CLOWN 2 LAS VEGAS
Class Type Beginners
Dates April 19 - May 31, 2026
Times 5-9pm, Sundays ONLY
Location Western Stage Props, 4017 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas
Instructor Erik Engman
Cost $299
For the first time in Vegas! Clown 2 offers an amazing opportunity to explore clown archetypes. Bring your vulnerability and playfulness to the Auguste, the clown at the very bottom of the ladder, and the Joey, also known as the boss clown, the clown that wins! The class brings incredible transformations, a deeper connection with your clown, and the joy of creativity in this beautiful discipline.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: Clown 1 or Intensive
MONDAY NIGHT SERIES: CLOWN 1
Class Type Beginners
Dates April 27 - June 22, 2026
Times 6-9pm, Mondays ONLY
Location JJ Gym, 6232 Mary Ellen Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
Instructor David Bridel & Tiffany Elle
Cost $475 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants)
“I think all people, big and small, fat and tall, outlandishly extroverted or shy and squeaky, believing or non-believing, happy or sad, beautiful or butt ugly, ready or not, should TAKE. THIS. CLASS.”KS, Los Angeles
Delve into the magical world of the clown. Learn to meet an audience on equal terms. Discover the energies inside you waiting to be tapped, relish the liberation of laughter, confront your fears and support your peers. You’ll be amazed how the clown inside you emerges into the limelight and experiences the pure pleasure of connection.
Clown 1 is our foundational class, and most popular offering. We’re delighted to offer this new section and to welcome a new generation of clowns into the fold!
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None. All experience levels welcome!
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: LECOQ’S MIMODYNAMICS - THE MOVEMENT OF NATURE
Class Type Open
Dates May 2-3, 2026
Times Noon-5pm
Location TBA
Instructors Ivano Conte
Cost $325
Explore the body's expressive potential by connecting with the rhythms and forces of the natural world. Inspired by Lecoq’s concept of mimodynamics, this workshop approaches movement as the starting point of dramatic creation. Instead of beginning with psychology, actors observe the external movements of nature to discover an internal physical impulse. Through mimism—the ability to capture and embody natural dynamics—participants develop a richer physical imagination and new tools for character creation. Over this 2-day intensive, the work is divided into two main explorations: on the first day, participants investigate the elements—fire, air, earth, and water—through movement exercises that explore rhythm, weight, resistance, and energy, discovering how natural dynamics can inspire emotional states and dramatic presence. On the second day, the focus shifts to animals and zoomorphism, studying locomotion, points of support, and instinctive attitudes to transform animal qualities into human characters. This workshop offers practical tools for performers interested in physical theater, clowning, and physically driven character work.
Ivano Conte is a theatre and movement teacher trained in the Lecoq pedagogy. He graduated from Il Cantiere Teatrale in Rome, where he later became a founding member and teacher. He studied with renowned masters such as Norman Taylor, Amy Russell, Philippe Gaulier, Lassaad Saidi, Carlo Boso, Antonio Fava, Vladimir Olshansky and Emmanuel Gallot-Lavallée. Ivano is an Associate Lecoq Pedagogue at Embodied Poetics, where he contributes to the transmission of Jacques Lecoq’s methodology, with a focus on movement analysis, Commedia dell’Arte and the creative process. He has taught internationally, leading workshops in Italy and Canada. In addition, Ivano is a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method®, integrating somatic awareness into actor training to deepen presence, precision, and creative freedom. His approach combines rigorous physical discipline with imaginative exploration, guiding performers toward authenticity, expressiveness, and a vibrant theatrical presence.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: VOICE FOR CLOWNS AND NON-CLOWNS
Class Type Open
Dates May 16-17
Times Noon-5pm
Location JJ Gym, 6232 Mary Ellen Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
Instructors Natsuko Ohama
Cost $375
Natsuko Ohama is one of the world’s premier voice teachers and exponents of the Linklater Voice Technique. In this two-day workshop, she will work with performers of all stripes to offer a warm-up that can be learned and repeated, address the physiological needs of the voice, increase alignment between body and voice, explore emotional connection through vocal exercises, and deepen an understanding of the personal relationship between form and content, performance and human being.
Don’t miss this stunning opportunity.
Natsuko Ohama trained under legendary Master Kristin Linklater at the Working Theatre in New York. She is a founding member and permanent faculty of Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, Mass.), a senior artist at Pan Asian Rep NewYork, a certified Joy of Phonetics teacher trained by Louis Colaianni and was the Director of Training at the National Arts Center of Canada. She has taught at numerous institutions all over North America, including NYU, Cal Arts, Columbia University, the Sundance Institute. Internationally has taught in Stromboli Italy, Istanbul Turkey, Zurich Switzerland, Shanghai China as well as in Orkney Scotland at the KVLC. She has an extensive workshop and private teaching practice in Los Angeles and has coached numerous productions at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and the Wallis Annenberg Theatre. A Drama Desk nominated actress, she has portrayed roles ranging from Juliet to Lady Macbeth from Hamlet to Prospero (Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company). Film and TV appearances include the action film Speed, the cult series Forever Knight, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Favorite stage roles: Imelda Marcos in Dogeaters, Winnie in Beckett’s Happy Days, and she was in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Company 2018. Ms. Ohama’s play Geisha of the Gilded Age was performed by her at Summer Arts 2019. She heads the voice progression for the MFA Acting Program at USC.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None
FRIDAY MORNING SPECIAL WORKSHOP: THE SOUND HEALING CLOWN
Class Type Open
Dates Friday May 29
Times 10am-Noon
Location JJ Gym, 6232 Mary Ellen Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
Instructor Marisa Petroro
Cost $100
Join Marisa Petroro, Winner of The Clown School’s 2024 Humanitarian Clowning Award, for this very special clown workshop featuring a unique Sound Healing experience. Play, connect, engage, and then immerse yourself in the gorgeous tones and vibrations of Marisa’s sound work for a one-off experience that can’t be replicated!
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequiste: None
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: MAGIC AND CLOWN
Class Type Open
Dates June 6/7, 2026
Times Noon-5pm
Location TBA
Instructors David Gabbay
Cost $325
Magic and clown share some of the same foundations: attention, surprise, and the audience’s experience of the unexpected. When the two meet, even a very simple magic effect can become a strong theatrical moment. In this two-day workshop, participants explore how basic magic techniques can support clown performance and deepen their connection with the audience. Rather than focusing only on tricks, the class looks at what actually makes a magical moment work — attention, expectation, surprise, and the reaction that follows. Participants will learn a small set of beginner-friendly effects, including a classic cut-and-restored rope routine and an interactive sponge ball effect. Along the way, we’ll look at how these pieces can support clown logic, audience participation, and clear physical storytelling. By the end of the weekend, participants leave with a few practical magic tools they can use right away, along with new ideas about how timing, attention, and play can create moments of theatrical wonder.
You may have seen David Gabbay on Nickelodeon, ABC's Nightline, Science Channel's Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, or at one of his many appearances as a featured performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. David's celebrated independent productions, Caught in a Miracle, Bijan the Magijan and Wonderlust, have drawn audiences far and wide. He is also a magic industry thought-leader who has created effects for professional magicians globally.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None. No prior magic experience required.
SPECIAL SATURDAY WORKSHOP: OJAI CLOWN RETREAT
Class Type Open
Dates Saturday June 20, 2026
Times 10am-5pm
Location Sane Living, 316 E Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023
Instructors David Bridel
Cost $150
The Clown School invites you to take a day out of your life and join us for our long-awaited, first-ever retreat! Refresh, revitalize, and inspire yourself in the magical surroundings of the Sane Living Center in beautiful Ojai, California. Our series of exercises in movement, ensemble work, foolery and clowning offer a transformational experience, filled with connectivity and laughter, that will cleanse the palate and treat the soul around the Winter Solstice.
Ages 18 and older.
No prior experience necessary.
THE CLOWN SCHOOL SUMMER CLOWN 1 INTENSIVE
Class Type All Comers
Dates July 20-24, 2026
Times Noon - 4pm, Monday thru Friday
Location Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601
Instructor Tiffany Elle
Cost $475 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants)
“One of the most euphoric experiences of my entire life.” AS, Los Angeles
Book your place now for the astounding Clown School Summer Intensive at The Clown School in July 2026. Welcoming participants from all over the country and all over the world to Los Angeles, the Intensive is rigorous, irreverent, playful, personal and profound, with a unique and transformative clown curriculum that can’t be found anywhere else! From vulnerability to a relationship with an audience; from levels of energy to physicalization and imagery; from emotional connection to archetypes and routines; this comprehensive exploration of the beauty and wonder of clowning offers a breakthrough experience for performers, comedians, artists, professionals, the curious, and the seekers of all stripes. A rare opportunity for newcomers and returners alike to go big and go bold - and release parts of the self into the creative process that have, until now, remained blocked.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequiste: None
THE CLOWN SCHOOL SUMMER CLOWN 2 INTENSIVE
Class Type All Comers
Dates July 27-31, 2026
Times Noon - 4pm, Monday thru Friday
Location Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601
Instructor David Bridel
Cost $475 (discounts available for previous Clown School participants, including participants in the Summer Clown 1 Intensive)
For the first time ever, The Clown School follows the Summer Intensive with a second week of training in our Clown 2 curriculum. The journey continues with an exploration of Clown archetypes and a deep dive into their roots, practices, and routines. You will learn about the influence of the circus on clown personae; you’ll practice entering into the imaginative world of two very different types of clown; you will explore costume and physicality, emotion and routines; you’ll experience incredible transformations, a deeper connection with your clown, and the joy of creativity in this beautiful discipline.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequiste: Clown 1 or Clown 1 Summer Intensive
FRIDAY MORNING SERIES: EMBODIED CHARACTERS
Class Type Open
Dates Fridays in September (4,11,18,25)
Times 10am-1pm Fridays ONLY
Location Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91601
Instructor Sarah Painter
Cost $299
Learn to create unique character bodies and build movement skills to carry into scene work, clown, and more! Every human body moves in its own unique pattern and cadence. The invitation of the performing artist is to explore each character's specific way of moving through the world. But what if that is different from your own movement rhythms and body shape? How does the actor discipline the body in creative new ways to express diverse characters? This class will teach concrete tools to understand the diversity of human movement and a space to practice using your body in new ways to create dynamic characters. Each class will focus on exercises in the Laban Movement Analysis technique, followed by time incorporating these techniques into rehearsing monologues and dramatic scenes. You will complete this class with applicable skills for work on the stage and screen, as well as a deeper somatic understanding of yourself.
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequiste: None
SPECIAL WEEKEND WORKSHOP: THOSE MAGICAL LARVAL MASKS
Class Type Open
Dates November 7-8, 2026
Times Noon-5pm
Location JJ Gym, 6232 Mary Ellen Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
Instructors David Bridel
Cost $325
The Larval Mask is the “baby clown” of the theatrical world - and so much more. A manifestation of total innocence, the mask offers up a beautiful, profound, and highly unusual experience for the performer, who has to forget everything and start from the most basic prompts in order to unlock the treasure in each mask. The enlightenment of simplicity follows!
Ages 18 and older.
Prerequisite: None