Class Overview: We’ll explore presence, play, vulnerability, and the joyful chaos of not knowing. This series is open to both newcomers and seasoned performers — everyone meets the training where they are. Classes are typically a great mix of experience levels, which keeps the work fresh and surprising. You can take either session on its own, or both for a great weekly fall practice.

Final gathering: Once again, we will be bringing students together from both sessions for the final class of session #2 (Dec 8). Both groups unite to play and show and have the benefit of a larger audience. There will be snacks and drinks after!

Cancelation Policy: Full refunds for cancellations one week prior to workshop. For cancellations after that point the workshop fee will be put toward any future workshop.

"With this work people have to find a way of being beautiful and surprising...and by beautiful I mean being in the grip of pleasure or freedom.” -Philippe Gaulier

Instructor: John Beale is an actor, teacher and director based in Toronto, Ontario (and Nosara, Costa Rica) . He serves as the master teacher of Clown and Bouffon at Humber College’s Theatre Arts Performance Program and also teaches acting, mask, clown, improv and scene study at Seneca and Randolph Colleges, character study at George Brown College and Embodied Presence at Stratford Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory. He has led public performance workshops in clown and presence for over 20 years as well as acted in television, film and theatre for over 30 years. He earned a Merritt Award for his performance in The Crucible with Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company. John is a graduate of Philippe Gaulier’s prestigious International Theatre School in Paris and also trained, performed and taught extensively with the acclaimed Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts.