Modern Clown 101: Alt-Comedy Lab
Class Details
Class Runs: Tuesday evenings @ 6:30 PM - 9:15 PM MTClass Dates: Tue 3/17/26 - Tue 4/21/26 (6 classes total)
Location: RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St, Denver, CO 80205
Instructor(s): Alice Gillette
Price: $351/person (includes fees)
Special Notes:
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- Students will receive an email with class details and links 12-24 hours before the class. If you do not see this email, please check your spam folder as well!
- Minimum class size is 8 students.
Modern Clown 101: Alt-Comedy Lab
Ever wonder how alt-comedians like Sarah Squirm, Nathan Fielder, or Eric Andre build bits that are both absurd and successful? Do you want to command a room with ease and win over any audience? Clown, a foundational form of physical comedy, is a tool that can elevate your performance into the next dimension.
In Clown Level 1, you’ll unlock the mechanics of physical comedy and learn to perform without a fourth wall. We leave the red noses and makeup behind, focusing instead on building a grounded stage presence and an authentic audience connection. Whether you are a stand-up refining consent-forward crowd work, an improviser building bigger worlds, or a storyteller seeking deeper vulnerability, clowning is the secret ingredient for making a performance that is uniquely yours. By revealing your true self on stage, you’ll turn your personal vulnerability into a universal connection.
Through playful games inspired by Lecoq, Gaulier, and Lucille Ball, you’ll learn to bomb joyfully, take bigger risks, and find brilliance in the mess.
In this class, you’ll learn more about:
- Building a bit: Craft and sustain high-level, absurd comedy bits that actually work.
- Dropping the fourth wall: Stay grounded and connect with your audience in real-time.
- Le Jeu (The Game): Use “clown logic” to find the fun in any situation without a script.
- Consent-forward play: Navigate the room (and others) safely and playfully.
- Vulnerable presence: Transform both stage fright and failure into a singular, deeply resonant stage act that speaks to everyone.
Instructor Bio:
Alice Gillette is a performance artist and clown who’s known as one of the artists making Denver “an incubator for new work” in alt-comedy (Colorado Public Radio). She’s the co-founder and producer of Idiot Theatre, Denver’s first indie clown show, and has performed her solo show, Meat Show in Space, all over the United States, including most recently at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Her work has been described as a standout example of absurdity by Denver Westword, and a force to be reckoned with in alt comedy by Out Front Magazine. As a director and instructor, Alice works with people to make things with brave absurdity. This approach focuses on taking what makes you special on the inside and using play to radiate it outwards to the audience. She teaches that owning the stage means showing your true, vulnerable self, which is one of the most grounded ways to connect with the audience and create immense joy for others.
Alice’s process is consent-forward, ensuring every student explores their boundaries with respect and at their own pace. Her methodology is informed by her training with The Idiot Workshop, Cassie Ahiers, Chad Damiani and Anne Zander.