named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Clown Workshops
Training in physical clowning using the clown nose as a mask, emphasizing vulnerability, honesty, and connection with the audience
Commedia Workshops
Week-long intensive classes teaching contemporary Commedia dell'arte using half-masks and improvisation, focusing on character archetypes and physical comedy
International Commedia Day
Annual global celebration on February 25 featuring free workshops, performances, and events to promote Commedia dell'arte
Physical Comedy Curriculum
Program teaching design and execution of physical comedy routines, including analysis of classic turns and creation of original material
SomeClowns
Performance group creating original, improvised clown shows, including the "We Are All Aloner" series
The Commedia Company
Performance troupe creating contemporary, partially improvised Commedia shows presented at venues such as Jack, Nuyorican Poets Café, and Cloud City
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Hosting free community events and anniversary celebrations in commedia performanceOrganizes annual or periodic free public events such as Commedia Day, featuring open workshops, mask-based performances, and ensemble shows with over 50 performers. These events have been held in Los Angeles and New York City since 2016, with notable milestones including the 10th anniversary celebration in 2026 and post-pandemic resumptions.
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Puppetry and Improv Theater Programs 1 activity
- Producing and presenting original clown and commedia dell'arte performancesCreates and stages original, often partially improvised, clown and commedia performances through resident performance groups including SomeClowns, The Commedia Company, and Les Enfant Maudit. Productions have been presented at regional theaters, parks, festivals, online platforms, and special events across New York City and Los Angeles, including extended runs off-Broadway and at fringe festivals.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Providing education and public programming in physical theater, clown, and commedia dell'arteOffers workshops, classes, and training programs in physical comedy, clown, and commedia dell'arte for performers, including sold-out sessions in multiple U.S. cities and a structured curriculum with a published Physical Comedy Manual. Programs include multi-day intensives, one-day workshops, and coaching tailored to individual skill levels.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$3K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$3K100%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$13K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$13K
2 years on record · 2021–2025 · YoY revenue -62.9%
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- Ars Nova Partner — Presented the show Planet Banana in an extended off-Broadway run.
- Brooklyn College Partner — Co-hosted a free Commedia Day event in 2024.
- Brooklyn College Partner — Hosted a week-long commedia training program on its campus.
- Cloud City Partner — Performance venue for The Commedia Company.
- Fowler Museum at UCLA Partner — Commissioned a Commedia show by Virginia Scott.
- Hollywood Fringe Festival Partner — Presented original clown shows including Sapo Cancionero: Live Your Heart Out.
- Jack Partner — Performance venue for The Commedia Company and other works by Virginia Scott.
- Pace University Partner — Co-hosted a free Commedia Day event in 2024.
- SomeClowns Network — Performance group associated with FIZGIG STUDIO INC that creates and presents clown-based improvisational work.
- Strand Theater Partner — Presented Clown Show in San Francisco.
- Symphony in the Glen Partner — Presented Signifying Nothing, a Commedia performance with full orchestra, at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
- The Nuyorican Poet’s Café Partner — Performance venue for The Commedia Company and other works by Virginia Scott.
- The Shakespeare Forum Partner — Performance venue for The Commedia Company and other works by Virginia Scott.
- Virginia Scott Partner — Lead instructor and curriculum developer for physical comedy programs.
- Yale School of Drama Partner — Commissioned a Commedia show by Virginia Scott.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Clown Nose as Transformative Maskmethodology: clown_nose_as_maskBy using the clown nose as a symbolic mask, performers access vulnerability and honesty, allowing them to shed social identities and connect with their essential selves, which in turn fosters authentic audience engagement because the mask paradoxically reveals rather than conceals truth.
- Performer-Centered Improvisational Methodologymethodology: performer-centered improvisationBy centering the individual performer and using improvisation grounded in personal experience and the present moment, the method generates unique, authentic comedic material that resists replication of historical forms, because creativity emerges from self-expression rather than stylistic mimicry.
- Physical-First Performance Creationmethodology: physical-first performanceBy prioritizing bodily impulse and physical presence as the origin of performance, language and narrative emerge organically from movement, producing more immediate and authentic audience connection because communication is rooted in lived sensation rather than pre-scripted text.