Each class is limited to 14 students.

Clown: Body, Mask & Gag

Dive into the world of Commedia dell’Arte, exploring iconic archetypal characters and the comic timing and rhythm of the traditional lazzi  (stage gags). Through working in half-masks, you'll learn how to expand your physicality and amplify your stage presence—building a foundation of big, clear movement that translates directly to modern clowning, improv, and physical theatre.

All experience levels welcome.

5-Week Course: Wednesdays, 7:00 PM - 10:00PM, October 21st - November 18th, 2026

• This class may end between 9:30 PM and 10:00PM depending on enrollment.

You will receive a welcome email with your room assignment. Our classes meet at BCC Pig Pen or BCC DogHouse in East Williamsburg.

Class Show: Thursday, November 19th. 7:00pm. Eris MainStage (167 Graham Ave).

Teacher: Anya Opshinsky

Bio:

Anya Opshinsky is a German American mime, actor, director, improvisor, physical theater creator and teacher. Originally from NYC Anya moved to Paris to study physical theater at École Jacques Lecoq 8 years ago and has been creating, teaching and performing there ever since. Anya is the co-founder of Shift Shape Theater through which she creates and tours original shows the most recent of which is entitled "ROVERS: Two Mimes on the Run" which is currently touring around France. Anya has taught mime, mask-making, clown, physical theater and improv with HUGE Improv, MN, Vis à Vis Théâtre, Rise Comedy, Denver and Théâtre de Verre, Paris. She is the creator and producer of The Ultimate Set-Up that performs in Denver, Paris and NYC and works as a solo artist performing original drag, mask, burlesque and clown pieces in the Parisian cabaret circuit

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) invites artists of all backgrounds to join in exploring the audience's imagination as medium. From the perspective of BKBX's unique brand of mime based in American narrative style, participants will look at body language, basic mime technique, staging metaphor, efficiency in storytelling, and devised process. How can precision, efficiency, and specificity in physical storytelling help to craft our comedy? Over the course of the series, students will craft mime pieces that will be shared in a final showing.

5-Week Class: Sundays, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, November 1st - December 6th, 2026

• This class skips Sunday, November 29th for Thanksgiving week.

• This class may end between 2:30 PM and 3 PM depending on enrollment.

You will receive a welcome email with your room assignment. Our classes meet at BCC Pig Pen or BCC DogHouse in East Williamsburg.

Class Show:  7:00pm. Sunday, December 6th. BCC Pig Pen (144 Boerum Street).

Teacher: Broken Box Mime Theater

Bio:

This course will be taught by a member of BKBX. Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) is a collaborative theater company that performs original work entirely through movement. Our mission is to activate the imaginations of our audiences, contemporize the art of mime, and remind us all of the power of simple storytelling. Based in Brooklyn and founded in 2011, our version of “mime, redefined” blends techniques of French pantomime, cinema, performance art, and contemporary theater. The artists who call BKBX their artistic home believe in making innovative, provocative theater that erases the spoken language barrier and champions the power of simplicity in performance. 

Photo by Bjorn Bolinder

Student Testimonials:

Becky made everyone feel welcome and empowered to improve.

Becky was absolutely fantastic in every way!

Becky taught us so many tools and tricks to story telling through physical movement, while also being so fun and supportive!

Becky is such an incredible teacher! Too many strengths to pick one, but a couple that stand out are her unbridled enthusiasm for mime and her capacity to share that with others. She taught us that mime is grounded in trust between the audience and performer, and she brought that same ethos to class. She's the rare teacher who realizes that how you teach has a bigger impact than what you teach, and it's refreshing to be in an education space that starts from a foundation of embracing that we all learn in different ways, and that's great! There's a curiosity to Becky's teaching that's really encouraging - asking students what we want from the class, and adapting her style and lessons to suit us. Class felt like a team effort to learn and discover together. Despite her obvious deep knowledge of the subject, Becky's was still very clearly also interested in our experience and ideas - it made for a fantastic environment for creating and sharing work. Her obvious joy when something clicked for us was infectious. It's a welcome change from traditional education models where an 'expert' relays knowledge to students. Everything about her teaching style makes it clear she's as eager to keep learning and exploring as we are - no gatekeeping in site. Honestly, I think more teachers should take Becky's class to inform their own pedagogy!

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

Do you want to try out one single clown class? Have you been wondering what this joyful world is all about? Come to the drop-in class! In each class students will practice exercises from some of the greats (Lecoq, Conway, Johnstone) while working on taming their ego and bringing out their true inner clown. Come to just one class, come to all of them, do what your heart desires. This is the perfect place to get your feet wet and learn from the incomparable Hannah Mitchell.

All experience levels welcome.

Drop-in Class: Tuesday, November 10th, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM.

Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave, Brooklyn)

Teacher: Hannah Mitchell

Bio:

Hannah Mitchell is a performer, theater-maker, and educator whose process is guided by the improvisational arts, especially clown, bouffon & being a human with a body. She regularly collaborates with various ensembles to make new works, including with her clown company, WüfPak, and the experimental theater collective, CHILD. She’s performed at venues around NYC including The Public Theater, The Brick, The Collapsable Hole, Lincoln Center, LifeWorld, The New Ohio, Theater Mitu, HERE Arts, Target Margin, and The Brooklyn Comedy Collective, among others. And regionally/internationally she’s performed at The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Bard SummerScape, Princeton Seuls en Scène, & The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

"It's you, of course, the clown. And that's important." -Nader Farman

What happens in a clown class? We introduce ourselves, we have a nice long warmup, our feet get squishy and our heads get floaty, we play with tennis balls and hats, we do group games and solo exercises, and we leave room at the end for questions. It’s active and exciting and my face hurts from laughing every time. You’ll probably leave with a new friend.

We're in an era of cognitive dissonance, hence all this clown talk. Absurd times call for an absurd response. Clown is antifascist and you are brave!

All experience levels welcome.

Class: Tuesday, November 3rd, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)

Teacher: Riley Soloner

Bio:

Riley Soloner (he/him) is an actor, writer and clown living in Queens. As his character Vacation Jason, Riley has performed in venues across the country, on The Chris Gethard Show (TruTV) and for five straight days aboard The Norwegian Pearl for a cruise on which he was not booked to perform. Riley has performed in and produced comedy shows in New York City since 2008 for shows like Harold Night and Cage Match (UCB Theater), Xtremely Serious Wrestling (People’s Improv Theater) and C.L.O.N., (Manhattan Public Access TV). Riley grew up spending summers as a camper, counselor and teacher at Camp Winnarainbow, a Northern California circus arts summer camp for children of groovyhippies. Riley is excited to bring his eclectic mix of theatrical, circus, and humanitarian clown experience to the students of BCC!

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

"It's you, of course, the clown. And that's important." -Nader Farman

What happens in a clown class? We introduce ourselves, we have a nice long warmup, our feet get squishy and our heads get floaty, we play with tennis balls and hats, we do group games and solo exercises, and we leave room at the end for questions. It’s active and exciting and my face hurts from laughing every time. You’ll probably leave with a new friend.

We're in an era of cognitive dissonance, hence all this clown talk. Absurd times call for an absurd response. Clown is antifascist and you are brave!

All experience levels welcome.

Class: Tuesday, November 17th, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)

Teacher: Tallie Medel

Bio:

Tallie is an educator, clown, director, and award-winning actor based in New York City. Screen credits include EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (A24) and BROAD CITY (Comedy Central) . They founded the ever-popular clown program at Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Tallie’s taught at NYU, Harvard University, Emerson College, the School of Visual Arts, and all over the country. Stage time includes Upright Citizens Brigade NY & LA, Second City NY, Caroline's on Broadway, MoMA PS 1, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and London's SoHo Theatre. Tallie has been featured in IndieWire, the LA Times and the Boston Globe. They're from Alaska.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

In this one-day introduction to physical comedy you will be exposed to a few elements of physical comedy vocabulary involving everyday objects, learning new skills that you probably didn't even know existed. With every skill we explore, we will immediately be searching for comedy applications involving character and situation as a stepping stone to creating material. From there we will go on to exploring gag structures such as the escalating gag, the visual gag, the 3-part gag, and the oblivious gag, Participants will get to work on short pieces together since the whole point of the workshop is the integration of technique with story and character. No particular skill level, body type, or background is needed to be in the workshop, which I hope will be useful and FUN for everyone.

Drop-in Class: Saturday, November 21st, 11:30 AM - 6:30 PM (with lunch break).

Where: BCC Mouse Trap (168A Johnson Ave, Brooklyn)

Teacher: John Towsen

Bio:

John Towsen is a performer, teacher, author, and scholar specializing in physical comedy and clowning. He began performing at age seven on The Red Skelton Show alongside Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason, and is the author of Clowns: A Panoramic History. He holds a Ph.D. in Drama from NYU.

Towsen developed a college course in physical comedy at Ohio University and taught in the Acting Program at The Juilliard School for six years. His students have included Laura Linney, Andre Braugher, Jane Adams, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Michael Stuhlbarg. He served as a professor at Bloomfield College, retiring as Professor Emeritus, and has taught workshops internationally. He was artistic director of the New York International Festival of Clown-Theatre and founded the (Very) Physical Comedy Institute at Celebration Barn Theatre. He co-founded the NYC Physical Comedy Lab and continues to lead its ongoing weekly sessions in Brooklyn.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

Each class is limited to 14 students.

Do you want to try out one single clown class? Have you been wondering what this joyful world is all about? Come to the drop-in class! In each class students will practice exercises from some of the greats (Lecoq, Conway, Johnstone) while working on taming their ego and bringing out their true inner clown. Come to just one class, come to all of them, do what your heart desires. This is the perfect place to get your feet wet and learn from the incomparable Hannah Mitchell.

All experience levels welcome.

Drop-in Class: Tuesday, October 27th, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM.

Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave, Brooklyn)

Teacher: Hannah Mitchell

Bio:

Hannah Mitchell is a performer, theater-maker, and educator whose process is guided by the improvisational arts, especially clown, bouffon & being a human with a body. She regularly collaborates with various ensembles to make new works, including with her clown company, WüfPak, and the experimental theater collective, CHILD. She’s performed at venues around NYC including The Public Theater, The Brick, The Collapsable Hole, Lincoln Center, LifeWorld, The New Ohio, Theater Mitu, HERE Arts, Target Margin, and The Brooklyn Comedy Collective, among others. And regionally/internationally she’s performed at The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Bard SummerScape, Princeton Seuls en Scène, & The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

This class is limited to 12 students.

Level 1: Welcome to Clown Town

Clown. The Great Equalizer.

"It's you, of course, the clown. And that's important." -Nader Farman

Clown trains us to be fully present. Class curriculum includes exercises from Jacques Lecoq, Jean Taylor, Merry Conway, Nader Farman, Keith Johnstone and more, aiming to move us past ego and toward our shared humanity. Winter is coming. But class is joyful and warm! Come on out, try on the red nose.

Recognize the universal shared experience that is clowning.

This class culminates in a class show at the BCC Pig Pen.

7-Week Class: Tuesday, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM, October 20th - December 8th, 2026

• Note: Class may end between 9:30 PM - 10:00 PM depending on the number of enrollments.

• This class skips November 24 for Thanksgiving.

You will receive a welcome email with your room assignment. Our classes meet at BCC Pig Pen or BCC DogHouse in East Williamsburg.

• Class Show: Class Show: Monday, December 14th. BCC Pig Pen (144 Boerum St). 8:30pm.

Teacher: Jeff Seal

Bio:

Jeff Seal is a graduate of the Clown Conservatory at the San Francisco Circus Center and studied Decroux-based corporeal mime at the Hippocampe Project in Paris. He performs regularly with his two-man clown act, Jeff and Buttons, makes comedy videos with Bankrukt Productions and is one of the founding artistic directors of Cloud City Theater and Art space. His films and documentaries have been published by The New York Times, The Discovery Channel, AJ+, gothamist.com and screened at The Tribeca Film Festival.

Testimonials:

Jeff is an incredible coach and director. I loved Jeff's pragmatic teaching style, which really lends itself to the Level 3 Clown course. I think his best strength as a teacher was meeting us where we were with whatever ideas/bits we brought in and helping us figure out what was working or not (and how it would be different performing in front of the audience than in front of the rest of the class). Jeff put us in position to learn how the skills we had picked up in the earlier levels could be applied to an act that would work in front of an audience.

Jeff is really good at helping people find the game in their bits - this class is a great next step after Chris’ level 2.

Jeff's an inspiring director with tons of funny and creative ideas. He helped us develop our ideas into much stronger and tighter bits, with many more games than we would have thought to include, while helping us think about structure so that all those games came together in a cohesive way without getting confusing or going all over the place. He also has a great mind for comedic possibility and guided us to discover entire bits from even the smallest seeds of ideas.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.

This class is limited to 12 students.

You’ve started getting laughs as a clown but now how do you do it 6 days a week and twice on Saturdays for an audience that’s never even heard of clowning? In this class we’ll take the skills you learned in Clown 1 and 2 honing your clown persona and learn to create working acts as part of a fully realized show, collaboratively created by the ensemble.

How does your clown solve a problem? How do you work as a company? What's the world you're going to set up with lots of clowns?

You will further build your clown character by finding a costume that makes you look and feel stupid and start creating material by finding your own stupid clown logic. We’ll also explore “le jeu” and status in clown duos and trios, as well as building a thematic world that ties the whole show together. Come to class with ideas, costumes, props or anything that ignites your imagination. Students should be prepared to rehearse as they would in a professional ensemble process - with homework prepped outside of class and attending classes and the tech rehearsal on-time and present.

This class culminates in two class shows on the Eris MainStage

Prerequisite: Clown Level 2 at BCC or similar experience.

7-Week Class: Sundays, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM, October 25th - December 14th, 2026

• Note: Class may end between 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM depending on the number of enrollments.

• This class skips November 29 for Thanksgiving.

You will receive a welcome email with your room assignment. Our classes meet at BCC Pig Pen or BCC DogHouse in East Williamsburg.

• Tech Rehearsal: Sunday, December 13th. 4:00p - 6:00p. Eris MainStage (167 Graham Ave).
  Class Show: Sunday, December 13th. 8:30pm. Eris MainStage (167 Graham Ave).
  Class Show: Sunday, December 20th. 7:00pm. Eris MainStage (167 Graham Ave).

• At least one show is mandatory, ideally both. The purpose of the class is devising and performing as an ensemble and it's complicated to restructure the show around missing students.

•  There will be another rehearsal between class shows, scheduled closer to the date.

Teacher: Tallie Medel

Bio:

Tallie Medel (all pronouns) is a multidisciplinary performer and educator in New York City. Medel is one third of Cocoon Central Dance Team alongside Sunita Mani and Eleanore Pienta. Recent work includes the role of Becky in A24’s EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE which makes them very happy. Tallie's from Alaska and has big, juicy eyeballs. They're also a gif.

Testimonials:

I loved my clown class with Tallie! I felt encouraged to be silly, to be ridiculous, and to experiment with new things.

I learned how to be more vulnerable, more physical, more present, and how to be your most clown self on stage.

If this class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list here.