Bouffon

Today: the hunchback.

The hunchback has stumps for arms, knees together like a wobbly tree, and a horrible lump in the back. The hunchback comes to us from the swamps and smiles.

8 students come onstage and begin fumbling with piles of fabric, ropes, belts, whatever they can lay their hands on. In costume, they slide and wobble around the stage like drunk chickens with one leg an inch too long. I can hardly recognize some of their faces.

They are pushed together in the center of the stage like goats being herded. Then they are pelted with tennis balls as if they are being stoned to death. After being stoned, they slowly turn to us, smiling.

They begin a little dance, moving together as a chorus towards us. Then one emerges from the group with the pleasure to pretend they are John Wayne, Maye West...

"The bouffon must not play with aggression. The bouffound always tries to be graceful, to be beautiful."

More tomorrow....