Tallie Medel, who will be teaching a series of clowning classes in Juneau next week, arrives for the world premiere of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Paramount Theatre on Friday, March 11, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Tallie Medel, who will be teaching a series of clowning classes in Juneau next week, arrives for the world premiere of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Paramount Theatre on Friday, March 11, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

No joke: Clowning classes coming by actor from this year’s Oscar-winning best picture

Ketchikan-born Tallie Medel teaching three days of classes at Perseverance Theatre starting Monday.

Beginners make the best clowns, says Tallie Medel, which raises a funny question about what happens when they get some schooling.

Local residents can find out during three nights of clowning classes being offered at Perseverance Theatre starting Monday by Medel, who’s originally from Ketchikan and soared to global fame as a co-star in “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture earlier this year. The classes are from 6-9 p.m. and participants can enroll in one or all three, but tickets are limited.

Medel — who uses they/them and she/her pronouns — describes the clowning classes on their website as a combination of physical theater and improvisation.

“We introduce ourselves, we have a nice long warmup that may involve playing tag, 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,” Medel notes.” It’s active and exciting and my face hurts from laughing every time. You’ll probably leave with a new friend.”

Medel grew up participating in hometown performing groups such as the Ketchikan Theatre Ballet and First City Players. She attended Emerson College in Boston, then moved to New York City and began performing dance and comedy, along with appearing in various film projects. They met Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, the directors of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” while in college.

The clowning classes are taught by Medel nationwide, with the Juneau classes occurring due to an acquaintance with Phil Hueschen, executive director of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council,” according to Rachelle Bonnett, JAHC’s gallery and programs manager.

“When Phil came on board earlier this year he was interested in exploring programming in the theater side of the arts — workshops that focus on movement and voice, etc. — since a lot of our current programming is focused on the visual arts side of things,” Bonnett wrote in an email. “The JAHC and Perseverance partnered on a voice workshop over the summer, so this clowning class was another program that felt like a good partnership with Perseverance Theater.”

They’re meant for people ages “roughly 18 and up,” and space is limited, Bonnet said in an interview Thursday.

“There’s only 16 spots available each night and I would say Tuesday we’re about halfway sold out, but there’s room in the other classes so get your tickets now,” she said.

Participants don’t need clown costumes, but a few casual items are handy, according to Medel’s website.

“Wear something you can move in that can take floor contact (soft swishy things), bring a pen and notebook if you’re a note-taker, a couple of hats, and be prepared to take off your shoes,” they note. “I prefer bare feet but socks are okay.”

Medel is also planning to return to Ketchikan to offer the classes Oct. 25, 26 and 28. The classes are for a broader range of age groups, with the first and third days intended for people 14 and older, and the second day for those 13 and under, Also, the final day will mark a return to the First City Players with the class taking place in theater’s rehearsal room.

Know & Go

What: Clowning class with Tallie Medel.

When: 6-9 p.m., Mon.-Wed.

Where: Perseverance Theatre, 914 3rd St., Douglas.

Tickets: Single class for $40 or three-day package for $100. Limited to 16 people per class. Available online at www.jahc.org/box-office.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.

Jamie Lee Curtis, from left, James Hong, Jenny Slate, Tallie Medel and Stephanie Hsu accept the award for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jamie Lee Curtis, from left, James Hong, Jenny Slate, Tallie Medel and Stephanie Hsu accept the award for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Tallie Medel, playing the character Becky, talks to her girlfriend’s grandfather in a publicity still from a scene from the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which took home a total of seven Oscars this year, including best picture. (Courtesy of A24)

Tallie Medel, playing the character Becky, talks to her girlfriend’s grandfather in a publicity still from a scene from the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which took home a total of seven Oscars this year, including best picture. (Courtesy of A24)

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 3

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich and his supporters wave campaign signs at the corner of the Seward Highway and Northern Lights Boulevard on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Begich leads in early results, with Alaska’s U.S. House race too close to call

About 355,000 ballots counted as of 3 a.m. Wednesday, Peltola trails by 4.4% with many rural votes uncounted.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump ‘likely to win the presidency’ as he holds advantage in key swing states

Former Republican president has 95+% chance of victory as of 9 p.m., according to NY Times forecast.

Juneau Assembly members and other visitors gather in the entrance lobby of the Michael J. Burns Building on Monday, April 8, 2024, as part of their on-site tour of potential locations for a new City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘Office space shuffle’ for city workers continues with plan to buy part of Michael J. Burns Building

CBJ would purchase two floors, Permanent Fund Corp. would keep top floor under “condo” agreement.

Christopher Moore helps another Juneau homeless resident wheel her belongings from a makeshift campsite on private property near the airport on July 15. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘Dispersed camping’ worked better overall than homeless campground, Assembly members told

Scattered camping sites in Juneau less troublesome than fixed site last year, deputy city manager says.

Lemon Creek voters enter the Alaska Electric Light Power building as polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau voters keep turning out in large numbers as Election Day arrives

“It’s bigger than I’ve ever seen here before,” longtime precinct chair at one voting location says.

Most Read