Mask Arts Company

Teaching
Coaching Directing and Show Development
Playwriting
Acting

I teach Mask Making in groups and privately. There are three areas of mask making I teach: Sculpture of the Mask, Papier-mâché Mask Making and/or Leather Mask Making. If you would like me to teach a Commedia dell'Arte Workshops designed for your situation contact me to discuss your project.

Sculpture of the Mask

Developing your ideas and needs for your mask. Your sculpture map of your character, sketching your mask,
choosing clay, tools, equipment and supplies. Sculpting in clay. Finding the mask in the clay. Taking you through different exercises that will help you bring you mask to life in the clay.

Once you can sculpt your mask in clay you have a choice of making the mask in Leather or Papier-mâché.

$150 - $500

From Roving Classical Commedia University mask making class. Fellow teacher Hovey Burgess and others sculpting in candlelight.

Papier-mâché Mask Making

This is less expensive for mask making and much simpler and quicker. Papier-mâché or cloth meche masks can be very effective, strong, long lasting masks. This is a much shorter class and good for almost all ages.

Price $100 - $300

Papier-mâché hands at work.

Leather Mask Making

You learn everything from how to buy and make tools, choose leather, making the master mold, different leather techniques, dyeing, staining, finishes and how to put in hair. This can be done over a period of 3 months or a quick intensive 2 to 3 weeks.

$1,500

Private student Alfredo Denaia

Performing in the Mask

How to perform in a mask and make it come alive, doing various physical exercises and exercises in the mask. I can also go into Neutral masks as well. These exercises have been developed from studying with Jacque Lecoq and over 30 years of experience as a performer, mask maker and teacher. $150 to $600

Clown

Most of my performing career has been spent as a theatrical clown doing my solo show in theatres from very intimate houses with less than 100 seats to 3,000 seats. And I have a very nice stack of rave reviews.

Developing your personal clown, developing original material, various physical exercises, mime, working with props, making them come alive, solo show, non-solo theatrical clown shows and more.

$200 - $600

Photo by Jim Moore

Classical Commedia dell'Arte

To study Commedia dell'Arte go to the web site of my traveling school Roving Classical Commedia University* (*Totally Unaccredited)

www.commediau.com
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More and more people are coming to me as a coach or director to help them develop a solo shows, clown shows and theatrical shows. Here are three show that I have directed, "Bride of Beowulf", "John Paulsen's Lonely Banquet" and the lastest solo show that just toured China "Gautham"

Gautham in China backstage with the Peking Opera...There were a couple of people missing so they asked me to go on for the very first time slot. I agreed. I got ready early and went backstage. They introduced me and I went out. I lost it. There were 400-500 people out there! My biggest audience by far. It was about 70% children. The stages are outdoors so there are lots of distractions but these guys were watching my every move. I took an extra minute or two with my entrance because I was responding to how huge the audience was. I started my routine. I took my time. It was amazing! I had a blast out there. It was like flying. Later in the day I was having lunch with another performer. We were talking about clown stuff. He had watched the first few minutes of my show and gave me a great compliment. He said he was impressed with how I took my time. I was able to go out there and just "be" without having to do a bunch of stuff. He said he has been performing for 30 years and he still has a hard time with that.

Sometimes I feel bad because I'm not doing the exact same show that we worked on together. I've had to change so much so these audiences will appreciate it. Then I realize that although I've changed things in the physical show, I'm still applying the principles we practiced. I'm taking my time, finding the moments, letting myself discover, finding the joy. In short, I'm really grateful for the work we did together. It's opened up so much for me. Thank you!!

Gautham
October 13 2007

The photograph below is John Paulsen from his show."John Paulsen's Lonely Banquet". John brought me in to work with him on his show for the run at "Here Art Center" in NYC.

"Stanley challenged me to pursue the territory within myself unvisited, to take my work to the place of the uncommon. He demanded that I not be satisfied with just entertaining people, but to give them theatre. Stanley should have walked into the theatre wearing a demolition helmet because that is the level to which he demands, demolish your safety zone, demolish your safety net. Break it and show me your unique self, your unique vision for our ailing world. Working with Stanley was like the difference between seeing a vacation postcard to actually soaring through the Grand Canyon. Don't show me the postcard, he demands, take me there, take me to the Grand Canyon. I want to feel it through you, and I want you to experience it too. Scared of the edge? Great. Me too. Let's go! And Where did we find commonality? A single moment of collapse, of chaos onstage when for one brief moment the audience was literally on the edge of their seats because nobody actually knew what was going to happen. How exciting!" John Paulsen
John Paulsen's web site is www.doolymoog.com

I also developed and directed "Bride of Beowulf", a two person children's show that toured for 4 year with Young Audiences. The show was based on the story Beowulf and incorporated clowning, puppetry, movement, opera, acting and story telling. Here are a few Young Audiences reviews:
"The students were very enthusiastic. One of the best programs I've seen!" Young Audiences Program Observer
"An outstanding creative approach to presenting a difficult topic."
S.M. Williamson, PTA Rep. Point o' View Elementary
"Grendel was the monster that killed everybody. He had a green hand. I liked the story because it was funny and it told a little history of Denmark."
Angelo 5th grader, PS 87

Created and directed the show "Life After Vaudeville".

Directed the Equity Stage Readings of the play "The Golem of Gavah" written by Gil Marks and me. The synopsis is below.

Coached various solo performers.

If you would like to speak with me about helping you with your show, either directing, helping you develop or just coach (be a show doctor), give me a call or email me. Contact Stanley Allan Sherman 212-243-4039

Plays written with co-writers or by myself. Back to the Top

"The Golem of Gavah" By Gil Marks and Stanley Allan Sherman
"Shadows" By Stanley Allan Sherman
"Talmudic Vaudeville" By RJ Lewis & Stanley Allan Sherman

These plays are available for productions. If you are interested in producing any of these plays for any kind of production email me or give me a call.

"The Golem of Gavah"
by Gil Marks and Stanley Allan Sherman

Synopsis
A golem, originally meaning an unformed substance and later a stupid person, came to represent an artificial man created by kabbalistic methods. In various popular legends of the Middle Ages, the golem evolved into a functioning creature - sometimes benevolent and sometimes a monster of destruction. The best-known golem is attributed to the late sixteenth century Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague, which served as the basis for Gustav Meyrink's 1915 book, The Golem. The Golem of Gavah is a tragicomedy and morality tale that uses this ancient symbol as a metaphor for hypocrisy. Although set in a Jewish milieu, the story is accessible and relevant to everyone.

Gavah (from the Hebrew word for vanity) is a mythical town whose very devout inhabitants obsess over rituals, while neglecting their underlying meanings. When the town's latest rabbi arrives, the people immediately take a disliking to the young scholar because he fails to live up to their image of a rabbi. However, since they have already gone through three rabbis in less than three years, they decide to give their new spiritual leader a six-month probationary period. During that time, the increasingly frustrated young scholar discovers a book that reveals how to make a golem. The creature turns out to be handsome and charismatic and immediately captivates the residents of Gavah, who install him as their spiritual leader. Ignoring signs that their new rabbi is not all that they imagined, the golem sets into motion a series of events that culminate in tragedy for Gavah and its residents. Mixing drama, humor and music, The Golem of Gavah explores, among many contemporary issues, the dangers of becoming enamored by superficialities.

"Shadows"
By Stanley Allan Sherman

Synopsis
As a baby girl Sara is sexually molested by her father; at seven, by her grandfather; at thirteen, by her stepfather. Sara as a victim of child sexual abuse has haunting visions, shadows that at times cloud and control her life. Sometimes she is frozen and cannot move. She uses noncommittal sex as a replacement for love, closeness, and as a religious Jewish young woman, uses the laws of separation to hide, protect herself and keep a physical distance from any man she might truly love. Sara meets such a person; a man who recycles scrap metal who is convinced he has met "the woman of his dreams". What he does not know is her past and why she acts the way that she does, and where all of her pent-up pain is from. He is confronted with Sara's ambiguous actions. He must make hard choices or is he too allowing the shadows that are surrounding Sara's life to obscure his judgment. "SHADOWS" explores issues of healing and struggling against the aftereffects of sexual molestation, going beyond ones haunting shadows and finding ones light.

Healing cannot be shown without showing the pain. "SHADOWS" shows this pain combining sensuality and horror at the same time. "SHADOWS" is balanced with spirituality and flashes of wit and humor.

Various studies show that four to six out of every ten women are sexually molested as children. Statistics also show from two to four out of every ten men are sexually molested as children.

"Talmudic Vaudeville"
By RJ Lewis & Stanley Allan Sherman

Synopsis
Talmudic Vaudeville is made up of stories from the Talmud presented in a vaudeville style. One can use two men or two women or break up the piece and use several actors both men and women. Some of the stories are Rabbi Akiba & the snake (about the snake that almost killed Rabbi's Akiba's daughter); Torah, Torah who's got the Torah; Ten Commandment Rap; The Advice that Failed (about King Solomon and the angel of death); The Carpenter and his apprentice; Talking Bones (about two grave diggers and Rabbi Nachman; Wealth (about the Rabbi's talking about what is wealth); Wings of a Dove (about a Roman Soldier and a Jew caught wearing Teffillin); Hillel (about Rabbi Hillel preparing for Shabbos while a man is trying to make him angry and the famous learning the Torah while standing on one foot).

Humor and drama are used throughout on many different levels. From simple slapstick to running gags about Jews having horns. About 90% of the stories are from the Talmud and can be broken down into many different formats. They can be presented with many different sizes of casts. Directors have chosen to do some of the stories and not all of them to suit their situation.

Acting - Stanley Allan Sherman Back to the Top

One reason I am an excellent mask maker is because I am a performer, director and actor. I know what it is like performing in the mask, as I have been performing with and without masks since 1972. I have had several solo shows, "Aero Show" was critics choice in the LA Times and received a stack of rave reviews. In the 90's I moved more into acting, performing as a member of the original cast of the Off Broadways hit "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral" and for some reason I keep on being cast as a Rabbi a lot, appearing in comedy bits on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" 34 time and "David Letterman". Here is Stanley Allan Sherman's acting photos for those interested in casting me in Film, Television or Theatre Productions. Email me or give me a call for my acting resume Contact Stanley Allan Sherman - Mask Arts Company 212-243-4039

Photos by Mark Schafer www.markschafer.com

Contact Stanley Allan Sherman - Mask Arts Company
212-243-4039: 203 West 14th St Studio 5F, New York NY 10011-7138
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