RIFF REPS: A Practice In Contemporary Clowning
One performer. One audience. One goal: make us laugh.
This class is about getting on your feet and doing the thing.
No red nose required. The mask is already there—it’s you. Your instincts, timing, habits, impulses, charm, awkwardness, confidence, doubt. All of it.
Clown isn’t about jokes or punchlines. It’s about being real in front of people, listening to the audience, and responding honestly in the moment. Sometimes that response gets a big laugh. Sometimes it doesn’t. Both are useful.
In this drop-in, Chase throws you into games and improvs that force you to play, riff, and adjust in real time. When something works, we slow down and look at why. When it doesn’t, you learn how to change course instead of pushing harder.
You’ll practice chasing the laugh—and just as importantly, learning what to do when it doesn’t come.
What’s Your Funny?
Everyone has something that makes them uniquely funny. The audience will tell you.
The work is standing in front of them, trying things, missing, missing again—and then landing something that only you could land.
Whether you’re brand new to clown or already performing, this class gives you real reps in front of an audience, with live direction from Chase Jeffels to help you identify what’s working and do more of it.
Who This Is For
This drop-in is for people who want to:
Try a new approach to comedy, performing, and writing
Add specificity and individuality to their improv
Be more spontaneous on stage or on camera
Build confidence by doing, not overthinking
Discover what actually works for them
Get more comfortable failing in front of people
Class Details
Time: 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Length: 2.5 hours
Fee: $30 + HST = $33.90
I’ve had to turn people away at the door. Registration helps make sure everyone gets time in the room.
Max capacity: 14 participants
To secure your spot, register and send an e-transfer to:
jeffels.chase@gmail.com
Include your name and the date of the drop-in in the transfer notes.
About Chase:
Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d'Étude du Mouvement (Laboratory of Movement Study) in Paris, France, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier (teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson). Gaulier once said of Chase’s work (imagine it in a thick French accent):
“I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do.”
Chase has also studied with a host of notable teachers in clown, bouffon, and idiot work, including Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, Kevin Krieger, Deanna Fleysher, Jaime Mears, Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, and Gordon Neill. He is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School classical conservatory program.
As a performer, Chase’s work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, where he performs UCB-style longform improv infused with his own clown sensibility — bringing a spirit of risk, play, and discovery to structured comedic form.
He is also one half of West 2 West, a duo known for their innovative blend of clown sketch and clown improv, merging physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.
In his solo work, Chase continues to push the boundaries of comedy through Goofing — a punk-inspired mix of clown, riffing, and improvisation that explores connection, risk, and laughter through failure. His work merges improv, sketch, and clown to create performances that are as vulnerable as they are hilarious, uniting mainstream comedy with the spirit of live play.