David Bridel studied under French master clown Philippe Gaulier, who also counts Sacha Baron Cohen as a former student. Bridel holds numerous titles at USC and now, thanks to the Clown School, he's sharing his knowledge with L.A.'s burgeoning buffoons. The school has separate classes for adults (seven Sundays, 5 to 9 p.m., for $525, with discounts for returning customers) and for kids (two hours apiece on Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons; $250 for five sessions). It also can act as therapy for those looking to bridge any weird gaps in their personalities. The dominant principle is that clowns should be able to celebrate their mistakes in public — willing to expose fears, biases, revelatory instincts and general idiosyncrasies to audiences, which is no easy task. Clowning helps those wishing to examine intimate and often guarded aspects of their personalities so they can acknowledge, integrate and celebrate their physical, psychological and emotional imperfections. Nobody's perfect, so why not just try to make 'em laugh? —Tanja M. Laden

Live Arts L.A., 4210 Panamint St., Glassell Park, 90065. (323) 791-6495, theclownschool.com/category/classes.

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