Clown Car Commercial for KCI

This commercial has a lot of great elements in it, and to my mind, uses the clowns in just the right way. (Thanks to Toto Johnson for pointing this out, and being in the commercial to boot!)

Very funny Bud LIght Clown Commercial

Thanks to Johnny Xod and Django Edwards for bringing this to my attention.

Splinterhead Clown Noses in Union Square November 7 (NY)

Splinterheads Takes Union Square Saturday Nov 7, 2009 at Union Square Park: In support of the upcoming independent film, Splinterheads, Come get down with the clowns in Union Square Park on Saturday 11/7/2009! They are handing out over 3000 RED NOSES to create one of the most unique iconic New York photograph that Union Square has ever seen. Where: Union Square Park South, facing the DSW store sign When: 4:30 PM (and not a minute later!) What: don your nose, raise you hands and look into the sky for the coolest aerial photo Union Square has ever seen! There are a couple of ways to get your nose. 1pm-5pm "Joey The Clown", the rudest dunking clown in the business, will be set up on 13th street between 4th and Broadway accompanied by a carnival atmosphere with fans, cast and filmmakers, and carnival attractions. Come and show off your Yankees pitching skills and try and drown the clown. Free noses will be handed out from 1pm-4pm. Splinterheads will be playing at the Regal Union Square Theater Noses will also be handed out at the 11:50am and 2:20pm showings. *2:20pm - Chris McDonald and Lea Thompson will give a Q and A See the trailer at: http://www.splinterheads.com and buy tickets at http://www.Fandango.com

A full on, stuck in the box, walking in place, Marcel Marceau, "Pantomime-Blanche," mime class

A full on, stuck in the box, walking in place, Marcel Marceau, "Pantomime-Blanche," mime class. Taught by Clown Conservatory grad Jeff Seal. For more about Jeff, visit our previous post about him. http://www.houseofyes.org/events/ Night School: Beginning Pantomime with Jeff Seal! August 25th $5-15 sliding scale donation. 9pm-11pm @ House of Yes This class will give you the basics of "pantomime blanche" or white-faced illusion-based mime. Students will learn exercises involving fixed-point, isolation, resistance and the other building blocks of pantomime and physical acting in general. These skills can help a performer more effectively communicate his/her ideas and emotions with an audience through clear and precise physical articulation. They are useful for any performer from an improviser to an aerialist. -- http://www.houseofyes.org/events/ House of Yes 342 Maujer St. Between Waterbury and Morgan Ave. L Train to Grand St.

Keith Michael Johnson: Forever Blowing Bubbles - July 24 Matunuck, RI

Keith Michael Johnson :: Forever blowing bubbles by Joe Siegel EDGE New England Editor (Originally appeared in Edge Magazine) Keith Michael Johnson (as seen on the Discovery Channel’s Time Warp) became the first Soap Bubble Artist in America to create a Bubble-Show with the help of public funding through Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, an appropriation from the Rhode Island General Assembly and private donors. The 44 year-old Connecticut native has performed at schools, museums, festivals, and family and corporate events all over New England. "The Secret World of Bubbles is my chance to share with a room full of new friends the amazing things I’ve discovered bubbles can do," Johnson told EDGE. "And I spend a lot of time encouraging everyone to try the tricks at home. To remember them. To notice for themselves what tricks their own bubbles are doing in the dish water." The show features "frighteningly massive bubbles, bigger than bathtubs, floating & wobbling around loose on stage," Johnson noted. "Also tiny, intricate, fog decorated, helium filled bubble sculptures that spin in circles as they float straight up to pop on the ceiling. Snow-person bubbles. My famous dinosaur in a bubble called The Jurassic Bubble. One of the audience members might even find themselves encased in a bubble, cut off from the outside world, wrapped-up like a sausage in a casing of rainbow colors... if only for a second." After graduating from Roger Williams University in 1986, Johnson wrote and performed humor-based educational programs for elementary schools. He began doing bubble art in 2002. The practice evolved from Johnson’s fascination with science. "My career as a bubble artist was born of necessity," Johnson explained. "No commercial solutions would make a bubble live for more than 30 seconds. It became my quest to find or invent a stout soap bubble formula." Johnson has visited research libraries and spent 18-hour sessions of experimenting and inventing in his studio to perfect the bubble formula. "I expected that there was a lot of bubble-science to be learned. Chemistry, physics & all that. I didn’t anticipate I would be introduced to bubbling as a hobby, craft & performance art," Johnson said. Audiences are continually amazed and fascinated by Johnson’s work with bubbles. Their reactions also enhance his feelings about bubbles. "Through them I re-experience the thrill of seeing for the first time the surprising behaviors of soap films - behaviors presented to us every day with every washing of our hands or dishes. For me bubbles exemplify the kind of natural magic in our lives which is plain to see if we take the time to observe rather than glance. That’s fascinating to think about," Johnson added. The Secret World of Bubbles will be presented on Friday, July 24, 2009 at 10:00 am and 12:00 noon. The theatre is located at 364 Cards Pond Road, Matunuck, RI. Single tickets are $10.00 each with a three show package for $24.00. Discount rates are available for groups of 20 or more by calling (401) 782-3800 x18. Tickets are on sale at the box office Mon-Sat from 10:00 am-4:00 pm, online 24-hours-a-day at www.theatrebythesea.com and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 782-TKTS (8587).

Jay Stewart & Big Apple Clown Care Unit/Boston

They care enough to clown around | CapeCodOnline.com By CYNTHIA McCORMICK cmccormick@capecodonline.com July 16, 2009 BOSTON - Wearing a big red nose and black clodhopper shoes, Jay Stewart of Harwich bungles his way — on purpose — into rooms at Children's Hospital Boston. He and fellow Big Apple Circus clown Brian Dwyer are there to entertain young patients recuperating from surgeries and medical treatments. And while these youngsters might be considered a captive audience, they can be a tough crowd. A young boy tells the two clowns that under no circumstances should they make him laugh out loud. He's afraid convulsive movements of his chest will hurt a port that's been installed to deliver medication. But it's OK to make him giggle gently and smile, so Stewart and Dwyer deliver a performance that's big on magic tricks — a ripped-up paper napkin knits itself back together — and short on slapstick. In a ninth-floor room, intense physical comedy seems to be the order of the day. Stewart has to bang into a door — hard — several times to bring the faintest glimmer of a smile to the face of a bed-bound girl. She may not have much control over what medical procedures are being done to her, but, by gum, she can make the clown dance. In the meantime, her relatives are unleashing peals of laughter that sound suspiciously like relief. "Every door you knock on is a completely different opportunity," says Stewart, who started doing clown work twice a week at Children's Hospital for the Big Apple's hospital outreach program two years ago. "You don't even know if they're going to let you in. I'm going to be Mr. Flexible." Stewart, who has worked for Ringling Bros. and a circus in Japan, says this is the first clown gig where he feels he is actively helping someone. "It's nice to lighten the mood, even for a little while," he says. As part of the team of clowns that works Children's, his goal is to change the energy in a child's room, for the better. "Every kid there just wants to be a kid," Stewart says. "They love it when we come in and start doing things you're not supposed to do." The first thing the clowns do is poke fun at hospital authority figures, starting with the doctors. The name tag on Stewart's white lab coat announces that he is Doctor Mhrahfhauer. Try pronouncing that. Dwyer's name is easier: "Dr. Gon Golphin." These "doctors" wear face paint, sing and juggle. They bark and do breed-specific imitations for Elaina Savino, 14, of Malden, whose stuffed-animal-strewn room indicates she's a dog enthusiast. "Well, Elaina, I'm sure it's been a real big pleasure for you to meet us," Stewart deadpans. They do a rapid-fire hat-switching routine for a wide-eyed toddler and obey Garrett Poirier's commands to keep the hilarity to a minimum. The trick with paper-ripping magic is to "rip up, not down," Stewart tells the 7-year-old from Wrentham. Garrett giggles when the paper magically becomes one whole piece again after his father gives the magic word, "sarsaparilla." Stewart also plays a loving, if gigantic, nurse and is not above having fun at the expense of the child-life specialists who advise him on which children to visit. Child-life specialist Lakeisha Ruley says she's had to deny ownership of a gigantic pair of clown underwear. While the clowns deliver a child-safe brand of humor, sometimes they are really there to relieve the anxiety of adult caretakers, Ruley says. "If I know the parents are having a difficult time, mom and dad might benefit." Children's Hospital also brings in magicians and musicians to entertain the children and their families and lighten the mood. "It's not a total shock when we come walking onto the floor," Stewart says. Working in a hospital setting two days a week wasn't on his radar when Stewart studied theater in graduate school at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. After being cast as the fool in plays and told by a director that he did physical comedy well, Stewart went to Ringling Bros. Clown College, for which he eventually toured and taught. He met his wife and fellow clown, Kristen (Stearns) Stewart, while working in Las Vegas, and after traveling with the circus the two eventually settled with their two children in Kristen's hometown of Harwich. The Stewarts and their two children - Karen, 10, and Nick, 8 - have their own clown entertainment act and also perform with Harwich Junior Theatre, where Karen is development director and Jay currently has a one-man show called "Elvis ... The King and Me." Jay Stewart got his job as part of an eight-member clown troupe at Children's Hospital after trying out for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program. The Big Apple has outreach programs in 18 hospitals across the U.S., and working for them takes a little bit more than clown training, Stewart says. He and his fellow clowns are trained in proper hygiene — possibly no performers have cleaner hands — and were coached on being sensitive to children's psychological states. One child might benefit from a gentle song, Stewart says, while another young patient will get a kick out of having the whole room covered in toilet paper. "I'm very proud to be part of the team and doing that kind of work," Stewart says. "Whoever is in that building could probably use a laugh." To learn more about Clown Care Visit www.bigapplecircus.org

Gilkey- Pitt- Donlon - 2 performances in San Francisco in July.

Any one of these guys would be a treat to see. All three is just the icing on the cake on the ice cream. If you are in the San Francisco area, don't miss it! The FLYING ACTOR STUDIO is an international center that celebrates the imagination and invites a profound journey into the very heart of life. In Spring 2008, James Donlon, after a 40 year international teaching and performance career, was inspired to create a physical theater school in San Francisco, building on the rich history of clowning, mime, and circus that had flourished in the city for decades. Donlon invited fellow master teacher Leonard Pitt to share this vision, and together in 2009 they founded the FLYING ACTOR STUDIO, one of the few centers in North America where one can study physical theater. In the '70's both Donlon and Pitt operated nationally known movement theater schools in San Francisco and Berkeley, as part of a vanguard of artists that included Robert Shields, Geoff Hoyle, Bill Irwin, and The Pickle Family Circus. Now Donlon and Pitt continue. THE SHOW: To celebrate, master performers John Gilkey, Leonard Pitt, and James Donlon will perform a gala kickoff piece called ‘The Zany and the Surreal’ Two performances only July 18, 5pm & July 19, 3 pm at the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco. The Show Gilkey, Pitt and Donlon bring their individual "greatest hits” to the main stage of the EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy St., San Francisco for two performances only, July 18, 5pm, and July 19, 3 pm. The Saturday (July 18th) show is followed by an 8pm to 11pm Gala at the new Flying Actor Studio, 40 First St. between Market and Mission, celebrating the launch of their new school dedicated to physical theatre and movement for actors. ABOUT THE PERFORMERS: John Gilkey has played a lead role in three Cirque Du Soleil productions; Quidam, Dralion and Varekai - more than any other performer. For each of these shows he developed and performed totally original characters and routines. With Cirque Du Soleil alone John has performed live for more than three million people. He also directed and performed in the clown troupe in Franco Dragone’s spectacular water show, Le Reve, in Las Vegas. Additionally, John has performed internationally for more than twenty-nine years in circus, variety, comedy clubs, theater and television. John Gilkey's innovative routine with a coat rack is widely recognized as a landmark juggling act of the contemporary circus movement. WEBSITE: http://www.johngilkey.com/ James Donlon has been a celebrated international performer and master teacher of Physical Theatre for 40 years, presenting his original works throughout North America, Europe, and Latin America to critical acclaim. James is the only physical theater artist ever invited to perform with legendary San Francisco street mime Robert Shields of CBS' The Shields & Yarnell Show. He is the first American clown to perform in the famed Teatro Dimitri of Switzerland. James has created award-winning ensemble works for James Donlon & Company touring nationwide and in Mexico, and also directed productions in Ireland and the Czech Republic. He has been on the faculties of acting schools such as The American Conservatory Theater, The North Carolina School of the Arts, The National Theatre Conservatory-Denver Center, The Yale School of Drama, UCSB, and UCSD, and has presented residencies with special institutions like El Teatro Campesino, Mexico City 's Bellas Artes, Prague's national Academy of Performing Arts (AMU), Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting, and Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College where he taught Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin. He has been a film movement coach for Oscar-winners Javier Bardem, Kathy Bates, and Frances McDormand, as well as Benjamin Bratt and David Strathairn. To find out more about James Donlon's work, visit http://flyingactorstudio.com/flyingactorstudio/James_History.html Leonard Pitt has been performing and teaching for over forty years. In 1963 he traveled to Paris to study mime with Etienne Decroux, later becoming his assistant for two years. In 1970 he opened a school of physical theatre in Berkeley CA, attracting students from around the world. He has studied mask theater and carving in Bali and performed with the Balinese in their villages and temple festivals. He has presented his work internationally including England, Spain, Holland, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Australia. He was a founding member of George Coates Performance Works, has received Chicago's Actor of the Year Award for his solo work, and was movement consultant for Jurassic Park and motion-capture specialist for the films Dragonheart and Three Wishes. In 1986 Leonard co-founded Life On The Water, a contemporary performance space at Fort Mason, San Francisco. He has written several books, one of which, Walks Through Lost Paris, has become a bestseller in France. The Leonard Pitt Website: www.leonardpitt.com To purchase tickets to the show, visit http://flyingactorstudio.com/flyingactorstudio/Show.html To find out more about the school, visit the website http://www.flyingactorstudio.com.

Jay Stewart meets Elvis... (Cape Cod, MA)

Thanks to Pat Cashin and Don Covington for the heads up on this. Jay was my roommate at Ringling's clown college. I'd love to go check it out, if I have the time! JAY STEWART: Elvis... The King and Me from Pat Cashin's CLOWNALLEY.NET by Pat Cashin Link courtesy of Don Covington The Clown And The King: Jay Stewart Rocks In ‘Elvis… The King And Me’ At HJT by Jennifer Sexton HARWICH, MASSACHUSETTS--- Once in a while a show comes along that is so unique, so inspired, and promises so much fun that it is an absolute must-see. “Elvis… The King And Me” is just such a show, and performer Jay Stewart is not to be missed in this one-man semi-autobiographical evening of live music and comedy featuring over 20 of The King’s hit tunes and ballads. Stewart, a brilliant physical comedian, along with a three-piece live band led by musical director Bob Wilder, lets the music take the lead in this story of the dizzying heights and bottomless heartbreaks of first love at age 13. Anyone who has survived adolescence can relate, and anyone who cranked up the tunes and sang into a hairbrush in front of the mirror to take the edge off teenaged loneliness and heartache will laugh along with Stewart. “The HJT folks have really gotten behind this very simple idea I had,” says Stewart. “Now it’s a full blown production. It kind of surprises me to see my little idea grow to fruition.” The show is a departure for Stewart, whose career spans 20 years of clowning. After earning a degree in theater at Wake Forest University, Jay entered circus life as a member of Clown Alley of The Greatest Show on Earth. He has traveled around the world, clowning in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan with the Kinoshita Circus, and in Liuzhou, China as a member of the first-ever Clowning Festival there. He enjoyed a four-year run as the Boss Clown of Clown Alley in the Ringling Bros. Circus, and later founded The Seaside Clowns, a troupe of veteran circus clowns. Jay currently performs with his talented wife Kristin and children Karen and Nick at Harwich Junior Theatre and at festivals and events Cape-wide. During the week he makes rounds as part of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit at Children’s Hospital in Boston, bringing hilarity to the bedsides of hospitalized children. The idea for the show was born last fall, when Stewart performed an Elvis song during karaoke at a birthday party. The guests included HJT artistic director Nina Schuessler. “It was mostly friends and theater folks, and Nina said, ‘You really do that well! You should put something together for the stage!’” says Stewart. “I thought OK, she’s just talking off the top of her head. But then a few weeks later we were talking and she said again, ‘I want you to do something!’ And so I started writing.” Stewart knew that he didn’t want to dress up in a jumpsuit and become another Elvis impersonator. Instead, he was inspired by his own experiences growing up in the South with Elvis Presley’s music and the way it seemed to act as a soundtrack for his memories. “A lot of Elvis Presley songs can be broken into little subsets in my mind,” Stewart explains. “There are the ones where he wants to be with the girl. He’s yearning for the girl. Then there are the ones where he’s with the girl. They are dating, or going steady, and they’ve got a relationship. Then there’s the breakup and the heartbreak and sadness. And then there are the straight out rock ‘n’ roll ones that I consider to be the rebound. So through that progression a story became fairly clear to me. I said, this is a kid remembering his first heartbreak. So pulling from my own ridiculous history, I was able to come up with some funny stories about that.” Stewart praises the expertise of Schuessler, Wilder and the rest of the HJT staff and crew who helped him make the leap into unknown territory. “My career has been pantomime, physical comedy and circus skills, so this is a departure as far as that goes,” Stewart says. “However, this particular show is very close to home for me. It has elements of biography in it, and the music is something I’ve lived with my whole life. I haven’t had to struggle with the lyrics, as they are all second nature. My initial thought about it was Jay, you’re not a singer. But once I stopped saying that to myself and met with Bob Wilder, I realized I was in good hands.” The band features Wilder, described by Stewart as a magician, on keyboard and two extremely talented young men, Alex Harper on guitar and Phil White on drums. “It’s so much fun. It’s so much fun to do, and to laugh about these ridiculous things that did happen to me, and ridiculous things that I made up. There are certain things you’ll know when you watch—you’ll say to yourself, ‘I’ll bet that really happened.’ That’s what good theater does. As Shakespeare said, it holds a mirror up to nature. You see the truth. How many times have you heard people say ‘It’s funny because it’s true?’” “Elvis… The King and Me” written by and starring Jay Stewart, with musical direction by Bob Wilder, opens June 12 and runs Friday and Saturday evenings through September. With sound design by J. Hagenbuckle, set design by Richard Archer, lighting design by B.J. Powell, costumes by Robin McLaughlin, and props by Mary Beth Travis. For information on matinees and additional show times or to purchase tickets, visit www.hjtcapecod.org or call the box office at 508-432-2002. Tickets are also available through Theatremania at 866-811-4111.

John Towsen's new blog-- All Fall Down

John Towsen, author of one of the classics of clown literature (entitled Clowns: A Panoramic History of Fools and Jesters, Medieval Mimes, Jongleurs and Minstrels, Pueblo Indian Delight Makers and Cheyenne Contraries, Harlequins and Pierrots, Theatrical Buffoons, etc.) now has a blog. His blog is called ALL FALL DOWN, after the famous Black Plague poem " Ring around a rosie, a pocket full of posies Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down" Here's what he says about his blog: Welcome to the All Fall Down blog, an exploration of all aspects of physical comedy, from the historical to the latest work in the field, from the one-man show to the digital composite, from the conceptual to the nuts & bolts how-to. Be prepared for a broad definition of physical comedy (mine!) and a wide variety of approaches. Physical comedy is a visual art form, so there’ll be tons of pictures and videos, but also some substantial writing and research, including scripts and probably even some books. This blog is a result of me wanting to follow through on lots of unfinished research from the past 25 years. It’s made possible by a full-year sabbatical leave from Bloomfield College that will take me through August 2010. It’s also made more practical by the ease of Web 2.0 tools for managing and distributing content. I had envisioned a web site similar to this blog more than a decade ago, but never got too far with it because it was simply a lot more work. Now, no more excuses! Check it out at http://www.physicalcomedy.blogspot.com

Rat Bastards (Tutti Stronzi) June 3-7 NY

This is a commedia piece by a very talented performer and writer Julia Pearlstein-- I first met Julia at a meeting of the RAT Conference in Los Angeles, where as part of a group, we had to create a show that performed an impossible task. My group's task was to sink the Los Angeles Theatre Center like the Titanic. Her groups task was to blow up the world as we knew it. My group ended up winning, but it was a very close call, and Julia's group was one of the best and most creative uses of the space I'd ever seen. She's since moved back to NY, has been seen socializing with a certain scholar and practitioner of the fine art of Vaudeville (and whose writings can be marvelled at over at the Travalanche ) I haven't seen this piece, but I highly recommend it. At Dixon Place June 3 - 7. www.dixonplace.org

Up and CLOWN "Closing Party" Exhibit 5/31 5-8 pm

Jim Moore's exhibit Up and Clown (talked about here) will have a closing party on Sunday May 31 from 5-8 pm. Come check it out if you get the opportunity, and may I mention-- freeroll! SB Digital Gallery 125 East 4th St. 212 979 7239 (1 block east from Kraine Theatre)

CONEY ISLAND BOOM-A-RING THIS SUMMER.

The Greatest Show On Earth hits the boardwalk this summer for the very first time in its 139-year history! SEE DATES Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents THE CONEY ISLAND BOOM A RING, an action-packed seaside circus spectacular where the energy bursts out of the ring, into the audience and bounces back to electrify the Ringling Bros. performers. Get a one-of-a-kind, up-close and personal experience as you sit just feet away from international performers, thrilling acts, and amazing animals! The uniquely talented Justin Case will have you gasping and laughing with his extraordinary and hilarious bicycle daredevilry, leading an amazing cast of aerialists, acrobats, and comics. You'll be on the edge of your seat as you experience the thrills of seeing a family of motorcyclists race at speeds of 65 miles per hour in the Globe of Steel, a daring never-before-seen crossbow demonstration that takes archery to a shocking new extreme, and a gravity-defying performance on the whirling Wheel of Steel high above the arena floor. The amazing animals will leave you mesmerized; miniature acrobatic Dachshunds jump, roll, and dance in perfect synchronization, beautiful white tigers offer high-fives, and majestic Asian elephants dance elegantly around the arena floor. THE CONEY ISLAND BOOM A RING is a rare NYC summer time experience that engages all the senses and offers Children Of All Ages a day at The Greatest Show On Earth they never imagined possible! Arrive an hour before show time for the All Access Pre-show - FREE to all ticket holders - and meet Ringling Bros. performers and animals, learn circus skills and enjoy a taste of the circus before the show even starts! BUY TICKETS SEE ALL TICKETMASTER CIRCUS TICKETS SEE RINGLING SHOW-PAGE

Interview with Dominique Serrand

A video interview with Dominique Serrand, one of the principals of Theater de la Jeune Leune, a Minneapolis theatre which recently closed. Jeune Leune was known for their physical theatre-- I believe that Serrand or one of his partners studied with Lecoq, and others in the company studied with Carlo Mazzone-Clemente of Dell'arte. Also, Chris Bayes either taught or performed there (or maybe both) The 34 minute interview is quite interesting, and well worth viewing. (Thanks to Mike Daisey for the heads up.) http://www.vimeo.com/2880009

UP and cLOWN: (Jim Moore Clown Photographic exhibit) starts May 15 (NY)

UP and CLOWN: Photographic Cacophony of Eccentric Performers For the last 30 years, Jim Moore has been photographing all kinds of clowns, mimes, and eccentric performers. On May 15 the SB Digital Gallery will be hosting an exhibit of Jim's photographs. The exhibit will feature over 300 shots, including shows of the NY Downtown Clown Revue, where Jim is the photographer in residence. Mr. Moore was a mime street performer during the 70’s and 80’s, he is particularly adept at capturing precise and striking moments of revelry and performance, using his insider's eye. For the last 30 years Jim has been in, on and behind the scenes at venues such as The Big Apple Circus, Bottom Line, Dixon Place and The New York Downtown Clown Revue. His diverse range of photographs include magicians, clowns, puppeteers, mimes, ventriloquists, performance artists, sword swallowers, tightrope walkers, and high wire walkers, including Philip Petit, star of last year's documentary hit Man on Wire, in which many of Jim's photographs were used. Some of the people featured in this current exhibit are: Eric Bogosian, Paul Zaloom, Marcel Marceau, world famous juggler Francis Brunn, world famous magician Slydini, world renown clown Joel Jeske, world renown clown Gardi Hutter, and sword swallower Joey Colon, along with many others. The show opens on Friday May 15th at SB Digital Gallery 125 East 4th St., from 6 to 9pm. Refreshments will be served. There are 300 photographs being presented, and they will be projected onto four large high definition monitors and a digital projector. You can call the gallery for more info at 212-979-7239 For more information about Jim's work, visit his website http://www.moorepics.com Some images of the upcoming exhibit are below. Ctibor Turba Ambrose Martel Joel Jeske McCormack & Parenti Paul Zaloom

Opening Weekend! CRACKED ICE at PS122

Don't miss the world premiere of: "CRACKED ICE or THE JEWELS OF THE FORBIDDEN SKATES!" A new play by Jennifer Miller with additional text by Deb Margolin In this glittering theatrical extravaganza, the infamous juggling duo, The Liberty Sisters, have been fleeced by an evil ponzi schemer. Sybil and Statua Liberty embark on a mad-cap tour of revenge...but they aren't the only ones after the greedy crook. Mistaken identities, missed opportunities, star crossed lovers and variety hall numbers all combine to bring East Village high camp back home. It's tragedy, it's farce, it's mystery, it's mayhem...it's "CRACKED ICE or JEWELS OF THE FORBIDDEN SKATES!!" April 25-May 10 Performance Space 122 -- First Avenue and 9th Street, NYC Wed-Sun at 8pm With additional late show, Sat, May 9 at 11pm. Special performance to benefit Circus AMOK! on Sunday, May 3 at 8pm. Starring: Jennifer Miller, Ashley Brockington, Tanya Gagne, Sally May, Adrienne Truscott, Carlton Ward, and Rae C. Wright. Music by Kenny Mellman. Design by Jonathan Berger. Set Paintings by Mila Geisler. Choreography by Faye Driscoll. Prop Design by Jesse Proia. With additional text for Bernie Madoff by Deb Margolin. Special surprise guest artists each night, including Scott Heron, Jennifer Monson, Novice Theory, Jenny Romaine, and many more! CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO REGULAR PERFORMANCES: Use code "FF12" to buy single tickets for only $12 Use code "FF241" to buy two or more tickets for only $10 each!!! (2 for $20, 5 for $50, and so on.) TICKETS FOR BENEFIT PERFORMANCE: Benefit performance tickets are ONLY AVAILABLE at the Circus AMOK! website. Benefit tickets are $50, $75 or $100 and include a post-show reception with the cast and creative team, as well as exclusive AMOK schwag! "Cracked Ice" tickets are regularly $20. Obligatory Fine print: discounts based on limited supply; blackout dates may apply; may not be combined with other offers or applied to previous sales; may be discontinued at any time so book now and save!

Clown Improvisation: White Noise (NY, April 23-25)

CLOWN IMPROVISATION, WHITE NOISE! Theaterlab presents Jef Johnson – White Noise Friday, April 17, 2009 through Saturday, April 25, 2009 A Multimedia Clown Experience Length: 1 hr 10 mins Intermission: None Seating: General Admission You choose your seats when you get to the theater. Featuring Jef Johnson, renowned principal clown of Slava's Snowshow in a solo performance. Live Sound by Keith Rubenstein, Live Visuals by Brian A. Berhard. WHITE NOISE is a real time improvisation of sound, video and clown play. Exactly what you will see is unknown until it happens. Each performance will be a unique experience. Running for 3 more shows- APRIL 23,24,25 ONLY at THEATER LAB in NYC Click here for tix info: http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=JEF7 or call for reservations: 212-929-2545 Click here for the Facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=67291669826&ref=nf

Fools on Fire Cabaret April 18

Dead Herring and Fools on Fire Present a Benefit Cabaret 141 South 5th Street, 1E Brooklyn NY 11211 Saturday April 18th Doors at 8pm, Show at 8:30 $10 (includes 1 free drink) Good Food and Drink! Lineup: ZeroBoy www.zeroboy.com 'Coney Island of the Mind' piece. Follow along as Zero Boy takes his nephew and the audience on a magical cartoon like audio tour of coney island past, present and future The Lady's Circus Static Trapeze http://www.ladycircus.com Mike Dobson Balloon Bongo Drums http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-nBRlZ61AA http://www.mikedobsonmusic.com/live/ Spencer Novich and Brett Alters, Clown Duo: http://brettalters.com/ http://www.youtube.com/Snovich1 Mitchell "The Human Jukebox" Yoshida For a dollar, he'll play on his accordion your request of ANY pop song EVER. Sapphire Jones www.myspace.com/worldfamoussapphirejones Comedic Burlesque And your hosts Jeff and Buttons youtube.com/jeffseal http://newexcitementcomedy.com/

Hey-Ya Brothers in NY at Urban Stages

Hey-Ya Brothers- now performing at Urban Stages! The Hey-Ya Brothers is a two-man slapstick comedy variety show with clowns and physical comedians Joel Jeske and Christopher Lueck. This 45min show is a mixture of classic comedy, slapstick, juggling, magic, and music. The Hey-Ya Brothers create a memorable show full of laughs. Now with special guest performer Mike Richter! WHEN: SUNDAYS, March 15 – April 5, 2009 at at 2pm. WHERE: Urban Stages, located at 259 West 30th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues)NYC TICKETS: $10 To purchase, email urbanstages@gmail.com or call 212-421-1380. Tickets are also available at the door. Running Time is 45 minutes, ages 3 + For More Info vsit www.heyyabrothers.com or www.urbanstages.org

Jessica Hentoff -Circus Harmony

Jessica Hentoff, founding member of both Big Apple Circus and Circus Flora, is still working in the biz. She is "The Circus Lady" of Circus Harmony and the artistic director of Circus Harmony, a social circus/education program that (as their mission statement says) teaches the art of life through circus education. In addition to classes and performances in the St. Louis area, other projects have included Circus Salaam Shalom, a project that brought together Jewish and Muslim children. This developed into the Patchwork Circus troupe, which consists of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American and Chinese children from urban and suburban areas. Another project was titled Far East Meets Midwest I and II. These shows combined Asian and Midwestern arts and artists. Asian artists wanted to include Middle Eastern musicians. Circus Harmony became the logical confluence of all these projects, combining diverse children and multicultural music into one expansive project. An interview with her appeared in the St. Louis Jewish Light recently. Excerpt below: Q & A | JESSICA HENTOFF A life in circus Jessica Hentoff, artistic/executive director of Circus Harmony, talks with (left to right) Glenn Callanan, Keaton Hentoff-Killian and Max Pepose before a performance at the City Museum on Saturday afternoon. Photos: Dennis Caldwell BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN, EDITOR Jessica Hentoff, 53, is the artistic/executive director of Circus Harmony, St. Louis' only year-round circus school and social circus program based in the City Museum. She also co-founded the Big Apple Circus in New York in 1977 and Circus Flora in St. Louis in 1986. Recently, Hentoff sat down with the Jewish Light and discussed her obsession with the circus, its place in Jewish history and how it's never too late to join (and you don't even have to run away). This is one of those questions I just have to ask: What's a nice Jewish girl like you doing in the circus? I took circus classes in college (at the State University of New York at Purchase) because I thought they would be fun. That was over 30 years ago and it is still fun. What intrigued you? A big part was that it never occurred to me that I could do any of the things circus performers do. I grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City attending private school. I couldn't even climb a tree until I was 10-years-old. Don't you have to grow up in the circus and be from a circus family to be any good at it? That's a myth. I work with all ages, from 5 to an 82-year-old aerialist. I've taught children of all labels -- autistic, ADD, LDD, BDD, deaf, Down syndrome, physically handicapped. Circus arts doesn't require one skill set. Maybe you can't juggle but you can flip, or you can't flip but you have great balance and can walk the wire. We have kids with severe and obvious disabilities and they find something they can do in the circus. We had one girl who did not have any legs. She was great on the trapeze because she had phenomenal upper body strength. Another performer is missing most of her fingers on one hand. She does aerial work and contortion. The audience sees her ability rather than her disability. What brought you to St. Louis? My trapeze partner was from here. She convinced me it would be easier to tour logistically if we lived in the middle of the country. READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE To find out more about her work, please visit her websites listed below: http://www.circusharmony.org/ http://www.everdaycircus.net

MOVE IT- Free Physical Theatre March 19 at HERE (NYC)

MOVE IT! – a free evening of Physical and Visual Theatre Parallel Exit, New York City’s award-winning physical theatre company, offers audiences a free opportunity to see some of New York’s most exciting physical and visual theatre artists in MOVE IT! Featuring brand new physical theatre from Parallel Exit’s Joel Jeske, Mike Dobson, and Spencer Novich, dance-theatre from The Chase Brock Experience, clowning from Ishah Jannsen-Faith, and juggling from World Champion juggler Tony Duncan, MOVE IT! is presented at HERE Arts Center on Thursday March 19th at 8:30pm. Parallel Exit launched MOVE IT! in the fall of 2006 in order to support and promote the work of quality physical theatre artists and companies in New York City. This performance series appears throughout the year to invite audiences to experience the diversity and excitement of physical and visual theatre artists working in dance-theatre, mime, puppetry, clown, and circus. MOVE IT! Thursday March 19, 8:30pm, FREE HERE Arts Center 145 6th Ave. (between Spring & Broome, enter on Dominick), Subway: C, E, 6 to Spring St. For Tickets & Information: www.here.org 212-352-3101 This production is being presented through HERE’s Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support. To find out more about Parallel Exit, the producer of the program, visit their website listed below: http://www.parallelexit.net/ To find out more about some of the other artists, click on their names below: Parallel Exit’s Joel Jeske, Mike Dobson, and Spencer Novich The Chase Brock Experience Ishah Jannsen-Faith Tony Duncan

Video of Joel & Juliet Jeske as part of Long Island Museum's Circus Month

Joel and Juliet Jeske performing a little something something in celebration of circus month at the Long Island Museum. If the video below doesn't work, you can also click here to be transferred to Newsday.com

Jeff Raz as a talking head.

Happened to find this video of Jeff Raz speaking at the Commonwealth Club of California in June of 2008. Jeff was a teacher of mine at Dell'arte, founder of the San Francisco Clown Conservatory, and recently returned from a year-long tour as the lead clown (The Dead Clown) in Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. There's a lot of good stuff that Jeff says about his theory of clown teaching, comedy, and he also teaches a couple a clown slap to a bunch of people who are basically sitting down. The video is kind of long, esp. the two minute introduction of Jeff, but worth it. Enjoy! Find out more about Jeff at http://www.jeffraz.com

ClownLab show- Feb 13, 14 (NY)

Jef Johnson is a principal clown in the international touring company of Slava’s Snowshow. As Clown, he has also toured with Cirque du Soleil. Jef has more than 20 years of experience working in a wide range of physical styles. His approach is rooted in subjective expression, physical expression of condition through impulse and reflex. He has studied corporeal expression from disciples of Grotowski, Suzuki, Marceau, Decroux, Lecoq, Meyerhold, M. Chekhov, Vakhtangov. He teaches a Clown Lab in NY on a fairly regular basis. The product, or clinical trial, as he prefers to call it, of one of those Clown Labs will be coming up on Feb 13 & 14. I haven't studied with him, so can't really say what his teaching style is like. His website and (clown journal) was a bit too impenetrable for me to figure out exactly what he is all about. With most things like this, the best way to figure out if you want to study with him is to go see some of his work. Here are the details to check it out for yourself. Clownical Trials In situ modulation using perception action coupling and combined object vectors. THEATERLAB 137 West 14th Street New York, NY February 12-13 at 8 pm $10.00 Reservations: 212-929-2545 Featuring: Golan, Kathie Horejsi, Julie Josephson, Michaela Lind, Andrew Valins Jef Johnson's CLOWN LAB is dedicated to the exploration of the mechanisms underlying the nature of clown through behavior, experience and creative association. This is a clinical trial. Real humans will be used. To find out more about Jef's work, visit his website listed below: http://www.nyclown.com

Scott & Muriel (and sometimes Joe)

Scott Nelson & Muriel Brugman are award-winning illusionists and visual comedians. Based in the Netherlands, they have traveled to over 14 countries, won the Grand Prix at the 2000 World Championship of Magic in Lisbon, have worked with Cirque du Soleil (on their television show Solstrom) and create their own illusions. Last year they were a big hit at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival (double prize winners!) On occasion Scott & Muriel work with former Ringling clown/Dellarte graduate Joe Dieffenbacher in a three person show called (aptly) Scott & Muriel's Big Show (with Joe). It also features four musicians, and a lot of physical and visual comedy. Other shows are called Grand Delusions and Two By Two. To find out more about their work, visit their website listed below: http://www.scottandmuriel.com You can also watch this video below of them at work at the 2008 Monte Carlo festival.

Naked Clown Calendar 2009

Seeking to raise money to cure Multiple Sclerosis, 16 graduates from the Clown Conservatory of 2008 have unveiled the 2009 naked clown calendar, which features them posing in nothing but their makeup and their birthday suits. The proceeds from the calendar benefit the Judy Finelli Fund, which supports research and advocacy for cures and treatment of MS. Judy Finelli was one of the finest female jugglers ever. Throughout her career in the 1960s-80s, she made appearances at Carnegie Hall, on Sesame Street, on the Mike Douglas Show, with the Pickle Family Circus. She was also the first and only female president of the International Jugglers' Association. She was also a co-founder of the San Francisco School for Circus Arts (now the Circus Center, where the Clown Conservatory is located) In 1989, Judy was diagnosed with MS. The illness progressed quickly, removing her ability to perform and disabling her to the point of quadriplegia by 2004. In spite of the effects of this devastating disease, Judy has remained an inspiration to the students of the Circus Center. The Judy Finelli Fund, created in honor of Judy's life of performing and teaching, supports research and advocacy for cures and treatment of MS. It promotes artistic expression through circus arts training and enables those affected by MS to pursue their passions. 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to the Judy Finelli Fund so that others throughout the world may aspire toward their dreams regardless of their limitations. To purchase a calendar or to find out more, visit their website listed below: http://www.nakedclowncalendar.com/

RIP, Mr. Snot

Joe Kudla, half of the team of Puke and Snot, passed away on Monday. He was 58 years old, and had been performing Ren Faire stages for over 30 years, including letting young upstarts Penn and Teller open for them. Read more below (obit from the Pioneer Press) or visit the Puke and Snot website, listed below for more details. At the website listed below, Joe's partner Mark Sieve shares stories and fan email about Joe. PUKE AND SNOT WEBSITE: http://www.magaga.com Actor Joe Kudla of 'Puke and Snot' team dies at 58 By Dominic P. Papatola dpapatola@pioneerpress.com Article Last Updated: 08/11/2008 06:30:56 PM CDT Minneapolis actor Joe Kudla - half of the "Puke and Snot" comedy team that entertained crowds at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for more than three decades - died Monday at the age of 58. Kudla died at his home in Northeast Minneapolis, according to his performing partner, Mark Sieve. A cause of death was not immediately available. "I'm wondering if Bud Abbott felt this way when Lou Costello died," said Mark Sieve, who played Puke in the popular comic duo that mixed swordplay and groaner jokes. Sieve said he and Kudla were supposed to go over some new material Monday, but that Kudla wasn't returning phone calls. "I was complaining to my wife about my irresponsible partner not answering his phone," Sieve said, honoring his late partner with a bit of gallows humor. "Turns out he had a good excuse." Kudla was already a fixture on the local performing scene when he and Sieve conjured the idea of a pair of medieval types who would crack wise and cross swords. The first iteration of the duo, dubbed Mouldy and Wart, premiered at the 1973 festival. Puke and Snot appeared the next year. At the height of their fame, the opening act for their routine was a young pair of comic-magicians named Penn and Teller. Kudla and Sieve trained others their shtick, and have been a fixture at Renaissance festivals across the country ever since. In 2007, Kudla took a break from playing Thomas Snot, earning rave reviews in the History Theatre production of "The Baron," a paean to old-school professional wrestling in which he played, among other famous grapplers, Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon. Sieve intends for the show to go on when the Minnesota Renaissance Festival opens later this month. "It would be a great tribute to Joe to keep it going," he said, "but I don't know. I might break down in the middle of the routine."

Besserwisser

What do you get when you take two European Cirque du Soleil performers who decide they want to focus a little bit more on clowning and a little bit less on spectacle? Besserweiser. Which in English translates roughly as "Know-it-all" , features two very skilled performers from Cirque who do just that. In their own words: In our society we are constantly trying to be faster, better, and smarter… only to realize that we are consistently trying to reach unattainable goals. Rather than be content with where we are, we deform ourselves to reach an ideal that we have self created or bought into. This pushes us to the ridiculous, eventually becoming a know-it-all, hence a Besserwisser. Jesko and Guennadi present their comedic duo “Besserwisser”. They offer unique situations with extraordinary objects to reveal the human interaction between he who thinks thar “he knows” and is perfect, and he who tries to aspire toward perfection. Two sides of the same psyche… A besserwisser, Nothing more annoying… The artists Jesko von den Steinen Jesko von den Steinen was a solo clown with Cirque du Soleil’s “Saltimbanco” for 5 years. He is currently also performing with Familie Flöz, a Berlin based, physical theatre company. Jesko works on occasion in Paris, France with Philippe Gaulier, as his teaching assistant. He recently co-wrote co-directed and choreographed a film for Bravo! TV. The film “Corps” uses acrobatics and contemporary dance as its form of narration. It has been selected for various international film festivals. Guennadi Tchijov Guennadi has performed with Cirque du Soleil for 12 for years. Creating the role of “The Dreamer” for Saltimbanco and later working in Mystere. He originates from the Ukraine and is a former student of Valentine Gneuschiev. He subsequently has worked as Character and clown, for example with Rolf Knie’s “SaltoNatale” and has performed in various Varietés such as Roncalli’s WinterGarten. You can find out more about the duo on their website, listed below: http://www.jesko-guennadi.com