Flying Karamazov Brothers in NY through March 7

World renowned juggling group who don't fly, aren't brothers, and aren't Russian, the Flying Karamazov Brothers are performing their show 4Play at the Minetta Lane Theater until March 7th.  If you don't know them, you should.  They are fantastic!  Actually, an earlier iteration of their show that they performed one summer at Trinity Rep got me interested in vaudeville.  I must have seen that cabaret 10 or 12 times as an usher!  (Yes, FKB, it's ALL your fault!)     If you go to the box office at the theater, you can avoid the $7 "service" charge from Ticketmaster. If you're on the fence, just watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALkHQnPPn0  Click Here Call 212-307-4100 Minetta Lane Theatre 18 Minetta Lane New York, New York 1pm- showtime   Don't miss THE FLYING KARAMAZOV BROTHERS in 4PLAY! LIMITED ENGAGEMENT February 8 thru March 7 ONLY! The Flying Karamazov Brothers are preparing for lift-off from the Minetta Lane Theatre from February 8 through March 7th for a run of their non-stop hit show "4PLAY". An innovative blend of comedy, theatre, juggling and music, this exuberant and hilarious theatrical event is recommended for ages 5 through 95. For tickets as low as $10 you get to ride a rocket to Planet K. The Karamazovs, master practitioners of cheap theatrics, juggle 'til they drop. The audience is invited to bring objects to the theater for Karamazov's Champ to juggle, making each show unique."4PLAY" shows NY's favorite multi-faceted, new-vaudevillians at the apex of their ambidextrous ability. Come watch the Flying Ks as they prove with each performance that chaos and unexpected events in our lives are the best part of being human. Four Weeks, Four Brothers, For Everyone, 4PLAY. "Book passage now! An evening of airborne hilarity! These four unrelated American lunatics know exactly where they are going — to the moon and beyond!" - The New York Times "Drop everything and go see them!" -The Today Show "So much fun that anyone you take to see it will want to go to bed with you!" -Chicago Reader INSANELY CHEAP!! TICKETS STARTING AT $10! WEEK 1 February 8 - 14 $10 - $50 WEEK 2 February 15 - 21 $20 - $55 WEEK 3 February 22 - 28 $25 - $60 WEEK 4 February 28 - March 7 $30 - $65 Performance schedule: Tuesday - Friday at 8pm Saturday at 2pm & 8pm Sunday at 2pm & 5pm Special performance: Monday, February 8 at 8pm February 8th - March 7th www.fkb.com

Pochinko workshop in Brooklyn 3/21-4/22/10

WORKSHOP Character Mask to Clown With Deborah Kaufmann Inspired by the teachings of Richard Pochinko, Canadian clown master teacher "If we face the six directions of self, we can't help but laugh at the beauty  and ridiculousness of all that we are." -- Richard Pochinko This investigation is an inspiring way for the artist to make direct connection to aspects of his/her true self. In the spirit of physical discovery and playfulness we will visit our childhood room, experience a bittersweet goodbye, and find the personal meaning in the colors of the rainbow.  Then we will each make six masks: North, West, South, East, Above and Below. We will connect to and physicalize each direction and then create a clay mask. The masks are explored and a character is developed for each one. All six characters are combined to create a persona that is unique, with a deeply personal mythology and imagined environment that can be used for exploration and the development of new material.  For artists in all disciplines and the seriously curious. March 21 through April 22, 2010 (First Day of Spring to Earth Day). Sundays and Thursdays; 5 weeks March 21 3-8 pm, Then Thursdays, 6-9 pm, Sundays, 4-7 pm $500.00, Scholarship available Maximum 12 Students Brooklyn Studio Deborah Kaufmann has performed and taught Clown and Hospital Clowning in the US, and around the world. She has been the National Creative and Educational Coordinator of Big Apple Circus Clown Care since 1994. In that capacity she trains, coaches and directs, as she oversees the artistic quality and growth of more than 80 unique “clown doctors.”  Of her 2006 performance at the New York Clown Theatre Festival,  nytheatre.com said, “this performance gleams most brightly, with true mischief and solid will operating unfettered at maximum strength.”     http://www.tooshorttofallover.com “It's a dream to find a teacher who combines a sharp directorial eye,  intuition as a clown, and a deep knowledge of techniques and material.                   --Tanya Solomon, clown and burlesque performer  The supportive way in which Deborah taught really resonated for me.”                --- an Australian Student  CONTACT: debdib@verizon.net             www.tooshorttofallover.com

Chicagoist is featuring interviews with clowns

The Chicagoist, an online news blog, is featuring interviews with clowns all this week, in honor of Halloween. The series, called FACE YOUR FEARS, is intended to get to know people behind the greasepaint. It's pretty good, as far as it goes, but nearly all of the clowns interviewed are Primarily Birthday Party clowns and not circus clowns.  Who knows, maybe Jeff Jenkins of the Midnight Circus  is the last person interviewed (their Friday interview has not yet come out).  That might give this a little balance. UPDATE:  They balanced it in a different way-- the fifth interview was with LezBobo the Clown, who does more alternative clowning.  I've updated this post to reflect that. Here's links to the interviews: LezBobo The Clown READ THE INTERVIEW Website for more information. Kooky Da Klown READ THE INTERVIEW  Websites:  Clowns For Hire and Kooky's Myspace. Patricia "Dimples The Clown" Koopmann READ THE INTERVIEW Website for More Info Don "Tricky the Clown" Bothwell READ THE INTERVIEW  Website for more info Mirelle "Twinkles the Classy Clown" Gross READ THE INTERVIEW Website for more info

Clown Axioms at La Mama (NY)

Clowns ex Machina is Kendall Cornell's continuation of her work with groups of female clowns. (which started as Kendall Cornell's Soon-to-Be-World-Famous Women's Clown Troupe) Clown Axioms is a show of 12 women clowns that "create a poetic yet preposterous world" Expect some interesting takes on female stereotypes, and by extension female clown stereotypes. Last July they did a workshop showing, and now they are doing an expanded show. the show features a number of clowns, including: Amanda Barron, Christine Bodwitch, Kendall Cornell, Melinda Ferraraccio, Kathie Horejsi, Emily James, Ishah Janssen-Faith, Mona Le Roy, Judi Lewis Ockler, Julie Pulmettaz, Maria Smushkovich, and Virginia Venk. where: The CLUB at La MaMa ETC 74 A east 4th St. (between Bowery and 2nd Avenue) cost: Tickets $15 $10 student tickets with valid I.D. call: Box office: 212-475-7710 when: Friday, October 9th at 10pm Saturday, October 10th at 10pm Sunday, October 11th at 5.30pm Friday, October 16th at 10 pm Saturday, October 17th at 10pm Sunday, October 18th at 5.30pm Find out more: clownsexmachina.com, www.lamama.org (and by the way, I know I'm being incredibly un p.c.-- but www.clownsexmachine.com is available. Possibly Kendall and Co. should snatch that up before someone else does and uses it for their own nefarious purposes. Clown porn could be a big business! and works pretty contrary to the whole ClownsExMachina.com theme.)

Kill Me Loudly Opens Tomorow!

Tomorrow! Fools on Fire presents Kill Me Loudly: A Clown Noir Sept 16-20, 23-25 at 8pm Triskelion Arts, Williamsburg 118 N. 11th between Berry and Wythe, 3rd Floor A brutal comedy about desire, betrayal and murder. Done by clowns. KILL ME LOUDLY. Very Good Intentions. Very Bad Clowns. It's a nice, intimate theater, so buy your tickets today. This just in! After the show, go to the cast party at The Gibson on the corner of N. 11th and Bedford. Show your program at the bar and get 2$ off drinks all night long! L Magazine calls KML one of the 20 Must-See Fall Events. KILL ME LOUDLY is created by the company and directed by Eric Davis (Cirque Du Soleil, Red Bastard, NYIT-award winning Bouffon Glass Menajoree). The show has been workshopped at Clemente Soto Vele and the Brick Theater's Clown Theatre Festival in 2008, and at the Celebration Barn and Amherst College's Ko Festival in 2009. Fools On Fire makes dark, idiotic comedy for dark, idiotic times. For full show and company info visit www.foolsonfire.org

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).

Parallel Exit Goes Broadway!- Literally!

Well, don't say that doing a preview show won't get you anywhere. In November, Parallel Exit previewed their tap show TIME STEP at the Joyce Theatre. It got great reviews on a limited four day run, and more than likely they broke even or lost a little money on that venture. However, people saw it, and the gods smiled, and a little something called SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? raised the profile of one of the dancers (the fabulous Ryan Kasprzak, who didn't make the show (cut at the last minute for his younger and equally talented dancer brother Evan) And now-- well, and now, they've got a slot at the New Victory Theatre come April! Mucho congrats to the Parallel Exit crew for this coup, and hopefully this is the start of a much deserved round of recognition for their work. More about Parallel Exit below and at their website http://www.parallelexit.net A brand new kind of tap show! 3 aging hoofers reminisce about their glory years as they prepare for one final performance. Fresh, funny, and filled with visual magic, TIME STEP pushes tap in a new direction by conveying a story entirely through rhythm and choreography. Perfect for audiences of all ages! “It’s a reminder of how eloquently the body can speak and of how little it takes to create entertainment.” - The New York Times TIME STEP

Gamarjabat at the New Victory Theatre May 9-24.

Gamarjobat is an award-winning comedy performance group comprising two Japanese comedians, Ketch! – who sports a red mohawk – and HIRO-PON – with a yellow mohawk.. The duo perform a variety of sketches, including mime and physical comedy. Their performances are wordless. Although they are not particularly well-known in their native Japan, they have found success performing in the United Kingdom, winning awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They have also appeared on television in the UK . In February 2009 the BBC broadcast a TV pilot Ketch & HIRO-PON Get It On. They are making their U.S. flipper-flapping debut in their new show, ROCK ‘N ROLL PENGUIN at the New Victory Theatre in NY May 8-24. In support of that show, they've been doing some antics and other stuff in and around Times Square. Find out more: New Victory Web Page GAMARJABAT WEBSITE: (English version) http://www.gamarjobat.com/en/index.html VIEW A VIDEO OF THEM BELOW

Big shoes can be dangerous!

This article from the UK Telegraph is pretty crazy. If people stopped doing dangerous stuff, there'd really be no point to a circus, y'know? Who wants to see a guy step into a ring of docile cows? Or brave the rope on the ground? Clown cannot wear giant shoes due to health and safety A clown has been told he cannot wear his giant comedy shoes due to health and safety. By Chris Irvine Last Updated: 9:14AM BST 23 Apr 2009 Valerik Kashkin, a clown in the Moscow State Circus, was performing in Liverpool's Sefton Park last Saturday when he fell from a three metre high slack wire, injuring his foot. Although he continued to perform for the rest of the show, when he went to hospital later that evening, he was told he had broken the metatarsal bone in his left foot. When he returned to the circus he was told by management he could no longer wear the size-18 shoes because they compromised his health and safety. Mr Kashkin features in the circus' reworking of the Rasputin tale, The Monk's Dream. His routine includes dressing himself whilst walking on a wire, dress himself within a hoop of fire, and playing a drum-kit, trumpet and double-bass all at the same time. But he is now worried performing in his regular sized footwear will lose impact on the audience. Mr Kashkin, 40, from Temruk, Russia, said: "The shoes are an important part of my costume, and I was disappointed to be told I couldn't do this part of my act. "I feel fine, and think I could do it in the shoes – the impact might be lost on the audience now." Rejecting that it was a case of health and safety gone mad, Larry Dewitt, Health and Safety adviser to the circus said: "I'm not a believer in political correctness, or doing things for the sake of doing it however. "You have to take a common-sense approach with these things – if it's stupid, don't do it." Paul Archer, General Manager for the Moscow State Circus, said: "I think it will definitely detract from the visual aspect of the performance. "It's very important because there's a language barrier to the whole performance, as it's in Russian." He added: "But we live in a litigation world, and I guess we just have to follow through these procedures. "It's a real balancing act."

Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett Show

One of the great television clowns that you don't hear much about anymore, but was a genius at physical comedy, esp. with obstacles. I was alerted to George Fuller and Adrian Danzig, and nearly died laughing when I saw it. (as did Harvey Korman, Conway's often broken up partner) Conway is so matter of fact, but explores the limitations of his obstacle so brilliantly that whatever he does you both don't expect, and at the same time could completely see it coming. Well worth watching

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

Kenny & Brenda Ahern

Kenny Ahern is a clown and performer based in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A graduate of Ringling Clown College, Kenny has also studied with Bill Irwin, Chris Bayes, and Pavel Groditsky of the Soviet School for Circus and Variety Arts. Kenny has been performing for nearly 25 years. He does a number of shows aimed at the corporate, educational, and family markets. He has two shows aimed at school age audiences "Through the Eyes of a Fool" and "School Matters." His theatre show "A Slippery Universe" is designed for proscenium stages. Kenny also has his own Variety stage that he brings to fairs and festivals. His corporate work features original shows created specifically for a company, as well as a show titled "A Day In The Life" which features parodies of the life of an office worker. Kenny has also taught clowning at a number of places, including schools, clown camps, and Ringling Clown College. Kenny's wife Brenda is also a graduate of Ringling Clown College. Currently an elementary school teacher, she also presents shows to libraries and schools throughout the Wisconsin area. To find out more about Kenny and Brenda's work, please visit his website listed below: http://kennyahern.com/ They were also featured in a recent article in the Watertown Daily Times. Read the article (Please note, this article may go away after a few days of this post.)

Festival Preview: Kill Me Loudly: A Clown Noir

Fri 9/19 at 8:30pm Sun 9/21 at 5pm Fri 9/26 at 10:30pm CAUTION. May or may not contain clown nudity. Not for children. Sex! Murder! Clowns?! Ever wanted clowns to admit how miserable, desperate and obsessive they really are? Director Eric Davis (Red Bastard, Cirque du Soleil, Bouffon Glass Menajoree) pushes under the freaky-happy façade of clowns to reveal a cast of cutting-edge comedians ready to whip out their dark sides. In this dream-like murder mystery, a clown trio attempts to stage a film noir. But beware! No one returns unscathed from the depths of depravity! Meet the clowns who get caught up in the corruption, perversion and betrayal of their own twisted tale! Here is a clown show is full of drug-addled bums, brain-battered boxers, high society pedophiles, and of course, the barely-clad-yet-deadly femme fatale. Here is an ever-changing cityscape of lonely office buildings, dead-end alleys, glitzy clubs, and old-timey neighborhoods. Here is a show in black and white, in light and shadows, angles and corners. It's a "Caligari"-esque, expressionistic hallucination of the 40's crime genre that defined an American archetype. Done by clowns. Here is a show in which good-natured comedy-makin' turns into vicious back-stabbing, horrible revelations and plenty of nervous breakdowns. Here is a clown noir. Very good intentions. Very bad clowns. THE PLAYERS. Butt Kapinski, Jeff Seal and Chris "Buttons" Manley have performed around town at theaters like the Kraine, Theatre For The New City, the UCB, the PIT, the Magnet, Galapagos, the Brick, and on the streets of New York. Eric Davis, internationally-renown Red Bastard, has been a clown with Cirque du Soleil, directs Bouffon Glass Menagerie (NYIT award winner: Outstanding Production), teaches clown and bouffon, and is a Co-Director of the Brick Theater Clown Festival. Costume design by Molly Austin, set design by Antonio Zito, lighting design by Brian Aldous, Assistant Directed by Jason Leinwand and Andy Dickerson of Cirque This! Set construction by Chris Roberti. Music by Mitchell Yoshida. To find out more about the show, visit the website: http://www.clowninadirtytown.com/ To find out more about the festival, visit the website: http://www.bricktheater.com/clown/

Otsie Kerplotsie

Otsie Kerplotsie is Brooklyn clown and NY Downtown Clown Impresario Christopher Luecke. Christopher was born in Milwaukee, WI. He is a graduate of The Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, CA and has also earned a BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College (Cum Laude). Most recently he has studied clown with the New York GOOFS. Christopher is an actor and clown for stage and film. He has performed in many venues including the Brooklyn Public Library, dirty little theatres, and the Grand Ole Opry and has also appeared in many small films. When not performing Christopher teaches puppetry in the New York Public Schools with Puppetry in Practice. He is also a certified instructor of Japanese samurai sword fighting and enjoys beating people up in competitions. In his role as Otsie, Christopher performs at birthday parties, social gatherings, and many other events. In fact, he even offers a discount-- call him and mention WEB, and you'll get $25 off your show. To find out more about Otsie Kerplotsie, visit the website listed below, or just give him a call. http://www.otsieclown.com/ 347-585-9767

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."

Deborah Kaufmann- Veni Vidi Vici (NY)

Deborah Kaufmann spent her childhood in dance and acting classes. She earned a degree in Visual Art from Bennington College. After brief careers as a production potter, a sign language interpreter, a props mistress, a typesetter and an aluminum can inspector, Deborah stumbled into her life as a clown. By seeking out master teachers such as Richard Pochinko, Tony Montanaro, Bob Berky, Avner Eisenberg and John Towsen, she has studied the art of clowning in its many facets. She was part of the production team of the First and Second NY Clown Theatre Festivals presented by If Every Fool, Inc. in 1982 and 1985. Since its inception in 1986, Deborah has performed with The Big Apple Circus Clown Care (sm). “Dr. Dibble” brings her own brand of buffoonery to hospitalized children and their caregivers. As the Creative and Educational Coordinator for Clown Care, she auditions and trains new performers, and oversees the ongoing artistic development of almost 100 unique “clown doctors.” She has taught hospital clowning in Brazil, France, The Netherlands, Finland and Australia. As the tuba player for The Baltic Street Blowhards, an eccentric band, she played NYC Parks, Symphony Space and Avery Fisher Hall. Deborah has performed her original works in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Brazil and Australia. Of her performance at the 2006 New Clown Theater Festival nytheatre.com said, “this performance gleams most brightly, with true mischief and solid will operating unfettered at maximum strength.” Deborah will be performing that same work, entitled Veni Vidi Vici, for three nights only at the Access Theatre in Manhattan. Take equal parts of dance, theater, and circus clown, add Native American mask work, flavor with a pinch of bouffon, a touch of true mischief, and a nod to "Harold and the Purple Crayon, " and you get this delightful look at greed and acquisition. "An exploration of human instincts at so basic a level that thought can be put aside and impulse thoroughly enjoyed . . . this performance gleams most brightly, with true mischief . . . unfettered at maximum strength." --nytheatre.com VENI VIDI VICI Written for adults, appropriate for children over 7 Dates: Sunday-Tuesday, August 17, 18, 19, 7:30pm Place: Access Theater - 380 Broadway, 4th floor, at White Street (two blocks below Canal) Subways: A, C, E, N, R, Q, W, 6, J, M, Z to Canal St; 1, 9 to Franklin Tickets: $10.00 theatermania.com, 212-352-3101, or 1-866-811-4111

Kathie Horejsi's Blog: Clown Mommy

I've featured Kathie previously on the blog here But that was before she had a blog! She's got a relatively new blog Clownmommy.com It's a personal account of her trying to do her work as a mom. So far I've read through most of it, and it definitely talks a lot about the struggles I have now (and I'm sure will have soon, as our baby is due to arrive in the next 4 weeks or so) I didn't know about her blog until my personal news alert for my unique last name let me know that somebody had posted it somewhere (Oh my God, The Clown Signal!) Kathie was talking about a conversation that we had about female clowning about 16 years ago. And sadly, her blog conks out in the middle of the story. I'd really like to find out what I said! And if you've got a clown blog out there where you are talking about your work as a clown, please let me know-- I don't promise to post it, but I'll give it a read at the very least!

NY Times Article on Kendall Cornell's Clowns Ex Machina

Kendall Cornell & Co scored a NY Times article about their work and upcoming show! THE WHEN, WHERE AND HOW: Thursday, July 31st at 7:30 pm Friday, August 1st at 7:30 pm Saturday, August 2nd at 7:30 pm updated venue! Manhattan Children’s Theatre, 52 White Street (between Broadway and Church) in Tribeca MAP Advance tickets: $15 at theatermania.com or 212-352-3101 (or weird.org) At the door: $18 general admission/$10 students and seniors (cash only) For more info about the festival and tickets: www.weird.org And here's the beginning of the article: Exploring the Bozo Mystique, and Defining Funny on Their Own Feminine Terms Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times Amanda Barron at rehearsal with Clowns Ex Machina. Members said their creativity had been stifled in mixed-gender troupes. By APRIL DEMBOSKY Published: July 29, 2008 Judi Lewis Ockler maneuvered into a black Victorian blouse, plucking the puffed velvet sleeves into place. She rummaged through her gym bag for a long green cloak and a pair of yellow socks with daisies. Then she pulled out a pink polka-dot baggie for the final touch: a red nose. She took her place among five other women gathered in a circle — one dressed in a pink tutu, others in various combinations of red-, black- and gray-striped tights, silver sequins and puffy bloomers — as they stretched and limbered up in a dance studio in Lower Manhattan. “All right, everybody put your noses on,” said the director, Kendall Cornell, clapping her hands. Ms. Cornell founded Clowns Ex Machina in 2005, when it was known as Kendall Cornell’s Soon-to-Be-World-Famous Women’s Clown Troupe. In her own 22-year performance career, Ms. Cornell said, she continued to hit the glass ceiling of clowning: She was always pushed to be the female sidekick, had few female role models and could not find a space to explore her particular brand of humor. “You had to be like a man to do this work, to open the door,” Ms. Cornell said. “I don’t find too many people interested in investigating what women have to offer that is different.” While some clown routines are scripted — wander on stage, slip on banana peel, fall down — most are developed through improvisation. Physical humor, involving one’s own or another’s body parts, is the hallmark of clowning. And that was the main roadblock Ms. Cornell kept facing, in one professional workshop after another. “It becomes sexual for the men,” Ms. Cornell said. “I remember coming to the center of the circle, I started to dance and some guy says, ‘Take it off!’ And I said, ‘How can I work like this?’ ” Ms. Cornell’s work depends on an all-female environment to transform the taboo into the funny, the sexual into the silly. “Oh, for a world where dropping your drawers meant comedy, not promiscuity!” she wrote on her Web site, www.notjustforshockvalue.com. The troupe draws a sophisticated audience, more the theatergoing type than the slapstick Barnum & Bailey fan. “It’s not the ‘be dump bump’ here’s the laugh,” Ms. Cornell said, referring to standard rimshot humor. When people come to the show, “they have to rediscover their relationship to what’s funny.” A lot of rediscovery happens around women’s bodies. The group has developed full vignettes that rely on breasts as punch lines. It turns out, for all the fanfare they get in car ads and movies, that breasts are pretty funny. READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Bindlestiffs Reality Show on the web

Add another show to your summer web watching schedule. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has a new reality show that is being broadcast on the web. Each week will feature a mini-sode that is a different aspect of working with the Bindlestiffs-- booking, rehearsing, performing, touring. The trailers look like they are taken from all over the last 10 years or so (or at least incorporate footage from that time period.) The whole thing is supposed to start on 8/1/08, but there's some pretty good footage/trailers up on the site now. Here are some screengrabs from the trailers. For more information or to watch the show, visit the websites listed below: WEBISODES: http://www.thebindlestiffs.com WEBSITE/INFO: http://www.bindlestiff.org

Clown Axioms & The Bitter End

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: July 31st, August 1st & 2nd All shows: 7:30pm Created and directed by Kendall Cornell Written and performed by Kevin Draine Nine women clowns spin tales of gothic romance and gory fairy tales with high comedy and unexpected twists. Clown Axioms is a brand new work-in-progress from Kendall Cornell and Clowns Ex Machina (formerly known as Kendall Cornell's Soon-To-Be-World Famous Women's Clown Troupe). more info: www.notjustforshockvalue.com The Bitter Poet unleashes all new guitardriven high energy poetic outbursts on his search for Love in all the wrong stripclubs and over-priced cafes! more info: www.thebitterpoet.com Location: Manhattan Children's Theater 52 White St. (btw. Church and Bdwy) Tickets: $15 advance via www.weird.org or theatermania.com or 212-352-3101 At the door: $18 general admission, $10 student & senior (cash only)

Kirk Marsh

Kirk Marsh is a clown and entertainer that has been described as an amalgamation of Charlie Chaplin, Jerry Lewis, and Dick Van Dyke rolled into one. His shows feature magic, juggling, eccentric dance,and oddball audience participation routines. His performances portray a man at odds with his life and his props. Kirk is a graduate of Ringling Brothers Clown College. Part klutz, part consummate entertainer, Kirk's shows and acts have delighted and amazed audiences around the world, from Las Vegas casinos to the world's largest cruise ships. Some of his employers have included Disney, Ringling, 3M, IBM, The RIO casino in Las Vegas, and Caribbean Cruise lines. He recently had a very successful performance at the International Circus Festival of Albacete, Spain. To find out more about Kirk, visit his website listed below: http://www.kirkmarsh.com

Dan Kamin's new book on Charlie Chaplin!

Dan Kamin, a clown, mime, and expert performer (who taught Robert Downey Jr how to be Charlie Chaplin for the movie Chaplin, and taught Johnny Dep how to be Buster Keaton for the movie Bennie and Joon) is an expert on Chaplin. His previous book on Chaplin is now out of print, very hard to find, and quite good. So I'm happy to announce that Dan has a forthcoming book on Chaplin. Here are the details! FORTHCOMING The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin Artistry in Motion Dan Kamin List Price: $65.00 Discounted Price: $55.25 (15% off) ISBN: 0-8108-6142-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-6142-8 Pub Date: Oct 28, 2008 320 pages Binding: Cloth Availability: Book Flyer DESCRIPTION From his early shorts in the 1910s thru his final film in 1967, Charlie Chaplin delighted audiences in the millions. Chaplin's genius embraced many arts-mime, dance, acting, music, writing, and directing. In The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion, Dan Kamin examines Chaplin's fusion of these arts in his films, providing new understanding of how movement communicates, how comedy routines are structured, and how stage skills can be translated to the screen. An acclaimed comic performing artist himself, Kamin brings a unique insider's perspective to the subject. In the book's first section, he recounts Chaplin's theatrical background, examines how and why he moves the way he does on the screen, and considers how Chaplin adapted his stage technique to the film medium. The book also explains how Chaplin's physical virtuosity led him to create the timeless visual comedy that brought silent films to their peak. Analyzing the principles behind his gags, Kamin also discusses the evolution of Chaplin's character and his unparalleled achievement in conjuring comedy from the fundamental physical laws of movement. Chaplin's dilemma as a silent comedian in the sound era is also explored. Never repeating himself, each of his sound films represents a different experiment in which he integrated antithetical elements-sound and movement, and verbal and visual comedy. Considering these films individually reveals the sometimes surprising ways that Chaplin remained true to his silent roots, at the same time that he kept reinventing himself to keep his art viable. Delving into the intricacies of Chaplin's incredibly sophisticated visual comedy, Kamin offers new insights into how Chaplin achieved his legendary rapport with audiences, and demonstrates why comedy created nearly a century ago is still fresh today. Lavishly illustrated with fascinating historical artifacts and many never-before-published images of the comedian, The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin provides the only in-depth analysis of Chaplin as a movement artist and physical comedian. Revealing the inner workings of Chaplin's mesmerizing art, this book will appeal not just to Chaplin fans, but to anyone who loves comedy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Kamin performs comedy shows worldwide and is a frequent guest artist with symphony orchestras. He created the physical comedy sequences for the films Chaplin and Benny and Joon, and trained Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Depp for their acclaimed performances. Pre-order the book. Find out more about Dan Kamin at his website listed below: http://www.dankamin.com

Kendall Cornell & Co-- April 11-13

a semi-sophisticated clown cabaret with Kendall Cornell and her Soon-To-Be-World-Famous Women's Clown Troupe APRIL 11-13th 2008 (three nights only!!!) An old-fashioned music hall is overrun by clowns who, along with their slightly more serious guest artists, present music and song of all genres, madcap dance numbers and devilish surprises. Special guest artists include: The hip songstress Fiona Landers The tap dancing élan of Rod Ferrone The flamenco vocals of Alfonso Cid The rock and roll musings of The Bitter Poet

WHERE: The Club at La MaMa E.T.C. 74 A EAST 4th Street - between 2nd Avenue and The Bowery (F/V to 2nd Avenue, 6 to Astor Place, N/R to 8th St.) MAP WHEN: Friday, April 11th at 10 pm Saturday, April 12th at 10pm Sunday, April 13th at 5:30pm Running Time: Approximately 65 min ~ no intermission TICKETS: $15 (Student and senior tickets are $10 with valid ID) Online: www.lamama.org Phone: (212) 475-7710 In person: LaMaMa box office (Mon - Fri 10am – 10pm, Sat - Sun Noon - 10pm) MORE INFO: www.lamama.org and www.notjustforshockvalue.com MORE INFO ON GUEST PERFORMERS: Alfonso Cid: www.gazpachoandalu.com Rod Ferrone, The Tap Cat in the Hat: www.rodferrone.com Kevin Draine, The Bitter Poet: www.thebitterpoet.com Fiona Landers: www.fionalanders.com and www.myspace.com/fionalanders