Finding Your Funny Bone! by Nancy Gold

In 1991, I traveled to Philadelphia to the International Clown Congress.  There I met a number of other clowns, many of whom I continue to be friendly with to this day (I also met a guy who was from Rhode Island, and we had a number of friends in common, but strangely had never met-- and we've worked on a number of projects together, including 3 original circuses and a large-scale festival.  But that's a different story!) While I was there, I took workshops with Bolek Polivka and Fred Curchack.  I also met Ctibor Turba, who intrigued me enough that in 1992, I went to Czechoslovakia to study with him. One of the people I met there was Nancy Gold, a clown teacher and performer from San Francisco.  She was taking Turba's week long workshop, (which was opposite my Polivka/Curchak classes)  and I asked for (and received) her meticulous notes about the class.  I think I gave her my much less meticulous notes about Polivka and Curchak back too. I got a much better bargain out of the deal. Lo and behold, she's got a recent book out, Finding Your Funny Bone!, about learning physical comedy for actors.  Nancy has been teaching at A.C.T. and Berkeley Rep for a number of years, and has compacted all of her teaching into this book.  I haven't delved into the book yet, (she's promised me a review copy though, and when I get it, I will review it right here.)  The little that I've seen of the book from her website, it looks like it's going to be very good.  Nancy writes and teaches with a lot of enthusiasm, and the excerpts from the book show it clearly. If you've read the book, feel free to write a comment and tell us what you think about it. WEBSITE:  http://www.findingyourfunnybone.com BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON.COM:  Finding Your Funny Bone!

Flaming Idiots at New Victory now through January 3- Discounts!

I saw this show today, in the midst of my wacky craziness. (One of my very good friends is their stage manager.) The show is delightful- funny, quickwitted, and well-done.  The Idiots are legendary on the RenFaire circuit, and this show shows them off quite well.  Still going after 20 years-- their show is even more finely honed. Some jugglers are about juggling, but these jugglers are about comedy.  In fact, if you are a juggling aficianado, you might be disappointed.  Not that there isn't some great juggling in the show, because there is.  But the juggling is stuff you've seen before (admittedly, very well done) It's the comedy that makes this show great (and at $12, a steal) This is the first time I've seen pedological leger-de-main, and it's simply beautifully done and handled. And hilarious.  (You want mayonaise with that?) And they get a nine year old girl to kick the droppers of a complicated passing routine in the shins.  Very funny. Go see it, you won't be sorry. To get your discount: For a limited time only, Playbill® Members can save 20% with code PBIdiots1700. THREE EASY WAYS TO SAVE 1) Click here to visit NewVictory.org 2) Call 646-223-3010 and mention code PBIdiots1700. 3) Show this offer to the New Victory box office. 209 W 42nd Street, just west of Broadway Box office hours: Sun & Mon: 11am - 5pm | Tue - Sat: 12pm - 7pm

If a Clown: poem by Stephen Dunn

One of my favorite poets, Stephen Dunn, has a poem in the New Yorker titled "If A Clown" It gets into a lot of issues about fear of clowns, the magic of clowns, and a certain amount of the silly/hokey/crazy stuff you might do while dressed in white paint. Quite simply, this clown could have been me (although I rarely do birthday parties...) In the comments feel free to write a poem in response-- if we get a good one, we'll send it into the New Yorker. If a Clown by Stephen Dunn August 24, 2009 newyorker.com If a clown came out of the woods, a standard-looking clown with oversized polka-dot clothes, floppy shoes, a red, bulbous nose, and you saw him on the edge of your property, there'd be nothing funny about that, would there? A bear might be preferable, especially if black and berry-driven. And if this clown began waving his hands with those big white gloves that clowns wear, and you realized he wanted your attention, had something apparently urgent to tell you, would you pivot and run from him, or stay put, as my friend did, who seemed to understand here was a clown who didn't know where he was, a clown without a context? What could be sadder, my friend thought, than a clown in need of a context? If then the clown said to you that he was on his way to a kid's birthday party, his car had broken down, and he needed a ride, would you give him one? Or would the connection between the comic and the appalling, as it pertained to clowns, be suddenly so clear that you'd be paralyzed by it? And if you were the clown, and my friend hesitated, as he did, would you make a sad face, and with an enormous finger wipe away an imaginary tear? How far would you trust your art? I can tell you it worked. Most of the guests had gone when my friend and the clown drove up, and the family was angry. But the clown twisted a balloon into the shape of a bird and gave it to the kid, who smiled, let it rise to the ceiling. If you were the kid, the birthday boy, what from then on would be your relationship with disappointment? With joy? Whom would you blame or extoll? If a Clown: newyorker.com

Hotel Bananas - This week at the Flea Theatre (NY)

Hotel Bananas The NY Goofs July 23 – 25 Clowns check in but they don’t check out at the Flea Theater, 41 White Street (between Broadway & Church Streets) An evening of raucous laughter with the New York Goofs America’s Got Clowns, Season Two, proves exactly what the title says, that America has some rocking physical comedians. New York Goof co-founders Dick Monday & Tiffany Riley bring together their Clown School faculty and professional clowns to create a hilarious show. Expect to see eccentric dance, musical entrees, bad magic, feats of tossing and manipulation (juggling), Godly and unGodly characters, and a lot of very physical comedy. The New York Goofs have presented three original clown theater productions at The Flea over the last ten years. The performances are July 23 – 25 at 7pm. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Flea website here More information about the goofs at http://nygoofs.com/

NY Saw Festival, July 18 Queens

Natalia Paruz, also known as "The Saw Lady" has spent the last 10 years bringing the art of the musical saw to audiences high and low. She is a NYC subway musician that has performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, at Carnegie Hall, at Madison Square Garden, and at numerous other events, including the Spoleto Festival, Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, and on film, radio, and television. Natalia has received citations of honor from the New York City Council, the New York State Senate and a medal of honor from Paris, France. She's been featured in the "Best of" of numerous magazines, and people love to write about her work. I think it's no stretch of the imagination to say that she is one of the pre-eminent Musical Saw Players in the world. She is putting together the world's largest convocation of Musical Saw Performers on Saturday July 18 in an attempt to break a Guinness world record for largest Musical Saw Ensemble. If you want to find out more, visit http://www.musicalsawfestival.org. If you'd like to find out more about Natalia, (including listening to some samples of her music, you can visit her website and/or blog, listed below. WEBSITE: http://sawlady.com BLOG: http://sawlady.com/blog/ Natalia has created a special webpage on her site about Musical Saw playing clowns which it would behoove you to check out: http://www.sawlady.com/Clowns.htm

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

Golden Nose Award Winners

I attended the Third Annual New York Downtown Clown Golden Nose Awards last night. This now annual event was a lot of fun-- not because of the awards (although it's great to see deserving people get awards) but because of the community that has been created/nurtured by founders of New York Downtown Clown Christopher Lueck and Amanda Pekoe. It's great to see all of these really funny talented people all in a room together. It's even bettter to have a drink with them before (and after the show) This year's award ceremonies were a little different-- there were only two People's choice awards (that got voted on) and three number of honorary awards. The nose awards were designed by ProKnows HONORARY AWARDS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN CLOWNING Hovey Burgess got a lifetime achievement award. Hovey, who is truly one of the instrumental early instructors of circus and clown, has been a constant presence in the NY Downtown Clown Scene. As one of the presenters noted-- not only does he go everywhere, sees every show, but everybody likes him. He's a tireless advocate for circus and clowning, and a great circus historian and archivist to boot. Wearing a formal suit and a very large tie (not shown here) He told a very funny story about John Ringling North, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, and Lady Godiva which ended up crediting LaGuardia for the development of pasties and a G string (he was the mayor that raided Minsky's Burlesque) He also read the famous "But Dr. I am Pagliacci" joke from Watchmen in his best Rorschach voice. (It's the old famous joke--a man goes to the doctor, who checks him out and says "There's nothing wrong with you. There's a famous clown Pagliacci in town-- go see the show, and he'll make you feel better." To which the man replies in tears "But Doctor-- I am Pagliacci!") CLOWN ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: Clowns Without Borders USA received a Clown Organization of the Year award for their work bringing laughter and clowns to strife ridden places. I've featured them on this site a number of times. Deven Sissler, who had just come back from Haiti, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. For more information on the great work they do, visit http://www.clownswithoutborders.org CLOWNS OF THE YEAR: Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley of the NY Goofs Received the Clowns of the Year award for their dedication and enthusiasm for clown arts. They've been teaching clowning in NY for over 10 years, and though they are now based in Dallas, they are also truly integral members of the NY Downtown Clown Scene. For more information about their work, visit http://www.nygoofs.com AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS Audience Choice Best Clown Act WINNER-- Musique, by Joel Jeske, Mike Richter, and Christopher Lueck OTHER NOMINEES: Eccentric Dance and Hat Act, by Spencer Novich Kill Me Loudly: A Clown Noir, by FOOLS ON FIRE (Butt Kapinski, Chris Manley, ChrisRoberti and Jeff Seal, Dir. Eric Davis) The Pajama Men, by Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez Audience Choice Best Clown Character: WINNER: Spencer Novich OTHER NOMINEES: Emily Carragher Nina Levine Tweedy

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

Online Circus Art Museum from the Netherlands

Pat Cashin (the curator and mastermind behind http://www.clownalley.net) asked me about a source for European circus posters. Before I had clownlink, I had found this and emailed people about it, but apparently never thought to put it up online. This is an amazing resource of thousands of images from European circuses. And a lot of them are available for sale. Looks like prices range from 7 Euros to 105 Euros, and the purchasing engine is in Dutch only. But it looks pretty straightforward. http://www.circusmuseum.nl/eng/ Enjoy!

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.

Nicole Feld in the NYT

Nicole Feld, daughter to Kenneth Feld, and heir apparent as Big Boss of the Ringling shows, has an article in the NY Times today, under the column: THE BOSS. When I was at Clown College, Nicole came to the final graduation-- she was probably around 9 or so, and it was a big deal, because she was grading you along with everybody else, and the word was that if she didn't think you were funny, that was it-- you were out! I didn't get selected to go on the show (which was fine with me-- I didn't actually go there to work for Ringling-- I wanted to learn new theatrical skills-- it was only afterwards that I realized that I really loved being a clown.) It's probably ACTUALLY true now, if Nicole doesn't think you are funny, you are OUT. Anyway, here's the beginning of the article: The Boss The Call of the Circus By NICOLE FELD; as told to AMY ZIPKIN Published: August 3, 2008 MY grandfather Irvin Feld was a promoter. He bought Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1967. My father, Kenneth, joined the company, now Feld Entertainment, in 1970 and is C.E.O. Skip to next paragraph Heinz Kluetmeier NICOLE FELD Executive vice president of Feld Entertainment AGE 30 HOMETOWN Washington, D.C. FAVORITE QUOTATION “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” — Thomas Edison When I was younger, my sisters and I would play with the clowns when school was out for the holiday, and they would have a project for us. We would make clothes for our stuffed animals and petticoats for our dolls. When I was 8 or 9, the clowns made clown costumes, complete with big shoes, for my two younger sisters and me. We wanted to wear them and perform in the show. Our father agreed to let us be in the show when the tour came through the Baltimore-Washington area. He told us that if we wanted to be in the show, we would have to perform on the work schedule of the other performers. Saturdays are always three-show days. The clowns put clown makeup on us, and we were in all three performances. We got paid $3 a show. We were exhausted by the end of the day and fell asleep during the car ride home. Being a clown is a lot harder than it looks. A year or two earlier, in a talent search, my father came across what looked like a one-horned goat. I don’t know where he found it. He created a show called “The Living Unicorn.” The “unicorn” became a torment to me during the entire two-year run of the show. I would come home from school crying, saying: “The kids called me a liar. There is no such thing.” 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

Golden Nose winners!

THE 2008 New York Downtown Clown GOLDEN NOSE AWARD WINNERS ARE: Audience Choice Best Clown Film: Retard Midget Get Out of My Life, by Happy Hour Audience Choice Best Clown Act: At The Opera, by Those In The Nose Audience Choice Best Clown: Chris Allison Clown of The Year: Keith Nelson Clown Achievement of The Year: The Brick Theater, producers of the New York Clown Theatre Festival.

NY Downtown Golden Nose Nominees

The 2008 NYDC Golden Nose Award Nominees New York Downtown Clown would like to thank all the performers of our second year. Without each of their talents, innovations, and hard work, there would be no show on the third Monday of every month. The amazing clowns of New York City are brave, poetic, unique, and funny. New York Clowns are a strong community and the following Nominees represent some of the leaders of clown education, performance, and production from this past year. AWARD CATAGORY EXPLANATIONS The Audience Choice Awards go to the clown or clown group who received the most audience votes over the past year at The New York Downtown Clown Revue performances in a specific category. The four Nominees are the top four most voted for in each category. The clown or clown group with the most votes in a category is the winner of that category and will be announced at the Golden Nose Awards Ceremony on May 19th. Clown Achievement of The Year goes to the company or group that has accomplished an outstanding clown achievement. This award goes to large scale achievements that serve the clown community as a whole or to achievements of clown work for commercial/mass appeal. Nomination and Award are at the discretion of New York Downtown Clown producers. To be eligible for the Clown of The Year category, the clown must have appeared on stage or in a film of the current year's Clown Revue. This award is for individual clowns who work professionally and artistically and have also made contributions to the larger clown community through education, mentorship, directing, producing, and/or other forms. Nomination and Award are at the discretion of New York Downtown Clown producers. - GOLDEN NOSES Created and Provided by ProKNOWS, www.proknows.com THE 2008 NYDC GOLDEN NOSE AWARD NOMINEES (nominees appear in alphabetical order) Audience Choice Best Clown Film: Gravitational Fool, by Jeff Seal Retard Midget Get Out of My Life, by Happy Hour Audience Choice Best Clown Act: A Clown Noir, by Butt Kapinski At The Opera, by Those In The Nose Coney Island Chris, by Chris Allison Tea for One, by Nina Levine Audience Choice Best Clown/Clown Group: Chris Allison Jef Johnson Nina Levine Those In The Nose Clown of The Year: Moshe Cohen performed in the September Clown Revue and is nominated as 2008 Clown of The Year for his work as Mr. Yoowho, his teachings of Zen and Clown, and his involvement with Clowns Without Borders USA. Mark Gindick, whose Happy Hour films were featured in the October Clown Revue is nominated for 2008 Clown of The Year for his work on Big Apple Circus where he shared the role of Grandma, his teaching work at SUNY Purchase, and his coaching with Assortment of Fools. Jef Johnson performed in the August Clown Revue and is nominated for 2008 Clown of The Year for his work on the international touring production of Slava's Snowshow, and his development of clown and clown training through Jef Johnson's Clown Lab. Keith Nelson performed in the February Clown Revue and is nominated for 2008 Clown of The Year for his work as Kinko the Clown, the performance initiatives he has co-created through his company Bindlestiff Family Circus, and his teaching work at New York Circus Arts Academy, Wagner College, and several youth programs. Clown Achievement of The Year: The Brick Theater, producers of the New York Clown Theatre Festival will receive this year's Clown Achievement of The Year Award. Congratulations to all the nominees. More information at www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/awards TICKETS NOW ON SALE Get Your tickets now to the only Clown Awards Show in the Country! THE NEW YORK DOWNTOWN CLOWN GOLDEN NOSE AWARDS Monday, May 19th, 2008 Red Carpet 7:30pm, Show 8pm All tickets $20 For tickets call or visit Smarttix at www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444 At The Kraine Theater, 85 EAST 4TH STREET (BETWEEN 2nd & Bowery, 1st FL) NO WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

Nomadic Theatre: Shows & Workshops in Portland, OR

The Nomadic Theatre Co, based in Portland, Oregon, has been creating and performing original physical theatre shows since 2002. To develop a new show, Nomadic performers and directors take ideas which interest and excite them and delve into them in the studio. For example, they created How to Fly by physically exploring numerous aspects and avenues of the topic of flight. The three core company members – Michael O’Neill, Sarah Liane Foster and Heather Pearl – have performed and taught in communities across the United States as well as internationally. They are graduates of the Dell’Arte International School of Blue Lake, CA. Over the next two weeks, they will be performing and teaching in Portland, OR. WORKSHOPS THEATRICAL CLOWN Tuesday April 15th and 22nd, 7-10pm Find what is funny about you - how to create an eccentric, humorous character by using and exaggerating your own attributes. Through individual physical analysis and group improvisational exercises, we will explore the process of finding profound funniness and learn how to create original material through honest, dynamic play. $25 for one class or $45 for both PHYSICAL COMEDY WORKSHOP Saturday, April 19th, 10am-2pm This workshop will focus on character and individual analysis through physicality and movement, with a combination of group exercises and individual exploration. Comedy is many things -- you will find that it is more then just being silly. $75/$50 students All classes will be held at Theatre! Theater! (3430 SE Belmont, Portland). For more information or to register, call 971.219.5781, or visit brownpapertickets.org. And RUNNING INTO WALLS, their new, hilarious clown show is running for 2 more weekends at Theatre! Theater! Fri & Sat @ 8pm, Sat & Sun @ 3pm. Info/tickets at brownpapertickets.com & www.nomadictheatre.org. To find out more about the company, visit their website listed below: http://www.nomadictheatre.org

Clowns Talk about Clowning- YouTube Videos

Jim Moore, the variety arts photographer who has probably photographed more clowns than anybody in the history of photography, has been doing something new-- he's been videotaping clowns. If you check out his YouTube videos (URL below), he's putting up interviews with performers as they talk about their work, how they create their work, and even why they create their work. Jim's got tons of archival stuff, so who knows what else he's got in his archives. Recently he posted an interview with Keith Nelson of the Bindlestiff's, and he's also got David Engel and Hilary Chaplain talking about creating a new act for David's character El Magnifico. HILARY CHAPLAIN & DAVID ENGEL VIDEO I suggest subscribing to his YouTube feed on the page, or checking in there pretty often to see what rare and interesting material he surfaces. He'll also be interviewing somebody from the NY Downtown Clown Revue every month, where he remains the official staff photographer) (And speaking of subscribing, thanks to the ever more efficient Pat Cashin of Clownalley.net for the link to Keith's interview. I knew Jim was putting these videos together, but didn't think to mention them until I saw Pat's post. He beats me to the punch a lot in posting stuff.) If you are not RSS'ing Clownalley.net, you should be! Jim's Youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=jm5star&p=r Pat Cashin's Clown Alley: www.clownalley.net

Bellobration at the United Center

I was in Chicago for the weekend for a family function, and thought I'd check out the Bello-bration. It's the Red Show-- and I hadn't seen it when it was on the East Coast, so I was glad I got the opportunity. I saw it today (last day of the stand in Chicago-- we went to the 1 pm performance. The pre-show "All-Access Pre-Show" was hosted by clown Leo Acton. Leo is a graduate of Clown College from 1996. I was mostly astonished, because this is the first time that I've seen a Ringling Clown with his own facial hair. Granted the show had a 1970's feel, but I was pretty amazed. This would not have been allowed when I was at Clown College. Looking around, a lot of the clowns had their own hair--less wigs than I remember. I wondered if maybe it's because a lot of the clowns are no longer Clown College grads. (But it turns out Leo Acton is-- I guess there's been a change of policy) A couple of the costumes wouldn't have passed muster back in the day. In general the pre-show was pretty good-- the clowns did a variation on Dead and Alive with a lot of knockabout, there was a painting elephant, some hula-hooping, a great trampolining bit by a Russian clown named Alex, and a lot of clowns doing Meet and Greet. The Meet and Greet was a little lame-- standing in back of someone and making fun of them behind their back. I know that 13 shows a week gets a little hard to be original, but I thought it could have gone better. (I did get made fun of, but didn't introduce myself-- I played with the guy, and once he saw I was alive, he seemed to lose interest.) The pre-show clown bit (with a nice little clown car used by Leo Acton again) was a Campfire Marshmallows advertisement basically-- and not very funny. Something else that didn't quite fly from a clown perspective was the group piece "Dancing with the Clowns." It started off okay, but didn't go anywhere relatively slowly. The ending blowoff (an acrobatic dancer who is much better than the bad dancers) wasn't particularly strong. Good bendover routine with one clown playing a couple as a bendover. Once the show started, Bello is really the star. He falls in love with the aerialist, and spends the show going from act to act trying to get her to notice him. It's a good idea, and it's done well. The highlight was when Bello and the aerialist are up on twin sway poles, and he gets a kiss from her-- the whole spec turns into a Bello-bration, along with everybody including elephants, dogs, and the circus band, sporting Bello's blonde hair. It was Being John Malkovich for Bello, and very funny. The second act was less strong, and the pretense of his love for the aerialist went away. Bello did a great act with the Wheel of Danger (it split into two side-by-side at one point-- I had never seen that!) And the show ended with the Human Cannonball-- very impressive, but oh so fleeting. There were a bunch of good video gags in the beginning of the show-- Bello stuck in the humoungous television monitor and trying to get out. It was so clearly not live, and done a little too fast-- as if they were saying-- I know you are used to speeded up cartoons-- here you go! I enjoyed them, nevertheless Overall it was a lot of entertainment, although once we added the "Convenience Charge" It was $30 a ticket.) It was a great night out though. Find out more about the Ringling Red Show and the clowns mentioned by visiting their websites listed below. RINGLING RED SHOW: http://ringling.com/ BELLO NOCK: http://www.bellonock.com LEO ACTON: Leo Acton's Myspace Page

Jane Nichols

Jane Nichols is a teacher, director, and actor who has been teaching Clown for over 15 years. Her work brings together skills and techniques of Improvisation, Mask, Le Jeu, Physical Comedy, Clown, and Fool. She has studied with world-renowned Clown Master Philippe Gaulier, Avner Eisenberg (Avner the Eccentric), Clive Mendes (Theatre Complicite), Ronlin Foreman (DellArte School of Physical Theatre), Michael Kennard (co-founder of Canada’s acclaimed Mump & Smoot, and Master teacher of the Richard Pochinko native American mask/clown technique), Bolek Polivka, Antonio Fava, Davis Robinson, Keith Johnstone, and Merry Conway. She has taught at Harvard University, Institute at American Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Stella Adler Conservatory, University of Washington, University of Utah, Emerson College, Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Lesley College Graduate School. She is the founder and artistic director of the Crosswalk Theater in Boston. Her acting credits include roles at En Garde Arts, New Georges and SoHo Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Portland Stage Company, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare & Co., the Lyric Stage, Nora Theater, and Berkshire Public. Jane has performed for film and television in School Ties, Heights, Law & Order: SVU, Ed, America's Most Wanted, and Rachel's Dinner. For seven years she taught at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at American Repertory Theatre, and at Harvard University where she directed Les Liaisons Dangereux, Feed the Monkey, Noises Off, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jane is currently on the faculties of the Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, Actor’s Center in NYC, and Shakespeare & Co in Lenox, MA. Jane is also one of the official bloggers of the NY Clown Theater Festival. To read her thoughts about the festival, visit http://www.nyclowntheaterfestivaljane.blogspot.com

10/15: Original Clown Films in NY

October 15th at the Revue- SHORT CLOWN FILMS! This month the NY Downtown Clown Revue shows original short clown films. And they've got free popcorn! The show starts at 8:00 pm at the Kraine Theater (85 E 4th St). Be sure to use discount code NOSE when buying tickets at Smarttix.com to save $5! Films by the following local clown artists: Happy Hour Jeff Seal Derek Scott Kendall Cornell To find out more, visit the ny downtown clown revue site at the website listed below: http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Since 1995 the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has traveled the world, bringing its unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus, burlesque, and sideshow to theaters, clubs, colleges, and festivals. The company has produced innumerable cabaret shows, custom performances for special audiences, all-ages and family productions, and sophisticated adult shows. Over the last five years the company has begun developing more theatrical productions, including 2001's Buckaroo Bindlestiff's Wild West Gender Bender Jamboree, 2003's High Heels & Red Noses, and 2005's From the Gutter to the Glitter: A Night Out with the Bindlestiffs. In 2004 Bindlestiff instituted its annual children's performance program, the Cavalcade of Youth, in which young performers and technical staff (ages 8-20) have the opportunity to hone their skills with variety arts professionals. The Bindlestiff Family co-founders are Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson, who over the last decade have hosted a variety of outrageous talent under the Bindlestiff banner. Individually both Keith and Stephanie provide a vast array of talents, from public relations to booking to performing. Their personal dedication to the variety arts, circus, vaudeville, sideshow, and burlesque has made the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus famous both among audiences and within the variety performance community. From 2002 to 2004 the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus operated the "last vaudeville house in Times Square." In conjunction with chashama, Bindlestiff opened Bindlestiff's Palace of Variety and the Free Museum of Times Square. The Palace presented up to five performances a day, presenting continuous vaudeville shows on 42nd Street and hosting nearly thirty other productions. [NOTE: During this time, I performed with the Bindlestiff's performing my flea circus on weekends, and working as the Outside Talker during night shows] The size of the Cirkus can range from two to sixteen performers, depending on the show. Over 200 performers from a multitude of disciplines have entertained Bindlestiff audiences across the country and around the world. Bindlestiff has brought its grand spectacle to hundreds of thousands from a live stage, and over a million through television. Dedicated fans come back again and again expecting the very best and most original acts working today. In 2006 the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and Magic Hat Summer Variety Show made its debut tour. Co-sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company, this production sought to bring circus to festivals and music stages up and down the East Coast. For the next two weeks, the Bindlestiffs will finish their 2007 Magic Hat Tour. The show currently features some of the Bindlestiff's best and brightest, including juggler and clown Adam Kuchler, funambulist Ariele Ebacher, cowboy extraordinaire A.J. Silver, organist Frederik Iversen, and of course Philomena Bindlestiff and Mr. Pennygaff (the founders of the show) To find out more about the Bindlestiffs, visit their website listed below, or call their Hotline. WEBSITE: http://www.bindlestiff.org HOTLINE: 1-877-BINDLES TOUR SCHEDULE: September 5 Tink's 519 Linden St Scranton, PA 18503 (570) 346-8465 http://www.clubtinks.com/index.php Showtime 9 September 6 The Chameleon 223 N. Water St. Lancaster, PA 17603 http://www.chameleonclub.net/ HOTLINE: 717.393.7133 Showtime: 9 Friday Sept 7th Zipper Factory 336 W. 37th Street NYC 10018 212-563-0480 http://www.thezipperfactory.com showtime 9pm September 8 - 9 Boston Tattoo Convention Boston Center for The Arts 539 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02116 http://www.bcaonline.org Doors at noon Saturday & Sunday Shows throughout the day September 10 The Lucky Dog Music Hall 89 Green St Worcester, MA 01604 508-363-1888 Start Time: 8:00 PM Sept 12 The Red Square 388 Broadway Albany, NY 12210 (518) 465-0444 www.redsquarealbany.com show 9pm September 13 Hops in the Square 100 East Genesee St Downtown Syracuse event begins at 5pm show 6pm-7pm September 14 The Rex Theater 1602 East Carson St Pittsburgh, PA venue phone 412-381-6811 http://www.elkoconcerts.com/rextheater.htm Show 8pm September 15 World Cafe Live 3025 Walnut Street Philadelphia PA http://www.worldcafelive.com/ tix and info 215 222-1400 Show 8:00 pm

Robert Nelson, "The Butterfly Man"

Robert Nelson (aka The Butterfly Man) is the street performer's street performer. He's fast, funny, charming, a little rude, and very skilled at keeping an audience entertained. He's a fine juggler and unicyclist, but its his personality and persona more than his tricks that have made him nearly legendary in street performer circles. A former research chemist at Vanderbilt University, Robert Nelson quit the world of science to pursue a dream of making people laugh. Mr. Nelson first metamorphosed into his Butterfly Man character in 1978 while performing at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Soon after, he indelibly affirmed his commitment to performing by getting his butterfly tattoos. Since then he has been working around the world, performing on streets and stages and winning over audiences and performers. He has won numerous awards at festivals, and has been voted best performer at San Francicsco's Pier 39 multiple times. His show consists of a number of typical juggling skills: unicycling, cigarbox and hat manipulations, fire-eating, ax-juggling, etc. But its his play and rapport with the audience, and his honest philosophical bent that makes him a one of a kind performer. He's also genuinely a nice guy, and is usually willing (sometimes too willing) to give a helping hand to new performers. To find out more about Robert's work, please visit his website listed below: (it's a flash website, so you must have flash to use it) http://www.butterflyman.com

Nicholas Flair

Highly skilled acrobatic juggler and performer Nicholas Flair (Nick Goldsmith) is a graduate of Brown University with a math degree, and of Montreal's celebrated École Nationale de Cirque. In 2006 he won first place in the 2006 Cigar Box Juggling Championship. He has starred Off-Broadway and around the world with group "Lazer Vaudeville," performed with The Metropolitan Opera and Holland America Cruises, worked for corporate clients such as The US Open, AT&T and Bloomberg, and has been covered by MTV, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Nick is now producing a 60-minute solo show called "The Other Side." On stage, on screen, and strolling, Nicholas Flair has charmed audiences from Rome to Rhode Island with inventive, fresh entertainment. To find out more about Nick's work, visit his website listed below. http://www.nicholasflair.com

Dick Monday & Tiffany Riley

Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley are a clown team currently working in the Dallas Forth Worth area. To find out more about their shows there, visit their website: http://www.slappysplayhouse.com/ Dick Monday was the Director of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College for the last three years of its existence. He created and directed the clowning for the Greatest Show on Earth during this period. Dick and his partner Tiffany Riley founded the New York Goofs in 1998, a theatrical clown troupe committed to producing clown theatre for and adult and family audiences. The NY Goofs have produced four off-off Broadway shows and been featured in every major festival in the NY/DC area. In 2004, Dick created "Slappy's Playhouse", a family theatre in Dallas, TX presenting European-style marionette shows, Variety Shows, and Magic shows. Dick currently writes and produces all the shows for that theatre, as well as shows for circuses, festivals and corporate events. He continues to clown with partner Tiffany in circuses and theaters world-wide including The Big Apple Circus and Circo Atayde in Mexico. Dick was recently one of the subjects of the acclaimed book, "Guiding Lights", about great mentors and teachers. He also started the Ultimate Clown School, which was recently named Best Clown School by the Village Voice, and is now in its eighth year. Dick's film and television credits include Into the Night with Rick Dees, Brain Donors, My Life, Love and Greed, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. Tiffany Riley is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, has been performing professionally since the age of six. In 1993, she appeared with the LA Circus and has been clowning ever since. Tiffany was a faculty member and choreographer for the Ringling Bros. Clown College, and since 1996, she has been curator and choreographer for The International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap starring Bob McGrath (Sesame Street). She also choreographed the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus show "High Heels & Red Noses". Along with Monday, she is co-founder of the New York Goofs and the Ultimate Clown School. Tiffany was featured in The Big Apple Circus' Big Top Doo Wop, becoming the first woman to clown with America's premiere one-ring circus in 25 years. She and Monday have appeared with Circo Atayde in Mexico, Circus Sarasota, and Extravaganza Le Cirque in Dallas. She is Director of the Ultimate Clown School, member of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit, and has recently launched a therapeutic clown program with Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

NY Downtown Clown Revue, April 16

The NY Downtown Clown Revue performs on the Third Monday of the month at Under St. Marks, 94 Saint Marks Place (between 1st Ave & Ave A). Shows are at 8 pm. Tickets are $15, available by calling 212-868-4444 (SmartTix) Tickets are almost always sold out, so get your tickets early. The show features some of NY's best clown performers trying out new material. Much of the time, the material is not suitable for children. The show is hosted by NY Clown Christopher Lueck. This month's revue features Dzieci. Also performing are Mark Gindick, Ariane Anthony, and Dottie Lux. Find out more about the show at http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com