News: Clowns Face Ban on Playing Trumpets

In England, Clowns have been silenced by a council which has banned them from playing their trumpets at Zippo's Circus. The circus said it was told by council officials that the show could not go on unless the clowns dropped the musical part of their act. The circus, which is currently performing in Birmingham, fell foul of the Licensing Act 2003 which forbids the playing of live music without a licence. A spokesman for the circus said that Birmingham City Council officials warned the show was breaking the law and would be shut down unless it complied. But proprietor Martin Burton said that applying for a licence was time consuming and expensive, and called for circuses to be exempt. Mr Burton said: "I'm a big fan of silent comedy but this is nonsense. "Live music is an essential part of traditional clowning, and for us to be told that they can't play instruments, even in the three minutes of the show which features trumpets, is laughable." Peter Luff, Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire, said: "When the law silences the clowns, one wonders who the clowns really are. "It would be very funny if it wasn't so serious for circuses. "For a long time now, the Government has admitted the legislation is having a disproportionate effect on circuses. It's time for them to act and sort out this mess."

Seattle Clown Classes with Arne Zaslove

Arne Zaslove is teaching a class on clowning and physical theater in Seattle on 7 consecutive Mondays starting July 7. Classes will be held from 7 pm- 8:30 pm. Classes will be held at [SANCA] The School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts – 674 S. Orcas, Seattle. The class is a very reasonable $133. Arne Zaslove is a director, teacher, mask specialist and physical theater consultant. As a Fulbright scholar, Arne was the first American to study at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. There he absorbed a deep understanding of masks and of physical theater. He later apprenticed with commedia dell' arte master Carlo Mazzone-Clementi (who went on to found the Dell' Arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake). Arne's method of training actors was synthesized through years as Artistic Director of the National Theatre School in Canada, co-founder of the University of Washington PATP program, and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia. His approach focuses on freeing the individual's body and imagination through a carefully devised sequence of physical exercises, mask work and improvisation. His students have gone on to varied and successful careers, from the circus to Stratford and Hollywood. Arne has directed and taught in many regional theaters and universities across the U.S. and Canada. During his 20-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle, his updated Shakespeare productions and 17 versions of The Big Broadcast (a tribute to the golden age of radio) were especially popular with audiences for their sensitive interpretations and inventive flair. Arne has also worked extensively with David Shiner, and directed the cabaret/theatre/dinner show Pomp, Duck, and Circumstance, which has been featured in Berlin, Seattle, and San Francisco. To find out more about the class, contact Tara Jensen at SANCA 206-652-4433 or visit the website listed below: http://www.sancaseattle.org To find out more about Arne Zaslove, follow the link below: http://www.zaslove.com

International Mime Awareness Day

Article on a Boulder television station website about International Mime day... and Zoobie, the only mime who showed up. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Mime breaks silence over dying art form BOULDER - The artist known as "Zoobie" found himself in a conundrum along Pearl Street Mall during the Wednesday lunch hour. How do you celebrate Mime Awareness Day when he was the only mime in attendance? "I thought there'd be several, about 20, 30, or 40, but no, there are no mimes," said "Zoobie," who said he communicated with dozens of mimes in Colorado over the Internet and through the Boulder Camera about the event. "We're having trouble getting the word out about mimes," he said. The art form dates back thousands of years, with theatre-goers for generations watching the expression of thoughts and emotions performed without words and through physical gestures. Supporters fear in the noisy world we live in, this silent art form is dying. "The mime projects that which we hide... and most of us hide a lot of things," said Samuel Avital, who runs Le Centre du Silence, a school that has taught mime since 1971. "It's very essential in human communication." READ THE FULL ARTICLE OTHER RESOURCES: http://www.mimeovermatter.com Le Centre Du Silence Mime School