FUNAMBOLIKA 2008 (Italy July 5-8)

Funambolika 2008 is the 2nd edition of the summer circus arts festival particularly focused on clowns, and conceived by Italian clown and director Raffaele De Ritis. It takes places in Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, in the open-air Teatro D’Annunzio on the Adriatic beach. This is the same 2000-seats arena where Pescara Jazz, one of the oldest and most prestigious jazz festivals in the world takes place (www.pescarajazz.com). Funambolika is organized by the same company Last year's festival featured Jango Edwards and David Larible. This year's festival will have three evenings of entertainment: July 5 DUEL (Paul Staicu, piano – Laurent Cirade, cello) The comedy musical revelation of last year’s Edimburgh and Avignon Festival July 7 PETER SHUB The legendary clown with his solo theatre show “Nice Night for an Evening” July 8 GRAN GALA DU CIRQUE Guest star: Andrei Jigalov An evening of international circus acts (from Monte Carlo Festival, Kiev School, Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil appearances) including among others juggler Boul, acrobat Maxim Popazov, contorsionist-swimmer Aqua and others, around a special guest star: clown ANDREI JIGALOV, the king of contemporary russian laughmakers. Pescara is a ten minute drive from Aereoporto d’Abruzzo (www.abruzzo-airport.it ), and is easily connected to via many major cities. For all other destinations, the Rome Fiumicino airport is 2 hours drive. For more information visit the following websites: Funambolika blog: www.funambolika.blogspot.com General program: www.entemanifestazionipescaresi.it Myspace: www.myspace.com/funambolika Tickets: (39) 085-6920057 – (39) 085-4221463 Organization: (39) 085-693093 • (39) 085-4503036 Email: info@entemanifestazionipescaresi.it Artistic direction: rderitis@hotmail.com

Dell'arte MFA program in SF June 13-15

Although this deals with tragedy, and not circus/clowning per se-- the way that Dell'arte trains and deals with tragedy/melodrama is related enough to clown for me to include it here. If you can see the show, check it out and report back! Between Two Winters Created by the MFA Ensemble of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre Catherine Tuttle, the accomplished and commanding mayor of Kalispell, MT, and her daughter, Naomi, travel to the deserts of Kuwait to honor a hero who was instrumental in extinguishing fires after the war in the Persian Gulf. During the course of the tribute, Catherine and this man recognize one another and now must reconcile a past they both have spent their lives running from. Between Two Winters is the culminating performance of the second year masters students in their study of the Tragic form. Tragedy is a form that, at its root, pits the rational and ordered world against the world of terror and chaos. It deals with the human drive to step out of the chorus to stand for and proceed into the hero's journey, unwilling to be passive anymore in a world that defies logic and reason. This sets the tragic hero onto an irreversible collision course with the unrelenting forces of fate that result in a crash of cosmic proportions. Fri, Jun. 13 - 8:00P Sat, Jun. 14 - 2:30P Sat, Jun. 14 - 8:00P Sun, June 15 - 2:30P At The Magic Theatre For directions to The Magic Theatre, go to: http://www.magictheatre.org/pages/location.shtml Call 707-668-5663 to inquire about student, educator and group discounts For more information, go to: http://dellarte.com/

Laugh Out Loud Festival (NY)-3 more days

Emerging Artists Theatre and Paul Adams, Artistic Director, has been presenting a festival entitled LAUGH OUT LOUD at the Roy Arias Theatre Center, Off-Off Broadway Theatre (300 West 43rd St, 5th floor, NYC). The festival is curated by EAT member. Jenny Lee Mitchell and co-curated by Honey Goodenough and Carol Lee Sirugo. Performances began Tuesday, May 27, 2008, and run through Sunday, June 1, 2008. Here's what's going on for the next three days. Friday May 30th, 8pm Host: Deenie Nast - Lucky you-Deenie Nast, Oscar Winner, 2 time Tony winner and international performance artist will grace the LaughOutLoud Festival with her presence, performing a song-filled tribute to herself. with: All Kinds of Shifty Villains - directed by Rachel Klein - carnival noir, blending elements of circus with crime fiction Mika - diabolo artist and juggler Carol Lee Sirugo - Gwendolyn Rosa Lee is on a mission: to pay homage to her favorite musical, Gypsy. She wishes she could be Gypsy Rose Lee. She can't. But where talent fails, guts prevail! The Marriage Of Reason - puppetry by Sean Keohane - "The Marriage of Reason": Originally written for children in 1860s Paris, Polichinelle's battle of the sexes with a content bachelorette isn't only Politically Incorrect, it's just wrong! Naughty, bawdy puppets, religious mysticism, and totally unnecessary slapstick violence. Film Noir Clowns - Jeff Seal and Chris Manley . Two clowns attempt to recreate a classic film noir tale on stage. Saturday May 31st, 8pm Host: The Maestrosities - The Coolest Band Ever! Or so they think!!! with: Kendall Cornell as The Torch Singer - The Torch Singer laments love in a comically grand style. Kendall Cornell's Soon-To-Be-World-Famous Women's Clown Troupe kick up their heels with an assortment of comic song and dance numbers." Mika - diabolo artist and juggler Carol Lee Sirugo as Gwendolyn Rosa Lee Rob Lok Sunday June 1st, 5pm Host: Dierdre with: Logic Limited Ltd - clown troupe A Wrinkle in Starch - puppetry by Leslie Strongwater and David Michael Friend Phillip Guerette as Phildo The Clown Emergency Use Only - puppetry by Erica Mclaughlin Four droning strangers are stuck in a subway tunnel when inspiration strikes: they put their personal effects together an a puppet eager to dance emerges to breathe life into an otherwise hapless situation. Miron Gusso - storytelling and clowning LAUGH OUT LOUD plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, June 1, 2008: Tuesday at 7:30 pm Wednesday at 7:30 pm Thursday at 7:30 pm Friday at 8:00 pm Saturday at 8:00 pm Sunday at 5:00 pm Tickets are $10. Advanced tickets are recommended (only 55 tickets available per show). For reservations, please visit www.eatheatre.org, or call 866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in person half-hour prior to the performance at Roy Arias Theatre Center (300 West 43rd St, 5th floor). * Running Time: 60 minutes * All performances include an open Talkback Session with the performer and staff after the show. Emerging Artists Theatre's mission is to provide a dynamic home for emerging writers and artists, providing the unique opportunity for playwrights to collaborate with directors, actors, and designers throughout the development process--from idea through fully realized production. EAT's supportive environment continues to nurture a close-knit group of artists working toward the common goal of creating dynamic theatre, and its commitment to the development of new works is integral to the cultural enrichment of New York City. To find out more about Emerging Artists, please visit their website listed below: http://www.eatheatre.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.

Combustibles Sustainable Circus Benefit -- NY May 29

A Benefit and Birthday Party for The Combustibles Food, Drinks, Performances, Music, Dancing! What * All the beer and wine you can handle * Local snacks * Fabulous auction items - Check our website * Exceptionally strange performances * Live music! Set in a sparkling trash heap of a circus ring, jugglers toss water bottles in the air, trash bag balloons fly high, crooners sing songs made from "recycled" lyrics, and hobo clowns appear from the rubble to create treasure from yesterday's trash. The Combustibles is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Proceeds of the night will go to help The Combustibles produce more exciting work! If you cannot attend, please consider a tax-deductible donation to The Combustibles. Performers will include: Hilary Chaplain, Eli Bolin and more! When Thursday, May 29, 2008 6:30 - 8pm | Performances 8 - 9pm | Dancing Where Gallery MC 549 W. 52nd Street, 8th Floor (at 11th Avenue) Tickets are $15 Call: 1-800-838-3006 or visit: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheCombustibles/3e589c3bc2/0b836a53a4/f5e8cae385 to purchase tickets For More Info please visit http://www.TheCombustibles.com

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

JUGGLE THIS! - NYC March 7-9, 2008

NYC's 7th Annual Juggling Festival! Friday March 7-Sunday March 9, 2008 Pratt Institute 200 Willoughby Ave Brooklyn, NY Juggling, workshops, games, shows, prizes, special guests, a raffle and more!! For more information click the links to the right. All events open to the public. JUGGLING AT PRATT ACTIVITIES RESOURCE BUILDING: FREE and open to the public Friday 5-10:30 pm (open juggling) Saturday 10 am-7 pm (open juggling & workshops) Sunday 10 am-5 pm (open juggling, workshops, & games) SHOW SPECTACULAR AT PRATT MEMORIAL HALL Saturday 7:30 pm Admission $10 Featuring world-class local and international talent, including: From Brooklyn: telepathy from The Adult Circus From southern California: Josh Casey, comedy juggling From the Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine: Amanda Huotari, dramatic clowning From France, via Montreal's National Circus School (ENC): Florent Lestage, mesmerizing manipulations From NYC: The Maestrosities: The Coolest Band Ever! From rural Vermont: Brent Eden McCoy, "Clown at Work" From Spain, via ENC: David Menes, juggling communication From Harlem, NYC: Paris, the hip-hop juggler From Denmark via France: Jens Sigsgaard, "beyond belief" high-technique juggling and subtle artistry From ENC: Yann et Grég, hand balancing BONUS: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus at the Zipper Factory Sunday, 8pm followed by post-festival party. For details on the show, see bindlestiff.org. Juggle This is hosted by Jugglers Anonymous: the Pratt Chapter with support from the Carmine Street Irregulars For more info about Juggle This, visit their website: http://www.jugglenyc.com/fest_08.html

November 9-11: Conference of Hospital Clowns in Buenos Aires

From November 9-11 there will be The First Congress of Hospital Clowns at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires to teach and talk about the art and science of hospital clowning. It will be in Spanish, and all the information is in Spanish, and my Spanish isn't very good, so some of this info may be wrong-- feel free to correct me, and I'll correct the information) The conference is being organized by two organizations: Payamédicos, and Clowns No Perecederos. Both organizations organize clowns and artists to help the sick and needy feel better in Buenos Aires. Clowns No Perecederos is a project of Argentinian clown Cristina Marti. I am not 100% sure (as I said, my Spanish isn't very good), but I think they create shows that benefit hungry and homeless kids, and help feed malnourished children. Payamédicos is an organizations similar to the Big Apple Clown Care Unit that connects clowns into hospitals. There is a full schedule of events during the two days, and it looks like clowns and doctors from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Spain will be there. The conference will be in Spanish (naturally!) To find out more about the conference, visit their website listed below: http://www.congresoclown.blogspot.com/ To find out about the organizations sponsoring the conference, visit their websites. CLOWNS NO PERECEDEROS PAYAMÉDICOS

CIRCA: Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army

CIRCA (The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army) is a very loosely organized group that creates protests, actions, events, etc, that are political (and clowny) in nature. They protest at events such as the G8 Summit, Presidential visits, and other events that they think might make a difference. Their aim is to take the ideas and actions of the clown out of the circus ring, birthday party, and stage, and bring them to the street as a method of protest. Or as they say as part of their manifesto: "CIRCA aims to make clowning dangerous again, to bring it back to the street, restore its disobedience and give it back the social function it once had: its ability to disrupt, critique and heal society. Since the beginning of time tricksters (the mythological origin or all clowns) have embraced life's paradoxes, creating coherence through confusion - adding disorder to the world in order to expose its lies and speak the truth." They hold training events for non-clowns to learn their techniques (both clown techniques and civil disobedience techniques), and offer advice to groups looking to form. The groups (called gaggles) are autonomous, and do their own actions and events. CIRCA provides some basic ideas about things to do at a protest, but each group is responsible for their own work. The group seems to be mostly European based, with many of the actions that they list happening in London, and in Europe. Because of the loose structure & clandestine nature of the group, it's hard to say who is actually a member, and who is dressed at a clown as part of a protest. To find out more about this group, and how to start a gaggle of your own, visit their website listed below: http://www.clownarmy.org

Clown Festival-- First Cabaret

Went to the first cabaret tonight-- it was very full (I'd say over sold, but the tickets were free, and the fire marshal may not be happy to hear about it- so let's just say that it was full of people.) It was my first time at the Brick, which is a nice and cozy space. Although they had a mongo air conditioner front and center, it was too little too late, the space was very hot, what with all the people. Fortunately, there were plenty of chinese hand fans in evidence (and liberally used) One of the best things about a festival like this (in addition to seeing the work, of course) is running into new friends and old friends. I ended up talking for sometime with a new friend- a Danish clown who is living in London and working with a Russian troupe (and it turns out we have a lot of the same influences!) It was great talking to him. (His name was improbably Denni Dennis (and his website is http://www.dennidennis.com ) There were a number of acts performing little tidbits of their upcoming performances. Acts ran about 8 minutes, and while some seemed well suited or designed to pique the interest in the 8 minutes, other shows were less adept at making the cabaret/showcase spot work for them. Nevertheless, all of the shows looked redeeming and pretty interesting (it's just that some looked more interesting than others) The worst part for me is because of all my other commitments, there are lots of shows I won't be able to see. Hot on the list was an old friend Rob Torres, who has been performing on the cruise ship circuit for some time, and has been working on a new solo show that is premiering at the festival called NO PLACE LIKE HOME. That show is directed by Avner Eisenberg. For the cabaret, Rob did a number of funny bits, including some great hat tricks, a bunch of stuff you shouldn't do with masking tape, and a brilliant tie-tying rope trick. Another great act was COPS by EFS, a Catalan company. Three guys perform a number of routines based on noir. The scene they showed was an infiltration of a drug bust, featuring cocaine, money, a violin, and a lot of mishaps. It's clear that the guys have a great comic energy together, and are exceedingly well cast. Their show looks like a great deal of fun. Another show that looked like a lot of fun was the Canadian clown show Bubkus. The lead clown Jesse Buck did an 8 minute piece that was nearly ruined by a slightly drunk or high giggly clown girl in the front row, who laughed at every opportunity (and some that she shouldn't have) and was just a little too game to be picked as a volunteer. Buck handled her very well, and also did some very funny obstacle bits with his toothbrush stuck in a bottle of water. Other shows that looked interesting included The Combustibles Burnt Umber, Erin Bouvey as Flam St. Cyr and her black pussy...Dill and Digger from Norway, and a very interesting act that was just coming in from San Francisco for the day--Jamie Coventry and Natasha Kaluza as Mr. and Mrs. Legume. They did a few funny music bits, including some great body drumming. At the end of the night, a crowd hung for a while in front of the Brick deciding where to go, and it was nice to see the clown energy. I think the festival needs a beer tent (or a designated drinking spot) It won't help me, as the best way to get there for me is to drive.... Still, it would be nice to hang out with everybody. All in all, a very good night for the festival, and I think a great start. I only wish I had the time to see every show and take every class. It would be a LOT of fun. === If you like this post-- consider reading clownlink.com, links to all things clown and wonderful. You can also subscribe to the RSS Feed here. ===

Free Events at the NY Clown Theatre Festival

There are a number of free events going on during the festival. for a list of all the events, your best bet is to visit the festival website: 2nd Annual NY Clown Theatre Festival It's got much more complete information. Events include: October 5: 4:30 pm Parade, Pie Fights, and a cabaret (Starting at Union Square Park, and taking the L to the Brick Theater.) Just like it sounds, with a huge pie fight somewhere in the middle. Cabaret starts at 10:30 pm. October 5, various times: HUMÔRTAL (roving throughout Union Square) Spanish clowns who perform a roving street show where they are professional pall bearers looking for work-- and they even bring their own coffin. October 18 at 8 pm: THE CLOWN OLYMPICS & CABARET(at the Brick Theater) In conjunction with Downtown Clown Revue, the Festival presents the first-ever CLOWN OLYMPICS! Events include Slapstick, Eccentric Dance, and, of course, Synchronized Kiddy Pool Swimming. For more info, visit http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/workshops.htm The Free Cabaret will begin at 10:30 pm. October 19 at 11 pm CLOWN BAR HOP (starts at Macri Park Bar, 462 Union Avenue (between Metropolitan Ave. and Conselyea St) Put on your best clown nose, slip on those big shoes and celebrate the 2nd Annual NY Clown Theatre Festival in style! Join in the fun and frivolity with these red-nosed pros as they spread the mirth and merriment with a massive late night bar crawl. Watch the hipsters scatter as this horde of clowns drink their way through Williamsburg. Sorry, hipsters, BOOZE is not free. October 21 at 9 pm: GRANDMA SPEAKS: BARRY LUBIN OF BIG APPLE CIRCUS (at the Brick Theater) Barry Lubin, Grandma from the Big Apple Circus, will talk about his 33 years of professional clown and circus experience. October 23 at 8:30 pm: AN EVENING WITH GIOVANNI FUSETTI (at the Brick Theater) Giovanni Fusetti, clown, director, and teacher will discuss his 20 years of work in the theater, especially about his new form of theatre creation entitled Helikos. October 27 at 2pm: THE CLOWNS OF VAUDEVILLE by Trav. S. D.(at the Brick Theater) Trav S.D., author of NO APPLAUSE, JUST THROW MONEY: THE BOOK THAT MADE VAUDEVILLE FAMOUS will talk about some of the most important clowns of the vaudeville era. For more information, visit: www.el.net/mountebanks/travsd.html October 28 at 6:30 pm:CLOWN FESTIVAL FUNERAL(starting at Bedford at North 7th, proceeding to the Brick Theater) The 2nd Annual NY Clown Theatre Festival will be mourned in style in a Felliniesque clown funeral/procession. The Maestrosities will provide suitably somber clown music.

NY Clown Festival Free Events

DAY PARADE PIE FIGHT & CABARET Friday October 5th will kick off the NY CLOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL with their 2nd annual opening day parade! Anyone and everyone is invited to join the city's finest clowns, jugglers, stilt-walkers, and more as they gather at Union Square between 4:30 & 5pm and ride the "L" train to Bedford stop. Everyone will then march to The Brick Theater for a massive public pie fight. Red noses and pies will be handed out. The pie fight will be followed by a FREE ClownCabaret previewing festival highlights at 10:30pm. www.bricktheater.com/clown THE CLOWN OLYMPICS The NY Clown Theatre Festival in conjunction with Downtown Clown Review, present the first-ever CLOWN OLYMPICS!! Watch world-class clowns compete for 'gold' and 'glory'. Event highlights will include Slapstick, Eccentric Dance, and, of course, Synchronized Kiddy Pool Swimming. FREE at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Thurs., October the 18th at 8:00 pm. The Olympics will be followed by a FREE Clown Cabaret at 10:30 pm, featuring festival highlights as well as a bevy of outstanding original acts. www.bricktheater.com/clown CLOWN BAR HOP Put on your best nose or don your big shoes and celebrate the 2nd annual NY Clown Theatre Festival in style! Join these red nosed pros as they spread the mirth and merriment with a massive bar crawl. Be prepared for high-jinx, antics and hilarity as this horde of clowns drinks their way through Williamsburg. Drinking will commence on Friday, October 19th at 11pm in Williamsburg. Macri Park Bar, 462 Union Ave. (between Metropolitan Ave. and Conselyea St.) Brooklyn, NY 11211 on the website. www.bricktheater.com/clown CLOWN FUNERAL All good things must come to an end, and the 2nd annual NY Clown Theatre Festival is no exception. The end of the 2007 festival will be mourned by all with a clown funeral. Sunday October 28th, join in as a mourner and pay your respects and be ready for a knock-out wake. The Maestrosities will provide suitably somber clown music. www.bricktheater.com/clown

Clown Parade! October 5, 2007

The 2nd Annual New York International Clown Festival is looking for any and all type of performing artists for it's opening day parade. Jugglers, acrobats, stilt-walkers, unicyclists, clowns, mimes, buffoons and musicians are all encouraged to participate. The parade will gather at Union Square on Friday, October 5th at 4:30 where we will all take the "L" train (at 5:30) to the Bedford Avenue stop. From there we will march to the Brick Theater on Metropolitan and Lorimer where two huge pie fights -- one choreographed, the other open to anyone -- will end the parade and begin the festival. If you're interested in being involved prior to the parade, want to choreograph a particular section of the parade or just want to help out send an email to Jeffseal237@gmail.com with your contact info and how you would like to participate. Or just show up the day of and bring your friends. To find out more about the 2nd Annual New York International Clown Festival, visit http://www.bricktheater.com/clown/

Parallel Exit at Freshly Tossed October 1, 2007

Wendy Seyb (Walmartopia, School Daze, But I'm a Cheerleader) and Mark Lonergan This Way That Way, Velocity) are creating a night of cutting-edge musical theatre comedy called Freshly Tossed for the New York Musical Theatre Festival. There will be 2 performances on October 1, 2007 at 7:00pm and 9:30pm at the Theater at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th Street, at a price of $20. Wendy and Mark are co-producing this series with Erich Jungwirth and Robyn Pottorff. ON THE BILL: Wendy Seyb presents two excerpts from her repertoire including her latest works Catch and Supernovas, a Golden Nose award-winning dance comedy piece created with performers Mark Gindick and Kathryn Fraggos. Mark Lonergan presents excerpts from his company Parallel Exit’s tap comedy Time Step, featuring performers and co-creators Ryan Kasprzak, Brent McBeth, and Derek Roland. Performer Hilary Chaplain, one of America’s leading professional physical comediennes, presents her variety piece Classically Trained Musician. Exploding Puppet Productions/Blue River Productions present a montage from their hilarious NYMF production Die Hard: The Puppet Musical. Jessica Green and Tami Stronach present an excerpt from their acclaimed physical comedy piece The Birds. Choreographer Ray Hesselink (Billy Elliot, Imagine Tap) rounds out the evening with a work of brand new choreography called Lulu’s (New) in Town. Tickets are $20 each and available by telephone at 212-352-3101 and via the internet at www.nymf.org.

MORE SHAMELESS HYPE TO BELIEVE

My show was featured as one of the picks of the week for this week's Washington Post! And a reviewer is coming on Sunday to the 4pm show to write an article about the show. If you have any friends in the DC area, please let them know, and please have them come out to the 4 pm show. It'd be great to have a big audience for that show. Full press release is available at http://www.trainedfleas.com/dcfleas.html

1 Second Film Cabaret Opportunity.

If you are in L.A., and your act features at least one framable memorable moment, this might be a good opportunity for you. I recently got this email, and thought I'd share. The 1 Second Talent Show & Road to Oprah Cabaret Are you in Los Angeles? Would you like an appreciative audience to workshop new material? I offer you "The 1 Second Talent Show & Road to Oprah Cabaret" I'm looking for folks in LA with acts that are funny, beautiful, sexy or surprisingly stupid... The 1 Second Film, in residency at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, is having a kick-off cabaret party for our Road to Oprah tour! www.roadtooprah.com www.the1secondfilm.com We're trying to create a jubilant evening that has a talent-show-for-adults atmosphere and will showcase a grab bag of style and skill - bringing together both seasoned performers and people who have just always wanted to get up on stage, even if only for one-second! The theme of The 1 Second Talent Show comes from the theme of The 1 Second Film: there are beautiful moments, perfect moments in life, that would not be possible without everything that leads up to them. Please note: Performances CAN last longer than one-second! They simply should contain moments worth framing. This event may be filmed as part of The 1 Second Film's making-of documentary! Details: When: Saturday September 15 Where: Armory Center for the Arts Northwest in Pasadena If you would like to perform, contact Sarah Peters ASAP or by August 30 818-636-4504 sarahrara@gmail.com links: www.the1secondfilm.com www.roadtooprah.com

Geneva World Circus 2010

World Circus Geneva 2010 is seeking circus performers, companies, and other related artists to apply for the festival. During 2010, they expect to bring nearly 1000 artists from Switzerland and all over the world to Geneva to bring the magic of the circus A jury of circus professionals will choose clown shows, street theatre shows, puppet shows, musicians, and other related disciplines to be presented at the international Festival. They are not only looking for established shows but world premieres. An application with a DVD must be received in their office by August 10, 2008. Applications without DVD will not be looked at. (They would prefer good quality DVD and a complete show on the DVD vs. a promo tape) Your DVD and application will not be returned. Visit http://www.worldcircus.org for more information or to find the application for the festival. Applications should be sent to: World Circus Geneva 2010 Po.Box 7688 CH. - 1002 Lausanne Switzerland

Happy Birthday, P.T. Barnum!

Today (July 5) is P.T. Barnum's birthday. He was born in the humble town of Bethel CT on July 5, 1810. Barnum always used to say that he was a Yankee Doodle Dandy (plus one!) Barnum revolutionized American entertainment by giving people what they didn't know that they wanted-- a sense of excitement and grandeur, at a relatively inexpensive price. Barnum really had his finger on the pulse of the American psyche, and from the 1840's to his death in 1891 To find out more about this luminary, visit http://www.ptbarnum.org

Clownstock 2007-- July 26-29, 2007

The Pioneer Valley Clown Alley COAI will present Clownstock 2007, a gathering convention of clowns. The theme will be 1960's and 70's, so if you are tempted to go, break out your bell bottoms, mini-skirts, and a whole lot of paisley. WHEN: July 26-29, 2007 WHERE: Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Northampton, MA COST: $185 ($75 day rate) WHAT: There will be lectures on clowning, opportunities to meet with vendors, and some performances. Subjects of the lectures will include balloons, magic, face-painting, and other pertinent topics. SEE A FULL SCHEDULE. Registration Information

July 2- NY Downtown Clown Playground

New York Downtown Clown Playground is a monthly skill based workshops for clowns. This Month's Workshop: Theatre Games. New York Downtown Clown producer Christopher Lueck will lead the class through several top theatre games he uses in classrooms and rehearsals. Games for focus, ensemble building, Clown, exploring physical choices, and fun will be included. Come play and learn! DATE: Monday, July 2nd TIME: 8:15-9:30 ADDRESS: 440 Studios (440 Lafayette St., Across the street from The Public Theater), studio 4 E, 4th Floor FEE: $10 Space is limited so Reserve your spot today by emailing play@newyorkdowntownclown.com =============== Special Discount ! =============== Print out this post and bring it to the class to get in for only $5 Instructor Bio Christopher Lueck is one semester away from a MA in Theatre Education from NYU. He is an actor, clown, and educator in NYC. He has taught clown, puppetry, and commedia to schools and theatre companies in NYC for the past five years. His lessons plans and classes have been taught at Puppetry in Practice, FringeNYC, NYC Board of Ed, Theatre for the New City, Brooklyn College Continuing Education, and Sports and Arts. Christopher was named one of nytheatre.com's people of 2006. To learn more, read his bio at http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/

BROOKLYN Fun-Raiser Party- June 17

CLOWNS WITHOUT BORDERS FUN-RAISER PARTY On Sunday, June 17, there will be a "Fun-Raiser" party to benefit and support this summer's expeditions, which will be bringing joy and laughter to kids affected by hurricane Katrina. The party will go from 4-7 pm at the Brooklyn Lyceum ( 227 4th Ave, Brooklyn) It's a former swimming pool that has been turned into a theatre. See a map. There will be a $10 entrance fee. SCHEDULE 4pm - 5pm - Clown Performances - Selena McMahan, Alice Nelson, Kali Quinn, Deven Sisler, Mindy Ferraraccio, Wendy Kinal 5pm - 6pm - clown games for prizes/awards - 3 legged race, pin the nose on the clown, tripping competition, clown wrestling. - Q and A about the current situation on the Gulf Coast, and the work of Clowns Without Borders - short video of clowns working in the field. - photo and wine auction 6pm - 7pm - DANCE PARTY!! -Zydeco and live music by the Rude Mechanical Orchestra - cookies and lemonade - you are encouraged to wear a silly hat - and to bring fathers, as this is likely the funnest party father's day party around Clowns Without Borders is an international non-profit (founded in Spain in 1993) offering relief through joy and laughter to children in areas of crisis around the world - we work in war zones, and places suffering from natural disasters, disease epidemics, and extreme poverty. CWB-USA usually works abroad but in response to the immense crisis surrounding hurricane Katrina we have sent and continue to send a number of expeditions to perform and teach workshops to survivors of the hurricanes. All of the funds from the benefit will go directly to the July CWB Katrina expedition. Clowns Without Borders: www.clownswithoutborders.org Kids in New Orleans: www.stillweatheringthestorm.org Rude Mechanical Orchestra: www.rudemechanicalorchestra.org

Circus Sundays at the Waterfront Museum in Brooklyn

Every Sunday in June, the Waterfront Museum & ShowBoat Barge will present "Circus Sunday", an afternoon of circus and clown performances featuring some of New York's best circus entertainers. They run 2 shows a day at 1pm and 4pm, and every Sunday they will feature new acts and different artists. Jugglers, trapeze artists, clowns, acrobats, and eccentric characters make up the performers. To find out more about the shows, visit the Waterfront Museum Website listed below: Waterfront Museum's Circus Sundays Advance Tickets are $12.00 for Adults, $6.00 for youth (under 12). If available, tickets are sold for $15/$8 on the day of the show. Call (877) 238-5596 to place your order or purchase online through SmartTix. The Waterfront Museum & Showboat barge are moored next to Fairway (off of Conover Street) in Red Hook, Brooklyn. SCHEDULE: (performers subject to change ) June 3. BILLY BONES- Clowning's Black Pearl of the Caribbean! ILKA-One of Germany's most loved jugglers presents her new mesmerizing solo act. THE MERMAIDENS -Sisters Sophie and Dalia Sharps with their unique and daring trapeze routine. TWO LEFT FEET DANCING DUO- Comedy hoofers Ron and Julie. June 10. KENNY KOOL -Extraordinary handbalancer from Nyack's Amazing Grace Circus ACROBATIC ADAGIO- Kenny Lindemann and Melinda Ortiz debut a dynamic pas de deux. THE DOLL- Natasha, a living doll, comes to life in a lyrical aerial dance on trapeze. AMBROSE MARTOS- the hairiest member of the comedy trio Happy Hour brings his leg-splitting antics onboard. THE POETICS OF POI-Lucien Hybel in a dazzling display of manipulation. June 17. NATHALIE ENTERLINE- Nathalie's virtuoso hat and cane act blends dance with sublime elegance and style. THE MERMAIDENS - Sisters Sophie and Dalia Sharps are back with their unique and daring trapeze routine. GORDOON!-A treat for all ages! Long time and legendary Big Apple Circus Clown, Gordoon makes his first appearance with CIRCUSundays. CARLO PELLEGRINI -Juggler, dancer, ringmaster, clown - his unique showmanship combines them all. June 24. DIKKI- Clown Prince of the Slackwire. JAZMIN MENT: Gymnast/dancer Jazmin brings her artistry on aerial silks to CIRCUSundays. MEATLOAF THE CLOWN- Rubberfaced, rebellious, and a virtual buffoon. THE CAT- Her sinewy contortions have audiences purring with delight. CHINESE VASES - Classically trained in the ancient art of Chinese Vase Manipulation, juggler David Sharps (owner of the Waterfront Museum!) is the only American in the U.S. to present this masterful and amazing act. Purchase tickets online: or call our tickets hotline (877) 238-5596 to place your order. Advance Tickets are $12.00 for Adults, $6.00 for youth (under 12). If available, tickets are sold for $15/$8 on the day of the show.