Brian Foley's Commedia Links

Brian Foley (of Circus Bambouk) has started a very nice Commedia Link blog-- he's putting up all sorts of great video regarding commedia, as well as book reviews, photographs, pictures of masks, thoughts, philosophy,etc. I highly recommend checking it out. Visit the blog at http://cdalinks.blogspot.com/


He posted two video links that I was especially interested in-- both feature Ferrucio Soleri. I studied with Soleri in 1996 in Copenhagen. (I had gone to Denmark because Dario Fo, Eugenio Barba, and Jerzy Grotowski were all in the same place at the same time. I was able to meet all three. While I was there, there was a large commedia festival. I snuck into Soleri's class, and afterwards introduced myself, and he graciously allowed me to stay and observe. (I also ended up doing a few exercises as well! The class was taught in broken english, so I ended up translating some, because I had the best command of English in the room.)

In the first, Soleri is teaching commedia on some kind of Italian reality show.

In the second, Soleri is performing a piece as Arlechino. His clarity, and his ability to carry us along in his performance is just wonderful.

Enjoy!

Soleri teaching on Italian TV



Soleri as Arlechino

Directing Dario Fo's WE WON'T PAY

I'm directing Dario Fo's We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! at Fairfield University in CT

Here's a Press Release, along with some information about the show. Of particular interest is that opening night will feature a talkback with me and the translator, Ron Jenkins. Ron is a professor of theatre at Wesleyan University, and has been Dario Fo's onstage English translator for over 15 years. He is a graduate of Ringling Clown College (as am I) and has written one of the best books about contemporary clowns Acrobats of the Soul (available via Amazon.com)

Clown Laureate Directs Nobel Laureate's Work in Connecticut

Adam Gertsacov, Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland, will direct Nobel Laureate Dario Fo’s We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! The show will perform at the Quick Center for the Arts on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield CT from October 31-November 4. The show will feature Fairfield University students. Gertsacov has been in residence at the University as a guest artist. The opening night performance will be followed by a talkback with director Gertsacov and translator Ron Jenkins

Fairfield, CT, October 22, 2007 --(PR.com)-- We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! is a social farce with a message. In the play, high prices have caused a revolution in the supermarket, with housewives stealing food from the market. When they get home, they realize they can't tell their husbands where they got the food, and pretend to be pregnant. From this one simple lie, a farce develops so that by the end of the play nearly everybody in the cast (including the policeman, who looks suspiciously like a number of other characters in the play) has become pregnant.

Written in Italy in the early 1970’s, the play has sparked social actions. Soon after the play was first performed, a similar supermarket riot took place in Italy. The play was later performed on the site of a Fiat plant strike, and has become a much loved play among workers and political leftists. Since 1974, the play has been translated into over a dozen languages, and performed in more than 30 countries around the world. It is considered by many theatrical critics to be one of the great comedies of the twentieth century.

The author, Dario Fo, is an Italian satirist, playwright, actor, director, composer, and clown. In 1997 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 2006 he ran an unsuccessful race for mayor of Milan, and lost by a very tiny margin. He is the author of more than 20 plays, and currently runs a theatre company in Italy with his wife, celebrated Italian actress Franca Rame.

The director, Adam Gertsacov, is a clown and performer based in Yonkers, New York. Adam is the current Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland. He has performed his original shows in over 39 states and 7 countries, as well as on Czech, Canadian, and American television and radio. Gertsacov is the artistic director and boss clown of the Acme Clown Company. In addition to his work as a performer, Gertsacov is the director and curator of Bright Night Providence, a New Year’s Eve Celebration in Providence, RI.

The show is at Fairfield University, Fairfield CT (exit 22 off of 95) at the Quick Center for the Arts

Schedule:
Wednesday October 31 @ 8 pm (talkback afterwards with Ron Jenkins, translator & director Adam Gertsacov)
Thursday November 1 @ 8 pm (talkback afterwards with director Adam Gertsacov & Fairfield University professors)
Friday November 2 @ 8 pm
Saturday November 3 @ 2 & 8 pm
Sunday November 4 @ 2 pm.

Tickets are $12 ($5 for students of any high school or college)

Call 1-877-ARTS-396 or (203) 254-4010 to purchase tickets or for additional information.

You may also visit http://fairfield.edu/x1534.html for more information.

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Festival Photos-- Clown Parade & Pie Fight

Searching flickr is fun! I found this set of photographs from the opening day of Clown Festival festivities (can you have festival festivities? Or is that redundant? Aren't all festival activities, by their definition, both festive, and festivities?)

Anyway, these photographs are from the opening day, and include the Clown Parade and the Pie Fight. All these photos are by Allegra Mynatt, and I highly recommend viewing her flickr site.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

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Festival Photos-- Clown Olympics

I was trying to find some photos of the Clown Festival on Flickr, and I found this amazing set of photographs by a photographer named Kurt Dietrich.

They are of the Clown Olympics, and although I wasn't able to be there, they give a pretty good feeling of some of the great and crazy wackiness that must have gone on.


If you like these photos, you should check out his flickr page. He's a really great photographer, and not just about clown stuff. He's got a bunch of great sets of photographs. Highly recommended.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


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NYC Tramp Workshop with Giovanni Fusetti 10/31-11/4

HUMAN TRASH

A theatrical exploration of the American Archetype of THE TRAMP

a workshop led by Giovanni Fusetti


New York theater company The Combustibles is hosting a workshop taught by Giovanni Fusetti exploring the archetype of the Tramp. This workshop is part of the research and generation phase of a new production, Detritus, a show about waste in New York City.

The workshop will explore the Tramp as a human and poetic archetype: homeless, excluded, rejected, rebel, mad, fool, crazy, lunatic, human trash in the cycle of existence, unfit individual, broken mind, broken heart, broken life, witness, judge…he belongs to every contemporary society.

The Program
-exploring individual clown through movement analysis
-from clown to bouffon: from being mocked to mocking
-from clown to grotesque: amplification and distortion of forms
-from movement archetypes to Tramps: creating characters

Admission
The workshop participants will be Combustible company members and invited artists as well as external participants.
A strong background in physical theatre is required, as well an experience in self devised, creation based theatre.

The number of participants is limited to 12
The Tuition is $450. Early registration (BEFORE OCT 15): $400
To enroll, please contact The Combustibles at: info@thecombustibles.com
Or call Liza Zapol at (646) 220-8981

Schedule
From Wednesday October 31st to Sunday November 4th
Wednesday and Thursday: 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm.
Friday- Saturday and Sunday : 10 am-1 pm; 2 pm-5 pm
Before and during this period participants will be encouraged to explore NYC observing the life of homeless people.


Giovanni Fusetti was a student, pedagogical assistant and improvisation teacher at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. He co-founded and served as pedagogical director of KIKLOS International School of Theatre Creation in Padua, Italy, and is now developing the school’s new form: HELIKOS. Giovanni has taught and collaborated internationally with theatre companies, schools and universities such as Scuola di Teatro a l'Avogaria (Venice), The University of London, Rosegarden Theatre House (Norway), Naropa University (Boulder, CO), Centre Generation Tao (Paris), and LISPA: London International School of Performing Arts (London). He is visiting teacher at Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre (Blue Lake, CA) and has taught THE RED NOSE workshops throughout the US in collaboration with TigerLion Works (Minneapolis), Mugwumpin (San Francisco), Octopus League (Boulder), Pig Iron (Philadelphia) and the Boulder Fringe Festival. Giovanni’s 20 years of pedagogical research includes training in Theatre in Education, Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, Gestalt Therapy, Bioenergetics, Wutao and Process Work. His pedagogy integrates physical theatre with different practices of physical and emotional awareness.

For more information about Giovanni Fusetti, please visit his website listed below:
www.giovannifusetti.com.

For more info about The Combustibles, please visit their website listed below:
www.thecombustibles.com

(The Combustibles show Burnt Umber is playing at the NY Clown Theater Festival tonight and tomorrow night. Check out the festival website for more info.)

Special Offer: 500 Clown at PS-122 (December NY)

500 Clown, the award-winning clown company from Chicago, will be performing at PS122 in December with two shows: 500 Clown Christmas and 500 Clown Frankenstein.Both shows are NY Premieres. And they are offering a special ticket offer for 500 Clown Frankenstein!

Composer/musician John Fournier joins 500 Clown to create a clown-rock-pop-jazz-theatre-concert-party(!) Diving into the dark and light sides of the all consuming consumer-driven yet still surprisingly touching Christmas season, 3 clowns and a 3 piece band throw a celebration to make Fezziwig proud, complete with a holiday toast, gift-giving, and original live music written by the incisive John Fournier.

N.Y. Premiere

Friday, December 21- Sunday, December 30
(no performance December 24-26 )

Monday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 4:00 p.m.

Tickets (per show) from $20, $15 (students/seniors), $10 (members) http://www.ps122.org/performances/500_clown_christmas.html

In 500 Clown Frankenstein, three clowns embark on a madcap journey to construct Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. Challenging and elaborate period costumes, poor lighting, difficult language, and an ornery table prevent them from properly telling Mary Shelley's classic tale. Comic mayhem takes a sharp turn to a devastating climax when one clown is forced to play the role of the creature and suffer abuse and abandonment. The result is the creation of unexpected horror.

N.Y. Premiere Wednesday, December 12-Wednesday, December 19
(no performance Monday, December 17)
Tuesday- Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets (per show) from $20, $15 (students/seniors), $10 (members)

http://www.ps122.org/performances/500_clown_frankenstein.html

Limited Time offer – order tickets to NY premiere of 500 Clown by October 31 and SAVE! (special thanks to Jeff Seal for the tip!)

Enjoy two-for-one tickets to 500 Frankenstein for these performances:
Wednesday, December 12 @ 7.30
Thursday, December 13 @ 7.30
Friday, December 14 @ 7.30
Saturday, December 15 @ 4

Use code MS500 and get two tickets for only $20 total*!
Enter code MS500 online at check out via www.ps122.org or mention by phone at 212-352-3101.

*special offer based on limited availability; may not be combined with other offers or applied to past sales; offer expires October 31.

To find out more about 500 Clown, visit the websites listed below:

PREVIOUS CLOWNLINK: http://www.clownlink.com/2007/07/500-clown.html

WEBSITE: http://www.500clown.com

Festival Review: Clownifornia

Clownifornia featured two acts, both who trained in California at the SF School for Circus Arts under Jeff Raz. Both acts showed promise, but didn't quite hit the mark in the show I saw.

A Sudden Gust of Gravity featured NY Clown Jeff Seal as he talks about physics, the universe, and gravity. Jeff has an affable likable presence, and physical chops as a performer, and his premise is amusing (he talks about the two dimensions, and then starts to take "requests" --go left and down!" And when he gets to the third, he straps a large rubberband on and attempts to go back and forward in time. The show never really gets much further than that.

Jeff's concept is clever, he's likable, and overall I enjoyed the show. If he can follow through on some of the logical extensions (multiple rubberbands that act as mysterious attractants on the object (him) ), I think he'd get a great physics/science school show out of it, and also be able to tour it as a comedy show to theatres and colleges. But he needs to spend much more time working on the storyline of the show, and make sure that the routines have large enough payoffs/surprises. What if he somehow managed to go back in time, or at least convince us that he had? Or go forward in time? What's the comic payoff for that, that doesn't involve winning the lottery or buying microsoft at a dollar? (which are the trite and hackneyed payoffs)


Damsel’s Demise featured two characters/children/clowns: a girlie girl clown, in love with her mannequin boyfriend, and the tomboy, playing war games in her cardboard fort. The show was created and performed by Suzanne Santos and Summer Shapiro. I saw the first show, and it was the first show of the festival that I saw that was not greeted enthusiastically by the audience. (I'm told by some of the other bloggers that saw both of their shows that the second show was much stronger) I've got some thoughts about this.

It's not that the show didn't show promise-- The opening set, a large moving box with one of the girls in it, next to a mannequin doll was really strong-- and their costumes were great. And the idea of their characters seemed good. However (at least for me), a lot of the acting seemed forced- the interactions between the two, their "play" as children, their "hungers" for love and games-- none of that seemed true to me or to the audience. And that started a little bit of a deadly spin, as they played harder to make up for the lack of the audience response, their acting seemed more forced, etc. so forth.

The show is a little ambiguous until the end about whether or not they are children playing dress up, or clowns in their own world. They end up (I think) being children playing dress up, and that was a safer (but less interesting) choice.

Also, the show had a lot of content that had potentially "heavy" meaning-- gender displacement, the war, illness, love, being spurned, etc. All of that needs a light touch to avoid being cliched or generalized or not well thought out. Unfortunately the light touch wasn't there that night. There were parts of the show that could have been rubberstamped "Meaningful" on top of the scene.

The girly girl's first entrance (she comes in very slowly, with several suspicious slow turns) made it seem a little bit more like performance art, and less like a fun clown show. I think if she had made a different entrance-- had a different engaging energy to start, I might have followed them more. The tomboy entered with a lot of energy (out of the box) but immediately started playing wargames, and I couldn't quite follow why.

And then when the tomboy enters, I immediately started to wonder if they were going to be doing some kind of gender-role reversals. But nothing quite happened in that arena (actually I had a thought about midway through the act that it would have been much more interesting if the girlie girl had been played by a man-- now we've got gender-stuff going on, and in a way that could seem fun and possibly fresh, and not so trite. Of course, now I'm just writing a different play, not the one I saw.

I could see that the performers had done a fair amount of work to create the show, but it didn't quite gel together for me (or the audience I was in). I'd like to see the show in four months or so (and although I may be writing some other show) I'd love to see the children element pulled out of the show, and the drag element put in.

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Toronto Physical Performance Workshops in November

Toronto clown Adam Lazarus and guest instructors Susanna Hood and Meagan O’Shea will present three weeks of workshops focusing on physical performance techniques.

These 5 day courses will challenge students to take risks, hone their improvisational skills and push through performance inhibitions to find the pleasure of being present, space, rhythm, fixed point, complicity, focus, flop and play. Students will have daily work on building spatial and body awareness

Each week will focus on a different subject:

Week 1: The Physical Body and Le Jeu Monday Nov. 5 - Friday Nov. 9

Week 2: Introduction to Bouffon Monday Nov. 12 - Friday Nov. 16

Week 3: Building a Performance
Monday Nov. 19 - Friday Nov. 23

All classes will take place at Pia Bauman's School of Ballet and Creative Movement,
6 Noble Street, Toronto. Classes will be held from 10 am- 2pm.

On Saturday Nov. 24 & Sunday Nov. 25 there will be class showings at Theatre Passe Muraille that are Pay What You Can, with money going back to the students.


Costs: (all costs in Canadian dollars)

$300 for 20 hours of instruction over 1 week ($240 equity)
$590 for 40 hours of instruction over 2 weeks ($470 equity)
$870 for 60 hours of instruction over 3 weeks ($700 equity)

To get more complete information, visit http://www.quiptake.com/Workshop.asp

Portland OR: Intro to Clown Weekend 10/20-10/21

Barnaby King is teaching a workshop weekend in Portland OR.

"INTRO TO CLOWN" Workshops Weekend - Oct 20/21 2-6pm
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
(5340 N Interstate Ave., Portland OR)
Working with the basic concepts of clown work: connection, engagement, knowing yourself, playing with vulnerability and strength.
Cost: $90

Barnaby's Clown Training Philosophy

The kind of clowning I teach stands apart from most clown training in that it is inspired the Native American concept of clown as a transformative and divine being, and blends this with a more traditional European (Le Coq) style of clowning. This methodology was developed by Richard Pochinko and Sue Morrison in Toronto and is still taught by Morrison.

For us, the clown is not merely a fool, an idiot, a figure of fun or a joke-teller (though he/she may be any of these things), but rather a channel for the whole gamut of human emotion and experience, but conveyed in a manner of such extremity, directness and self-exposure to the audience that makes him/her distinct from the actor. The reason that the clown persists as such a potent figure in cultures around the world is that he/she has power to do or say anything, however outrageous or embarrassing, truthful or dangerous, but always in the context of powerful emotional connection with the audience. It is this connection, the ultimate humanity and vulnerability of the clown, which allows him/her to transgress all kinds of boundaries and ultimately to remind us of who we are. The world needs more clowns.

These workshops teach clown through connection, through discovering what you want to communicate and how to communicate it. Learning to clown does not take you down any specific path (any fixed idea of what a clown 'is') but rather supports you in discovering more about who you are and then learning to connect with vulnerability and strength with your audience. Learning to clown is about testing your own limits and going beyond them. As a clown you are able to take people into your world, transform them, and bring them back with a new awareness.


ABOUT THE TEACHER

"Barnaby encouraged me to be more of who I am. I was truly touched by this experience." (Student)

"The clown workshop was engaging and fun, but what I appreciated most is that it challenged me, as an actor and a human being, in profound ways. You are a brilliant teacher." (student)

Barnaby King has studied under master clown teacher Sue Morrison since 2000 and is now a recognized teacher and performer in countries around the world. In 2004 he created a solo clown show, Flawed Genius, which he has subsequently toured internationally with great critical acclaim. He is currently writing a book about clowning with Sue Morrison.


TO RESERVE PLACES CONTACT:
barnabyking@gmail.com
646 673 3014

For more information, visit http://www.flawedgeni.us

Christiaan Oranje: By Invitation Only Oct 23

Christiaan Oranje is premiering his new show By Invitation Only on October 23 at the Duplex, a well known cabaret bar.

Christiaan Oranje is a Dutch performer, currently living and working in NYC. He has been a street performer in Europe for 15 years, and performed at Europe’s TOP theater festivals. He has managed his own theater in Amsterdam, offered his multi-personality solo show at parties and corporate events, and worked as a coach for performers and corporate speakers.

Oranje’s teachers, and biggest influences, are/have been: Carol Fox Prescott, Didier Danthois, Jango Edwards, Nancy Gabor, Philippe Gaullier, Rene Kres, Johnny Melville, Slava Polonin, The Streets and … Life.

The show is inspired by musical comedian Victor Borge. The show features Christiaan's own compositions on the piano as he dramatizes the story of his life, including both successes and misfortunes. The show is directed by Mark Lonergan of Parallel Exit Theatre Company.

A critic wrote of Oranje’s previous show: “… Christiaan is an amazingly talented performer and it really is a pleasure to watch him. His control over his body is breathtaking (I would suspect clown or mime training). He appears to grow and shrink before our very eyes, and every move of his hands is as controlled and meticulous as a magician’s.”

Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 (one night only)
Time: 9:30 pm
Place: The Duplex,61 Christopher Street (NE corner of 7 Ave & Christopher St)
The Cover Charge: $15 (plus a two drink minimum)

To make a reservation, please click on this link or call 212-255-5438.

To find out more about Christiaan's work, visit his website listed below:
http://www.christiaano.com

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

Les Chiche Capon

This French cabaret was a big hit at last year's festival, and with good reason. It's got a number of things going for it, but most of all, the acting and the relationships between the characters are what make this a remarkably fun evening at the theatre.

You are greeted by two clownish characters wearing mini-skirts and wigs (although Phillipe has his own hair, but in pigtails) A long-haired hippyish-gypsyish musician (Ricardo) is playing songs as you enter.

After a while, to start the show, an IMPOSSIBLY TALL French clown comes out and starts the show. From there the insults and slights, both real and imagined on both the audience and the other performers start to flow, and that's when the great clowning begins. It's hard to describe all of the show, because it flows effortlessly one thing after another-- suffice to say, by the end, you've seen some very funny character work from everybody on the stage.

I'm not quite sure who is who in this faux cabaret, but all of them are great and play their roles to perfection. I especially love Phillipe, who is in motion constantly, dancing off the walls, and at the end of the show, becoming the Human Otter that comes into the audience. The "leader" ringmaster (to the left, the one in the neck brace) is perfectly snide, and is a true prima donna.)

The musical gags are hilarious, and the gags of character status, and insult intentional and not-intentional are also very very funny. The show was about an hour and a quarter, and really my only criticism is that perhaps the show could have been about 15 minutes shorter. There were a few gags that felt like they repeated themselves in, and in an act of " how you say, tossing ze baby into ze drain wizzout ze paddle, oui?" they could have jettisoned the show and left us dying for more instead of just wanting more and different.

Nevertheless this is a tiny quibble on a wonderful show.

I'd highly recommend seeing them if you have the opportunity-- if not in NY, then at any other festival in the world that they are going to be at-- But be warned, you should be prepared to purchase your tickets early!

Two shows remain at the Festival:
Tuesday 10/16 at 10pm
Wednesday 10/17 at 7 pm ***FINAL SHOW PERFORMED IN FRENCH

To find out more about their work, visit www.leschichecapon.com



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Adam Lazarus & Torontoclown.com

Adam Lazarus is a performer, director and instructor whose work in physical theatre, clown and bouffon has taken him to France, England and coast to coast across Canada. As a young man, Adam founded the Toronto based collective company Schmigeggy, where he produced, directed and performed in 10 of Schmigeggy's popular original works. After critical success and monetary failure, the company was put to rest after 6 years.

The next wave of creation came out of intense study and assistance with French Clown Master Philippe Gaulier. Inspired by the creation methods of Jeu, Character, Clown and Bouffon, Adam draws on the brilliance of what we are able to create under strict time restraints. He is a graduate of McMaster University's Theatre Program, Leeds University’s Theatre Program in England and L'Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris, France.

Adam is a regular facilitator of workshops for professional and non-professional artists, including recent Bouffon workshops and consultations for Theatre Passe Muraille, the Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, DanceMakers, Volcano Theatre and Mike Kennard’s The Hollow.

As an actor, Adam performs in numerous cabarets around Toronto, and was recently part of The Gina Project’s silent circus comedy Big Show, Tapestry New Opera Works’ clown/opera workshop for Shelter, and Suit Suite: A Motivational-Seminar Musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival. His one-man bouffon show Fable was recently performed in Victoria, B.C, Halifax, N.S. and Toronto:


Adam also directs plays and clown shows-- he recently directed the following shows:Joe: The Perfect Man, a one woman take on MacBeth starring Rachelle Elie, Bubkus, a one man show featuring Jesse Buck (and recently featured at the NY Clown Theater Festival), and Melissa D’Agostino’s Guadalupe Project - a citywide installation. He also created the show Everyone's An Asshole and a new physical work directed by Pig Iron Theatre’s Sarah Sanford entitled Appetite.

Adam is also the Artistic Producer of the Toronto Festival of Clowns.

To find out more about Adam's work, visit the websites listed below:
http://www.quiptake.com
http://www.torontoclown.com

Bouffon Glass Menajoree

Bouffon Glass Menagerie promises a lot to its audience members-- and delivers on every promise. It's a fantastic show that is well-conceived, well-directed, well-designed, and very well-acted.

Basically it's a parody of Tenessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie: which was Tennessee's first commercial success, and a play that has a long history of being parodied and mocked.

And mock it they do. From the moment the actors enter into the space--they are viciously and hilariously mocking the play, the playwright, the audience, each other, and just about everything else they can get their hands on. In the straight play, the characters are all crippled and limited emotionally, but they seem fine on the inside. Here the visual display of the characters shows them as crippled physically as they are emotionally.

The show features Lynn Berg as Tom (the drunken lout of a brother, with a hunchback and a bald head), Audrey Crabtree as Laura (the self-destructive crazy girl with a fetish for glass animals and cutting herself) and Aimee German as Amanda (the overstuffed mother who is living in the glory days of her past) The Gentleman Caller is culled from the audience, and is allowed free roam over the play (although with some guidance) The show is directed by Eric Davis (he of The Red Bastard.) Eric and Audrey are two of the artistic directors of the Clown Festival.

There are so many great moments in this show-- including the phone sex with the audience, the picking of the gentleman caller, and the beer-chugging contest in the middle (you know I am not kidding!) It's hard to pick one to site-- and I think that's the beauty of this play. This particular show is so much about the audience connection, and what they share with us-- it's really a "you had to be there" to understand it exactly. Meaning that when you go, you might have a whole different set of circumstances that you enjoy. What I have no fear whatsoever of is that you will enjoy it-- the performers are that good, and the situation that they have created is that good.

The play is wonderful and deserves to be seen-- they only have one more appearance at the festival (tonight, Saturday 8/13 at 10:30 pm.) So if you are on the fence about going-- Now is your chance. Check it out.

You can also find out more about the play by going to their website, listed below.
http://www.bouffonglassmenajoree.com

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Stanley Allan Sherman

Stanley Allan Sherman is a graduate of Ecole Jacque Lecoq in Paris France and has been making leather theatre masks since 1976. He was in the original cast of the Off Broadway Show, Grandma Sylvia's Funeral that ran for 3+ years. On NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien he has been in over 40 comedy bits.
Stanley is co-director and founder along with Hovey Burgess of Roving Classical Commedia University* (Totally Unaccredited). He is also known for his solo clown and commedia style shows that toured around the country and has been the featured show at many festivals for over 25 years, Stanley Allan Sherman's AERO SHOW Featuring The Star Spangled Banner was critic's choice in the Los Angles Times. He was a teacher and mask maker in the late 1970's under the direction of the master of Commedia dell'Arte, Carlo Mazzone-Clementi at his school the Dell'Arte School of Mime and Comedy in Blue Lake, California. (http://www.dellarte.com )

As a master leather craftsman he created the world famous Mankind Mask (the Arlecchino of the WWF) for the World Wrestling Federation. He had the longest running exhibition in the history of the NY Lincoln Center Museum of the Performing Arts. As a leather craftsman he has traded leather techniques and secrets with leather workers from around the world. Stanley directed and developed the children's show Bride of Beowulf, which toured for over 6 years. He has written three plays, teaches mask masking, performing, commedia, mime, clown and mask.

Stanley's websites:
MASK-MAKING: www.maskarts.com
COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE: www.commediau.com.
CLOWN FESTIVAL BLOG: Stanley's Clown Theater Festival Blog

Stanley is another of the official bloggers of the NY Clown Theater Festival. In addition, he's teaching a class at the festival! (I told you he was classy!)

Leather Clown Nose Making Workshop
WHEN: Monday October 15th 2-5pm & Wednesday October 17th 2-5pm
COST: $182 (includes material and tool fee. You get to keep the 7 tools.) *
WHERE: Mask Arts Studio 203 West 14th St Studio 5F, New York NY 10011-7138
WHAT ELSE: Maximum of 6 students.
To reserve your spot you must pay the full fee in advance, because Stanley needs to buy the tools and supplies in advance.

To find out more about the class, visit http://www.bricktheater.com/Sherman

* Past Clowns Nose Students of November or January who would like to take the class again may for a reduced fee of $58 including supplies.

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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/

Two reviews of Clown Festival Shows (not by me)

NYTheatre.com has two reviews of Festival shows up, and so far, the festival has charmed the reviewers.

I saw both of these guys at the opening, and I'm sure their individual shows are a lot of fun. Sadly, these are two more shows I won't get to see. (Part of the problem of living in the town where the festival is is that your life doesn't stop. When I am performing at a festival that I've gone to, it's not like I have anything else going on in that town. I need to promote my show, and see other shows. That's all I'm doing. Here, my schedule isn't clear, so I'm sadly going to see very little (Yes, let me complain some more, why don't I! Oy gevalt!)

Anyway, here's the two reviews from NYTheatre.com

NO PLACE LIKE HOME, which is the show by Rob Torres. The reviewer doesn't seem to like clowns very much (spends about half the review talking about scary clowns, annoying pantomime bits, and Stephen King's IT.) Despite her fear of clowns, she seemed to like Rob's show, and calls it charming, captivating, warm and welcoming, and funny.
Rob Torres' website is http://www.funeestuff.com



BUBKUS
Bubkus is the work of Canadian clown Jesse Buck-- who (a different reviewer) really loved. The show involves a lot of improvisation, audience participation (including whacking the clown over the head with a pillow) and some other improvised stunts. The review says that it's entertaining for all generations, and I believe it!
Jesse Buck's website is http://www.jessebuck.com



Both reviews are very positive-- read them and see!

NY Theatre is going to continue to review shows throughout the festival, so you can check back with them on their website here.




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Art and Fear: an object lesson

A friend of mine sent me this quote from this book, and I thought it was so fabulous I wanted to make sure to share it.

As I'm teaching clowning this semester, this is particularly a propos. A lot of students will ask me if they are getting an exercise right or not, if they are doing it properly. With clowning, as with most forms of artwork, there is no one right answer-- there are only better answers. And there are always better answers. Your work could always be better, stronger, more grounded, more focused. The merry-go-round doesn't stop.

In the arts, there's much more to be gained from trying something out than to theorize about something.

"The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pounds of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality", however, needed to produce only one pot--albeit a perfect one--to get an "A".

Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work--and learning from their mistakes--the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay."

-from Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (And Rewards) of Artmaking,
by David Bayles & Ted Orland

Official NY Clown Bloggers

As many of you know, I am covering the NY Clown Theater Festival as a blogger. (Many of my posts will also appear here)

You can read all of the posts that I make here about the festival by clicking here (or by searching for the label Festival in the search box.)

Here are the links of the other "official" clown festival bloggers
(a couple of them aren't operational yet, keep on checking back)

WORKING:
www.nyclowntheaterfestivaladam.blogspot.com/
www.nyclowntheaterfestivaldeborah.blogspot.com/

NOT WORKING YET:
www.nyclowntheaterfestivalalex.blogspot.com/
www.nyclowntheaterfestivaljane.blogspot.com/
http://www.nyclowntheaterfestivalstanley.blogspot.com

In the meantime, check out
Deborah's great review of COPS. It's sadly a show I won't be able to see.

If you are reading this and you've seen a show and blogged about it elsewhere, let me know, and I'll post a link to your blog here!

Also, if you'd like to write a review of a show, write it, and I'll post it here too!


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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.

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Free Clown Cabaret Tonight

FREE OPENING NIGHT CABARET
hosted by Scout Master Robert, security by Officer Crabtree ,with clean up crew Golan, Lynn and Denni Dennis . Featuring festival highlights Bubkus, Burnt Umber, Cops, Mo-House/Humortal, Moving Target, No Place Like Home, Zen Cabaret, and special guests Coventry & Kaluza.
Fri, Oct 5th 10:30pm
FREE

Directions:  The Brick is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 575 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY  11211 (between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street)  The Brick's mailing address is 170 Norfolk Street, #15, New York, NY  10002 Phone: 718-907-6189 Reservation Line: 718-907-3457 Fax: 718-907-3461  Subway Directions: Take the L train to the Lorimer stop or the G train to the Metropolitan stop and the theater is less than one block away. 

Blogging For the Clown Festival

I've been asked to be one of the official bloggers for the NY Clown Festival.

Which I'm happily accepting!

I've set up another blog to deal with that at

http://www.nyclowntheaterfestivaladam.blogspot.com

There will be four or five "official bloggers" of the festival. Once their blogs are all set up, I will post their blogs here (and on my other blog as well)

If you are not one of those bloggers, but have something to say, please send me an email, and I will be happy to post your comments as a "guest post" You can also comment directly on any of the posts that I make, if you would prefer that.
The only thing I ask is that you be civil. I may edit your grammar or spelling too!

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon is a clown, physical comedian and character actress. She acts and co-directs with the Daredevil Opera Company along with Jonah Logan, and has performed with them over 600 times in 20 countries. Shows with Daredevil Opera include Cirkus Inferno , Rocket & Roxy's Stunt Show , and Drakonsbreath .

Amy has also performed in a number of other shows, including AntiGravity's Crash Test Dummies , the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and for the Spiegeltent in NY and Australia. She has performed, directed, and choreographed solos and group pieces in most of the NY downtown theatre, dance, and comedy venues. In addition she has worked the cruise ship market, directing the Cruise Comic program for Royal Caribbean International.


Amy has a degree in Theatre Arts from Western Washington University where she was lauded as a Finalist in the Kennedy Center/Irene Ryan ACTF Competition and with the Outstanding Senior Award. She continues her studies with masters including Phillipe Gaulier, Rene Bazinet, David Shiner, Avner Eisenberg and Kenny Raskin.

Amy's next performance is the premier of her solo show ON A ROLL at the Dance Theatre Workshop in Manhattan. This is part of their Family Matters series. The show will feature many comedic solo bits, and combines dance, music, and their ugly step-sibling, comedy. The show is on Saturday October 27 at 2 pm at Dance Theatre Workshop, 219 W 19th Street in New York. Tickets are $20 adults/ $10 for kids.
Purchase tickets for this show.

To find out more about Amy's work, please visit the websites listed below:

http://www.amy-g.com/

http://www.daredeviloperacompany.com/

Parallel Exit Gala 10/29 featuring Barry Lubin

Parallel Exit will produce a Halloween Gala that will include entertainment from the company and special guest star Barry Lubin (Grandma the Clown). The benefit takes place at 7:30pm on Monday October 29 at the 45^th Street Theatre, 354 West 45^th Street. Tickets are $75 for VIPs and $30 for patrons, and can be reserved at 917-407-7537or parallelexit@hotmail.com.

Barry Lubin is the creator of Grandma , one of New York City’s best-loved cultural icons and the star of the Big Apple Circus. He appears this season in their 30^th Anniversary show Celebrate! at Lincoln Center (Oct. 19-Jan. 13). Mr. Lubin’s appearance at Parallel Exit’s benefit will allow audiences the chance to see his beloved Grandma in a rare solo performance. Last season, Mr. Lubin starred with Parallel Exit’s Joel Jeske in the Big Apple Circus show Step Right Up! and they both join Parallel Exit for an evening of Halloween fun, food, drink, raffle, and prizes.

Proceeds from the evening go towards producing Parallel Exit’s newest show CUT TO THE CHASE, the “biggest wee show in town” as part of the holiday season at 59 E59 Theaters from December 5-30, 2007. This family vaudeville revue is directed by Mark Lonergan and features Laura Dillman, Mike Dobson, Joel Jeske, Juliet Jeske, Ryan Kasprzak, Andrea Kehler, and Derek Roland. Parallel Exit will present excerpts from the show as part of the evening’s festivities with Joel Jeske warming up the crowd with a special Halloween-themed performance.

VIP tickets include priority seating, a reception with Mr. Lubin and the performers, and recognition in the evening’s program and company website.

Who:Parallel Exit with special guest Barry “Grandma the Clown” Lubin
What: Halloween Gala Benefit
When: Monday October 29, 7:30pm
Where: 45th Street Theatre, 354 West 45 Street
Tickets: $75 VIPs, $30 Patrons, at 917-407-7537 or parallelexit@hotmail.com

Jim Moore Photo Exhibition of the Twin Towers Tightrope Walk

In 1974, mime and photographer Jim Moore became the right-hand-man for aerialist Philippe Petit during the secret preparations and daring guerilla tightrope walk between the two World Trade Center Towers.

Thirty three years later, Jim is presenting his photographs of the event in oversized 50" x 35" Iris prints, including shots titled On the edge of the abyss, A Helicopter's View, 110 floors, and more. The shots reveal the inner workings of the audacious preparations, including climbing and rigging of the World Trade Towers, all done in complete secrecy.

The exhibit will run October 16- November 4 at the Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, 315 Columbia St, Red Hook, Brooklyn. An opening reception is planned for Wednesday October 17 from 6-9 pm.

There is no word yet if there will be a commemorative tightrope walk at the reception.

For more information about the tightrope walk, visit the wikipedia article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit