February 25: International Commedia Dell'Arte Day

(Thanks to new papa Brian Foley for bringing this to my attention!) He'll also be performing at the View Theatre, Roy Arias Studios on Feb 25 in celebration.  See the postcard below for details)

Associazione SAT

has proclaimed February 25, 2010, a worldwide Commedia dell'Arte Day

Simultaneous events will occur all around the world as theatre companies, scholars, students, and audiences celebrate Commedia dell'Arte on Feb 25, 2010. There will be shows, conferences, lectures, and workshops in dozens of global cities. This worldwide festival is promoted by the Italian cultural association SAT and organized by Faction of Fools using viral and grassroots tools, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

View the current list of worldwide participants!

For more information, email them, join the Facebook group “Commedia
dell'Arte Day,” and become a "Facebook fan" of Faction of Fools.

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Theatre companies--large and small--will produce shows in the style of Commedia dell'Arte using traditional character types and scenarios. On Feb 25th, events will occur in hundreds of cities as diverse as Boston, Barcelona, Bangkok, and Beirut. The flagship event will be in Bologna where SAT and La Fraternal Compagnia will host an international conference of prominent European scholars and performers. Other companies are invited to produce events in their own cities and may utilize the free scripts and performance guides that are available on the Faction of Fools website http://www.factionoffools.org.

Commedia will also be in the classroom as theatre instructors dedicate their February 25th class time to Commedia dell'Arte at drama schools and universities around the world. Primary and secondary school teachers in the US can find easy-to-use, free curriculum that will aid them in teaching a lesson on Commedia dell'Arte tailored to their theatre, art, history, literature, or language classes. Curriculum will be available on the Faction of Fools website in January.

Did you know that Commedia dell' Arte is not recognized
as a "World Cultural Heritage"?

The United Nations' cultural wing (UNESCO) has officially recognized indigenous theatre traditions such as Japan's Noh and Kabuki; however, the famous "stock characters" of Commedia dell'Arte--Arlecchino (Harlequin), Pulcinella, Dottore (the Doctor), Pantalone (the Pantaloon), Scapin (Scapin), and Scaramuccia (Scarmouche)--have yet to be acknowledged.

The Italian cultural association SAT is petitioning the nation of Italy and the United Nations (UNESCO) for official recognition of this famous and monumental theatre form, and Faction of Fools is proud to support this appeal.

To organize a “Commedia dell'Arte Day” event in a theatre or classroom near you or for more information about SAT's petition for recognition of Commedia dell'Arte as "World Cultural Heritage," email Faction of Fools Artistic Director Matthew R. Wilson.

Commedia dell'Arte Day is promoted by SAT and is organized by Faction of Fools and the SAT project incommedia.it.

Flying Karamazov Brothers in NY through March 7

World renowned juggling group who don't fly, aren't brothers, and aren't Russian, the Flying Karamazov Brothers are performing their show 4Play at the Minetta Lane Theater until March 7th.  If you don't know them, you should.  They are fantastic!  Actually, an earlier iteration of their show that they performed one summer at Trinity Rep got me interested in vaudeville.  I must have seen that cabaret 10 or 12 times as an usher!  (Yes, FKB, it's ALL your fault!)  

 

If you go to the box office at the theater, you can avoid the $7 "service" charge from Ticketmaster.

If you're on the fence, just watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALkHQnPPn0

Click Here Call 212-307-4100 Minetta Lane Theatre 18 Minetta Lane New York, New York 1pm- showtime   Don't miss THE FLYING KARAMAZOV BROTHERS in 4PLAY! LIMITED ENGAGEMENT February 8 thru March 7 ONLY! The Flying Karamazov Brothers are preparing for lift-off from the Minetta Lane Theatre from February 8 through March 7th for a run of their non-stop hit show "4PLAY". An innovative blend of comedy, theatre, juggling and music, this exuberant and hilarious theatrical event is recommended for ages 5 through 95. For tickets as low as $10 you get to ride a rocket to Planet K. The Karamazovs, master practitioners of cheap theatrics, juggle 'til they drop. The audience is invited to bring objects to the theater for Karamazov's Champ to juggle, making each show unique."4PLAY" shows NY's favorite multi-faceted, new-vaudevillians at the apex of their ambidextrous ability. Come watch the Flying Ks as they prove with each performance that chaos and unexpected events in our lives are the best part of being human. Four Weeks, Four Brothers, For Everyone, 4PLAY. "Book passage now! An evening of airborne hilarity! These four unrelated American lunatics know exactly where they are going — to the moon and beyond!" - The New York Times "Drop everything and go see them!" -The Today Show "So much fun that anyone you take to see it will want to go to bed with you!" -Chicago Reader INSANELY CHEAP!! TICKETS STARTING AT $10! WEEK 1 February 8 - 14 $10 - $50 WEEK 2 February 15 - 21 $20 - $55 WEEK 3 February 22 - 28 $25 - $60 WEEK 4 February 28 - March 7 $30 - $65 Performance schedule: Tuesday - Friday at 8pm Saturday at 2pm & 8pm Sunday at 2pm & 5pm Special performance: Monday, February 8 at 8pm February 8th - March 7th www.fkb.com

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

I saw this show today, in the midst of my wacky craziness.

(One of my very good friends is their stage manager.)

The show is delightful- funny, quickwitted, and well-done.  The Idiots are legendary on the RenFaire circuit, and this show shows them off quite well.  Still going after 20 years-- their show is even more finely honed.

Some jugglers are about juggling, but these jugglers are about comedy.  In fact, if you are a juggling aficianado, you might be disappointed.  Not that there isn't some great juggling in the show, because there is.  But the juggling is stuff you've seen before (admittedly, very well done)

It's the comedy that makes this show great (and at $12, a steal)

This is the first time I've seen pedological leger-de-main, and it's simply beautifully done and handled. And hilarious.  (You want mayonaise with that?)

And they get a nine year old girl to kick the droppers of a complicated passing routine in the shins.  Very funny.

Go see it, you won't be sorry.

To get your discount:

For a limited time only, Playbill® Members can save 20% with code PBIdiots1700.

THREE EASY WAYS TO SAVE

1) Click here to visit NewVictory.org

2) Call 646-223-3010 and mention code PBIdiots1700.

3) Show this offer to the New Victory box office.
209 W 42nd Street, just west of Broadway
Box office hours: Sun & Mon: 11am - 5pm | Tue - Sat: 12pm - 7pm

Physical Limits in Technical 3 and 4 ball juggling

I'm not generally a big fan of technical juggling, but this video is pretty astounding.

Fettucini Brothers in China... and Blogging!

In the next couple of weeks (Sept 28-Oct. 9), the Fettucini Brothers (Mike Heidtman & Steve Langley, otherwise known as Alfresco and Alfredo) will be going to Hangzhou China to participate in the Golden Week Events there.

The Hangzhouians are crazy for American clowns, and over the last couple of years there have been lots of festivals there chockful of American clowns.

There are lots of performers going. Here's a list of them (per their blog)

Stage Performers Seth Bloom Christina Gelsone Matthew Duncan Brian Foley Mike Richter Keith "Bindlestiff" Nelson Andrew Scharff Bryan Fulton Mike Smith Mark Lohr Steve Langley Mike Heidtman Ron Hoffman Julie Pasqual Josh Eldeman Anatoly Valiev Nadezda Andreeva Balloon Artists Micha de Haan Christopher Charlot Suzanne Harring Todd Nuefield

Strollers/Street Performers Lara Heidtman Smith Brad Bodary Michael Sabb Irene Fong Cheryl Schrueffer Mitchell Yosheda Raquel “Rocky” Giberstein Chelsea Conklin Aaron Watkins Chris Shelton Margaret Carr Alice Farley Rachel Ann Whitman Sharon Livardo Du Maine Martin Ewen Reuben Haller Ted Lawerence Charalambos “Harry” Mavromichalis Paul Michalec Face Painters Liz Bolick Derrick Little Patricia Russell

Mike & Steve will be blogging about their experiences and posting lots of photographs at the blog listed below.

Make sure to check in and follow their adventures-- I'm sure it will be a lot of fun.

Blog: http://web.mac.com/fettucinibrothers/iWeb/China%20II/Blog/Blog.html
Fettucini Brothers Website: http://www.fettucinibrothers.com/

Kill Me Loudly Opens Tomorow!

Tomorrow!

Fools on Fire presents

Kill Me Loudly: A Clown Noir

Sept 16-20, 23-25 at 8pm

Triskelion Arts, Williamsburg

118 N. 11th between Berry and Wythe, 3rd Floor

A brutal comedy about desire, betrayal and murder. Done by clowns.

KILL ME LOUDLY.

Very Good Intentions. Very Bad Clowns.

It's a nice, intimate theater,

so buy your tickets today.

This just in!

After the show, go to the cast party at The Gibson on the corner of N. 11th and Bedford.

Show your program at the bar and get 2$ off drinks all night long!

L Magazine calls KML one of the

20 Must-See Fall Events.

KILL ME LOUDLY is created by the company and directed by Eric Davis (Cirque Du Soleil, Red Bastard, NYIT-award winning Bouffon Glass Menajoree). The show has been workshopped at Clemente Soto Vele and the Brick Theater's Clown Theatre Festival in 2008, and at the Celebration Barn and Amherst College's Ko Festival in 2009.

Fools On Fire makes dark, idiotic comedy for dark, idiotic times. For full show and company info visit www.foolsonfire.org

CWB Fundraiser this evening! (NY)

Fantastic photos - Inspiring Stories - Exciting Entertainment

Photo & video presentation of CWB projects to Thailand, Cambodia and Haiti together with a benefit party for further Haiti trips and upcoming project in Indonesia! MC'd by the ever-funny (and usually bald) Brian Foley of Circus Bambouk.

Type:	Causes - Fundraiser
Network:	Global
Price:	Suggested Donation $10-30 sliding scale

Date:	Thursday, August 27, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	At the Center for Remembering & Sharing
Street:	123 4th Avenue (13th St)
City/Town:	Manhattan, NY

Phone:	9178043362
Email:	anna@lokamaer.org, info@clownswithoutborders.org

Description

Photo and video presentation of Anna Zastrow's trip to Thailand and Cambodia, and of Olivia Lehrman's CWB team expedition to Haiti.

Come experience what we’ve been up to and see the kids in action!

Contribute to the upcoming project: Clowning with youngsters in Indonesia!

Here’s your chance to get in on the game and be part of a wonderful humanitarian venture.

In November Anna will travel to Indonesia to join Clowns Without Borders partner Dan Roberts, and, together with an Indonesian musician, we will bring laughter and excitement to kids in homeless shelters, community centers and schools in Jakarta and in the Aceh region, where many children are suffering psychological trauma from the 2004 tsunami and years of civil strife.

Clowns Without Borders is also working on making further trips to Haiti possible and to establish an ongoing presence there, where children are enduring extreme poverty.

* * * * *
THE EVENT:

Laugh! Eat! Drink! Mingle! Have fun!
• Join us on a photographic journey
• Enjoy fun(ny) entertainment with special guest
• Bid on fabulous items in our Silent Auction: (Cambodian silk, Thai massage, Haitian rum, and more)

Scrumptious scones from Alice's Teacup and refreshing brew from Singha Beer! and more

* * * * *
CLOWNS WITHOUT BORDERS offers laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency.
We bring levity, contemporary clown/circus oriented performances and workshops into communities so that they can celebrate together and forget for a moment the tensions that darken their daily lives.

For more information: http://www.clownswithoutborders.org
or
http://www.lokamaer.org/lokahumana

+ + + + + + +
IF YOU CAN'T COME, PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION! Go to http://www.clownswithoutborders.org and click on Support Us! Please mark your donation Indo/Haiti.
THANK YOU!

Benefit for Fools On Fire Sat. Aug. 29 (NY)

Fools On Fire presents

The-Good-Time-Watch-Your-Back Show:

A Gritty Cabaret at Dead Herring

3 aerialists.

ridiculous comedy.

tantalizing burlesque.

rousing music.

cheap drinks.

dance breaks.

optional dress code: apocalypse-chic.

All this for $10

141 S. 5th Street between Bedford and Berry

L train to Bedford

MAP

THIS SATURDAY: AUGUST 29th 2009

Doors at 8pm, show at 8:30pm

www.foolsonfire.org for more info.

Clown Make Monster

500 CLOWN, the genius clown trio from Chicago, has a documentary coming out about their work (and about the making of their show 500 Clown Frankenstein. Title of the show CLOWN MAKE MONSTER.

Here's the description of the documentary:

What happens to a group of clowns in a theater company that push against authority when they believe that theater itself is the authority?

Popskull Video and Darryl Miller present Clown Make Monster, a documentary web series exploring the relationships between 500Clown ensemble members Molly, Adrian, and Paul as they take great physical and emotional risks to push their own boundaries as actors, performers and clowns. Revealed in multiple episodes, the filmmakers show the method and the madness behind creating improvised based clown theater spectacles where failure is used as a learning and narrative tool for both the clowns on stage and the audience in the seats. The web series gives an unprecedented behind the scenes look at the history of the group as they create their show “500Clown: Frankenstein”, the constant evolution of their shows as they push the boundaries of theatrical convention, and their drive to train, teach, and help others through their lives as Clown Performers.

Below is the Youtube teaser for the documentary, that will come out in October.

For more information, you can also visit http://www.clownmakemonster.com

Clown training in Boulder with Giovanni Fusetti

Giovanni Fusetti (who we've profiled here before) is giving some workshops in Boulder this summer, and there are still some places available.


Boulder, COLORADO-USA
August 2nd to 23rd

THE RED NOSE
International Training on Theatre Clown
6th Edition

Two places are still available !!!

http://www.giovannifusetti.com/en/workshops-detail.php?nav=1〈=en&post=40

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Boulder, COLORADO-USA
August 25th to September 6th

CLOWN’S LIFE
Advanced Training

Writing and devising with your clown

One place is still available !!!

http://www.giovannifusetti.com/en/workshops-detail.php?nav=1〈=en&post=41


For further information about the workshops and HELIKOS school
Please visit the website

http://www.giovannifusetti.com

Gilkey- Pitt- Donlon - 2 performances in San Francisco in July.

Any one of these guys would be a treat to see. All three is just the icing on the cake on the ice cream. If you are in the San Francisco area, don't miss it!

The FLYING ACTOR STUDIO is an international center that celebrates the imagination and invites a profound journey into the very heart of life.

In Spring 2008, James Donlon, after a 40 year international teaching and performance career, was inspired to create a physical theater school in San Francisco, building on the rich history of clowning, mime, and circus that had flourished in the city for decades. Donlon invited fellow master teacher Leonard Pitt to share this vision, and together in 2009 they founded the FLYING ACTOR STUDIO, one of the few centers in North America where one can study physical theater. In the '70's both Donlon and Pitt operated nationally known movement theater schools in San Francisco and Berkeley, as part of a vanguard of artists that included Robert Shields, Geoff Hoyle, Bill Irwin, and The Pickle Family Circus. Now Donlon and Pitt continue.

THE SHOW:

To celebrate, master performers John Gilkey, Leonard Pitt, and James Donlon will perform a gala kickoff piece called

‘The Zany and the Surreal’

Two performances only July 18, 5pm & July 19, 3 pm at the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco.

The Show

Gilkey, Pitt and Donlon bring their individual "greatest hits” to the main stage of the EXIT Theatre, 156 Eddy St., San Francisco for two performances only, July 18, 5pm, and July 19, 3 pm.

The Saturday (July 18th) show is followed by an 8pm to 11pm Gala at the new Flying Actor Studio, 40 First St. between Market and Mission, celebrating the launch of their new school dedicated to physical theatre and movement for actors.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

John Gilkey has played a lead role in three Cirque Du Soleil productions; Quidam, Dralion and Varekai - more than any other performer. For each of these shows he developed and performed totally original characters and routines. With Cirque Du Soleil alone John has performed live for more than three million people. He also directed and performed in the clown troupe in Franco Dragone’s spectacular water show, Le Reve, in Las Vegas. Additionally, John has performed internationally for more than twenty-nine years in circus, variety, comedy clubs, theater and television. John Gilkey's innovative routine with a coat rack is widely recognized as a landmark juggling act of the contemporary circus movement. WEBSITE: http://www.johngilkey.com/



James Donlon has been a celebrated international performer and master teacher of Physical Theatre for 40 years, presenting his original works throughout North America, Europe, and Latin America to critical acclaim. James is the only physical theater artist ever invited to perform with legendary San Francisco street mime Robert Shields of CBS' The Shields & Yarnell Show. He is the first American clown to perform in the famed Teatro Dimitri of Switzerland. James has created award-winning ensemble works for James Donlon & Company touring nationwide and in Mexico, and also directed productions in Ireland and the Czech Republic. He has been on the faculties of acting schools such as The American Conservatory Theater, The North Carolina School of the Arts, The National Theatre Conservatory-Denver Center, The Yale School of Drama, UCSB, and UCSD, and has presented residencies with special institutions like El Teatro Campesino, Mexico City 's Bellas Artes, Prague's national Academy of Performing Arts (AMU), Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting, and Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College where he taught Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin. He has been a film movement coach for Oscar-winners Javier Bardem, Kathy Bates, and Frances McDormand, as well as Benjamin Bratt and David Strathairn. To find out more about James Donlon's work, visit http://flyingactorstudio.com/flyingactorstudio/James_History.html


Leonard Pitt has been performing and teaching for over forty years. In 1963 he traveled to Paris to study mime with Etienne Decroux, later becoming his assistant for two years. In 1970 he opened a school of physical theatre in Berkeley CA, attracting students from around the world. He has studied mask theater and carving in Bali and performed with the Balinese in their villages and temple festivals. He has presented his work internationally including England, Spain, Holland, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Australia. He was a founding member of George Coates Performance Works, has received Chicago's Actor of the Year Award for his solo work, and was movement consultant for Jurassic Park and motion-capture specialist for the films Dragonheart and Three Wishes. In 1986 Leonard co-founded Life On The Water, a contemporary performance space at Fort Mason, San Francisco. He has written several books, one of which, Walks Through Lost Paris, has become a bestseller in France. The Leonard Pitt Website: www.leonardpitt.com

To purchase tickets to the show, visit http://flyingactorstudio.com/flyingactorstudio/Show.html

To find out more about the school, visit the website http://www.flyingactorstudio.com.

Fools on Fire Cabaret April 18

Dead Herring and Fools on Fire Present a Benefit Cabaret

141 South 5th Street, 1E
Brooklyn NY 11211

Saturday April 18th
Doors at 8pm, Show at 8:30
$10 (includes 1 free drink)

Good Food and Drink!

Lineup:

ZeroBoy
www.zeroboy.com
'Coney Island of the Mind' piece. Follow along as Zero Boy takes his nephew and the audience on a magical cartoon like audio tour of coney island past, present and future
The Lady's Circus
Static Trapeze
http://www.ladycircus.com
Mike Dobson
Balloon Bongo Drums
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-nBRlZ61AA
http://www.mikedobsonmusic.com/live/
Spencer Novich and Brett Alters, Clown Duo:
http://brettalters.com/
http://www.youtube.com/Snovich1
Mitchell "The Human Jukebox" Yoshida
For a dollar, he'll play on his accordion your request of ANY pop song EVER.
Sapphire Jones
www.myspace.com/worldfamoussapphirejones
Comedic Burlesque
And your hosts Jeff and Buttons
youtube.com/jeffseal
http://newexcitementcomedy.com/

MOVE IT- Free Physical Theatre March 19 at HERE (NYC)

MOVE IT! – a free evening of Physical and Visual Theatre

Parallel Exit, New York City’s award-winning physical theatre company, offers audiences a free opportunity to see some of New York’s most exciting physical and visual theatre artists in MOVE IT!

Featuring brand new physical theatre from Parallel Exit’s Joel Jeske, Mike Dobson, and Spencer Novich, dance-theatre from The Chase Brock Experience, clowning from Ishah Jannsen-Faith, and juggling from World Champion juggler Tony Duncan, MOVE IT! is presented at HERE Arts Center on Thursday March 19^th at 8:30pm.

Parallel Exit launched MOVE IT! in the fall of 2006 in order to support and promote the work of quality physical theatre artists and companies in New York City. This performance series appears throughout the year to invite audiences to experience the diversity and excitement of physical and visual theatre artists working in dance-theatre, mime, puppetry, clown, and circus.

MOVE IT!

Thursday March 19, 8:30pm, FREE

HERE Arts Center

145 6th Ave. (between Spring & Broome, enter on Dominick), Subway: C, E, 6 to Spring St.

For Tickets & Information: www.here.org 212-352-3101

This production is being presented through HERE’s Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support.

To find out more about Parallel Exit, the producer of the program, visit their website listed below:
http://www.parallelexit.net/

To find out more about some of the other artists, click on their names below:

Parallel Exit’s Joel Jeske, Mike Dobson, and Spencer Novich

The Chase Brock Experience

Ishah Jannsen-Faith

Tony Duncan

Rory Raven- Mentalist at the Frigid NY Fest

My friend Rory Raven is going to be at the Frigid NY festival. Rory is a mentalist who's got a pretty good show. He's been performing at Bright Night for the last few years, and he always rocks the house.

Although it's not really a clown show or even physical comedy, there's a fair amount of "mental comedy" in the show. And it's at the Red Room, same theatre complex as the NY Downtown Clown Revue. Close enough for me!

Anyway, if you have the opportunity, check it out. (and you'll get a discount too!)

FRIGID NEW YORK PRESENTS RORY RAVEN in BRAINSTORMING Rory Raven will read your mind. Thoughts will be revealed, spoons will bend. This one-man show is an interactive tour through the world of the mind and its powers, both real and imagined .... "A mind-reading, spoon-bending good time." - Newport Daily News "A mind-reading act that was quite a fascinating head-scratcher." - Providence Phoenix Thursday, Feb. 26, 9:00p Saturday, Feb. 28, 8:30p Monday, Mar. 2, 6:00p Tuesday, Mar. 3, 10:30p Saturday, Mar. 7, 2:30p Sunday, Mar. 8, 5:30p @ The Red Room 85 East 4th Street (between 2nd & 3rd), NYC Tickets ($10) available through Smarttix (212-868-4444) or online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info FRIGID Press Contact: Emily Owens emily@emilyowenspr.com (972) 743-3746 Contact Rory: rory@roryraven.com (401) 454-0977 More info about Rory: http://www.roryraven.com

Discount Code When ordering you tickets for Brainstorming at Frigid Fest through Smarttix, use the discount/coupon code "CORVUS" for $2 off your ticket. Corvus is Latin for Raven, of course.

Circus Finelli (SF) Nov 7-16

San Francisco, Ca. - Circus Finelli returns to Stage Werx after a sold out run last May. They present a Slavic slapstick cabaret with daring comedy and dangerous cutlery.
A one hour show of Circus Comedy fraught with mishap, sparkles, and sound effects. Come for sights to entice and delight: juggling, cows, contortion, dance and disaster.

Circus Finelli is interactive, bright fun. The “Slapstick Slavic Cabaret” is adult humor with kid sound effects. The show is infused with live music and sounds of the Circus: accordion and ukulele, trombone, crash cymbals and slide whistles. Come early for face-painting and games.

Your host at a Circus Finelli show is man-hungry ringmistress MadameVinaigrette (Verka Zaskodna). She is the Czech juggling bombshell with dangerous plans. She can joke with the audience in seven different languages. Her musical assistant and assailant is accordionista Luz (Luz Gaxiola). Carmelita (Molly Shannon) is the samba diva of a million costumes. And last is Pepito, exploding from all corners. "The Great Alecko; Strongest Man on Earth", will be appearing in the United States exclusively with Circus Finelli. known in Greece as “a demi-god”, Alecko will amaze audiences with
his impossible feats of strength.

Circus Finelli runs two weekends, Nov. 7, 8,9, and 14, 15,16. All shows start at 8pm, doors at 7:30. Stage Werx is located 533 Sutter Street between Powell and Mason. The theatre is close to the Powell Bart station, and is wheelchair accessible.


WHEN: November 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th, 16th 2008
Friday, Saturday and Sunday @ 8pm

WHERE: Stage Werx
533 Sutter Street, SF between Powell and Mason
Handicap accessible

TICKETS: $15 at the door or $15 at brownpapertickets.com/event/42383
$12 Students and Seniors

INFO: mail@circusfinelli.com

WEBSITE: http://www.circusfinelli.com
http://www.stagewerx.org

Naked Clown Calendar 2009

Seeking to raise money to cure Multiple Sclerosis, 16 graduates from the Clown Conservatory of 2008 have unveiled the 2009 naked clown calendar, which features them posing in nothing but their makeup and their birthday suits.

The proceeds from the calendar benefit the Judy Finelli Fund, which supports research and advocacy for cures and treatment of MS. Judy Finelli was one of the finest female jugglers ever. Throughout her career in the 1960s-80s, she made appearances at Carnegie Hall, on Sesame Street, on the Mike Douglas Show, with the Pickle Family Circus. She was also the first and only female president of the International Jugglers' Association. She was also a co-founder of the San Francisco School for Circus Arts (now the Circus Center, where the Clown Conservatory is located)

In 1989, Judy was diagnosed with MS. The illness progressed quickly, removing her ability to perform and disabling her to the point of quadriplegia by 2004. In spite of the effects of this devastating disease, Judy has remained an inspiration to the students of the Circus Center.

The Judy Finelli Fund, created in honor of Judy's life of performing and teaching, supports research and advocacy for cures and treatment of MS. It promotes artistic expression through circus arts training and enables those affected by MS to pursue their passions.

100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to the Judy Finelli Fund so that others throughout the world may aspire toward their dreams regardless of their limitations.


To purchase a calendar or to find out more, visit their website listed below:

http://www.nakedclowncalendar.com/

Nicole Feld in the NYT

Nicole Feld, daughter to Kenneth Feld, and heir apparent as Big Boss of the Ringling shows, has an article in the NY Times today, under the column: THE BOSS.

When I was at Clown College, Nicole came to the final graduation-- she was probably around 9 or so, and it was a big deal, because she was grading you along with everybody else, and the word was that if she didn't think you were funny, that was it-- you were out! I didn't get selected to go on the show (which was fine with me-- I didn't actually go there to work for Ringling-- I wanted to learn new theatrical skills-- it was only afterwards that I realized that I really loved being a clown.)

It's probably ACTUALLY true now, if Nicole doesn't think you are funny, you are OUT.


Anyway, here's the beginning of the article:

The Boss

The Call of the Circus

By NICOLE FELD; as told to AMY ZIPKIN

Published: August 3, 2008

MY grandfather Irvin Feld was a promoter. He bought Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1967. My father, Kenneth, joined the company, now Feld Entertainment, in 1970 and is C.E.O.

Skip to next paragraph

Heinz Kluetmeier

NICOLE FELD

Executive vice president of Feld Entertainment

AGE 30

HOMETOWN Washington, D.C.

FAVORITE QUOTATION “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” — Thomas Edison

When I was younger, my sisters and I would play with the clowns when school was out for the holiday, and they would have a project for us. We would make clothes for our stuffed animals and petticoats for our dolls.

When I was 8 or 9, the clowns made clown costumes, complete with big shoes, for my two younger sisters and me. We wanted to wear them and perform in the show.

Our father agreed to let us be in the show when the tour came through the Baltimore-Washington area. He told us that if we wanted to be in the show, we would have to perform on the work schedule of the other performers. Saturdays are always three-show days.

The clowns put clown makeup on us, and we were in all three performances. We got paid $3 a show. We were exhausted by the end of the day and fell asleep during the car ride home. Being a clown is a lot harder than it looks.

A year or two earlier, in a talent search, my father came across what looked like a one-horned goat. I don’t know where he found it. He created a show called “The Living Unicorn.” The “unicorn” became a torment to me during the entire two-year run of the show. I would come home from school crying, saying: “The kids called me a liar. There is no such thing.”

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

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

The Sprockets Circus

Great article on NPR's website about the Sprockets, a family circus of three that tours the world in a 1962 Bristol double decker bus with a top speed of 33 miles per hour.

The show features Scott Harrison, his wife Issabelle Feraud, and their 11 year old son Theo, who have been touring continuously since 1997. They ship their bus between continents, and have performed in 48 countries, and 6 continents. They are currently in the states, and are starting the process of writing a book about their journey.

Their shows are full of magic, juggling, acrobatics, daredevil unicycling and lots of slapstick humor. Scott was a juggling entrepreneur for a while in England, and then became a performer.

Find out more about the Sprockets on the websites listed below:

SPROCKETS WEBSITE: http://www.thesprockets.com

NPR Article/story: Circus Family Is Ready for a Safety Net

SPROCKETS FLICKR site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thesprockets/

Circus Flora presents Sherwood Forest June 5-22

Circus Flora is a one ring tent circus founded in 1985 by Ivor David Balding, Sheila and Sam Jewell and Alexandre Sacha Pavlata with the dual mission of entertainment and education. In 1986, the first Circus Flora production premiered at the internationally acclaimed Spoleto Festival, an annual celebration of the performing and visual arts in Charleston, S.C.

Circus Flora was established as a theater company, specializing in an ensemble, one-ring circus - performed in a big top tent - that would be accessible and affordable for all. This performing arts organization set out to acquaint audiences with the joy and power of the classic, European-style circus. It was named after Flora, the orphaned baby African elephant Balding had rescued two years earlier when ivory poachers in Africa killed her mother.

Circus Flora made St. Louis its home in 1987 with the help of Vince Schoemehl, the mayor of St. Louis at that time, and Richard Gaddes, then president of Grand Center, St. Louis’ creative and cultural district. Since then, the Circus Arts Foundation of Missouri (CAFM) has been the parent non-profit organization under which Circus Flora operates.


This year, Flora will present its 22nd anniversary production “Sherwood Forest," based on the legend of Robin Hood. Replete with jousts, mad adventures, and comedy, Robin Hood fights to bring justice to Sherwood Forest. The Circus Flora company becomes his merry band of outlaws, utilizing their skills to conduct daring raids against the tyrannies of the villain, the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham! They take from the rich and give to the poor, winning the hearts of the people, especially the lovely Maid Marian and her ladies-in-waiting.It is presented under the air-conditioned red and white big-top tent in St. Louis, where no audience member is further than 42 feet from the performance ring.

To find out more about Circus Flora's activities, including their educational programs, please visit their website listed below:

http://www.circusflora.org