Clown News January

Clown News January 2010

Five Clowns Central to Danish Play

Clowns in the News: The Company of Fools are performing their version of vaudeville mirth and merriment at the Gladstone Theatre next month.

Turning the tragic into the hilarious is what performing Shakespeare’s Danish Play is all about for a Company of Fools.

“Shakespeare’s Danish Play is actually two stories,” said Scott Florence, one of the co-founders of the Company of Fools and a performer in the play. “It’s the story of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and it’s also a story of five clowns attempting to perform it.”

According to Florence, there has been a superstition in theatrical circles for several centuries that Macbeth is a cursed play, and that Shakespeare actually used real witches’ spells in the play.

“There is a long and storied history of tragic events happening,” he said, referring to prior productions of Macbeth throughout the years.

In The Danish Play, five clowns want to put on a production of Hamlet, believing that Hamlet is actually Shakespeare’s cursed play. Humour and hijinks ensue as these vaudeville performers try to replicate one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.

“A lot of actors won’t refer to Macbeth by name,” said Florence. “They’ll call it the Scottish play. The clowns refer to Hamlet as the Danish Play, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.”

One of the goals of the production is to be accessible to both fans of Shakespeare and the uninitiated.

“We’re not re-enacting the play,” said Alix Sideris, a newcomer to the Company of Fools who performs in the production. “But what it does do is that it may inspire people to read the play. We take a very classic play and offer it in such a way that it may intrigue (the audience) to read it.”

Merging clowns and fools within tragedy has always been a Shakespearean staple, even in his most tragic of plays. Shakespeare’s Danish Play takes that idea and runs with it by turning all the performers into fools. Shakespeare “believed in the power of laughter, and we’re just taking that and pushing it,” said Sideris.

A Company of Fools got its start in Ottawa in 1990, and The Danish Play represents the 20th anniversary of the production in its 21st season; Florence has been a part of it since the beginning.

“We’re an Ottawa-based Theatre company,” he said. “Part of our mandate is to create more original theatre for Ottawa audiences and then bring that theatre to audiences across Canada. We’re here to say that Ottawa is not the city where fun went to die, it’s the city where fun is coming to you.”

Want to go? • Shakespeare’s Danish Play runs at the Gladstone Theatre from Jan. 28 to Feb. 27.

• Tickets are available at the Gladstone Theatre box office at 910 Gladstone Ave., or by calling 613-233-4523. Or, you can visit the Gladstone Theatre website at www.thegladstone.ca.

Ringling Brothers Clowns Entertain Crowds at Stewart-Hunter, Encourage Reading

Clowns in the News: Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Clown Ambassadors of Reading Dave Gregg
and his wife Cherie.

FORT STEWART, HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, GA - More than 800 Family Members saw Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown Ambassadors of Reading perform at three locations at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, January 7th and 8th.

The husband-and-wife comedy duo, Dave and Cherie Gregg, are part of the Ringling Brothers Ambassadors of Laughter. They travel from city to city in their van as Ambassadors of Reading for "The Greatest Show on Earth," performing at schools, charities and other special events.

During each 45-minute performance, Dave read the book "Maximilian the Great," as Cheri made the crowd giggle as she shuffled across the stage showing the pictures. Once the book was finished, the clowns entertained the crowd with a circus magic show, full of laughter and juggling.

The duo asked for helpers from the crowd, and at each location their request for volunteers was met with hundreds of enthusiastic young arms in the air.

The clowns visited Brittin Elementary School at Fort Stewart, Jan. 8. The show was for all Brittin first-graders, as well as "Super Readers" from Brittin, Diamond and Kessler Elementary Schools who reached a reading milestone.

The clowns travel around the country with the circus and make appearances at local venues to teach children the importance - and fun - of reading.

"I saw an opportunity that these clowns would be in town about two weeks before their show is in town, and they said they'd be available to come to schools," said Dave Smith, Stewart-Hunter Youth Education Support Services Director. "I contacted them requesting that they come (to Stewart and Hunter) and said that we have all these military Families who have been effected by deployment. We put in that request, and they quickly accepted our request."

Once the request was set, Smith and other Stewart-Hunter educators decided on the three venues in which the Ambassadors of Laughter would entertain crowds. The first was the Hunter's School Aged Services Center, Jan. 7. The next day, Dave and Cheri appeared at Brittin Elementary and the Fort Stewart Youth Center. The Brittin show was the only one that had restrictions on who could attend; the other two were open to all Families.

The event was part of the circus's "Illuscination" production, which is appearing at the Savannah Civic Center, Jan. 21-24.

"If you ever want to get a great idea, or just read a great book, go to the library here (at the school), or the base library," Dave told the Brittin crowd.

After pulling a rubber chicken out of a magic hat, juggling clubs and giving everyone in attendance a red rubber nose, the clowns said their good-byes.

Got A Minute with Brenda Pace

Caasi the Clown

Clowns in the News: Caasi the Clown

A: I was the youth director at my church, Open Door Christian Fellowship, and wanted to involve the youth in ministering to the elderly in our community. I thought if my youth group developed some clown skills, we could take them to nursing homes and spread some joy. They were excited. It was in 1999.

A: I thought at the time that I would read a few books and be good to go. I started asking around to people I knew, teachers in the school. One teacher told me they were offering a class on clowning in Asheville. I took my first clown class from the Health Adventure in 1999. They had a troupe for awhile. Two months later, I had the opportunity to attend a week of advanced training at Kanuga Conference Center. Leon McBryde was the director of advanced studies and is a renowned Ringling Brothers clown. ... I've had classes in character development, makeup design, costuming, face painting, balloon art, plate spinning, pie throwing, ministry magic, storytelling, stilt walking, juggling, birthday parties.

A: It'd be easier to answer the other way: What do you not enjoy about being a clown? Because I love all of it. Seeing the delight on the faces of children of all ages, whether it is receiving a balloon or seeing their faces after I've painted them. With our older generations, it's singing and dancing that entertains and delights them.

A: Caasi's personality was quite naturally a white face. The white face is the highest status in the clown hierarchy and the oldest of modern clown archetypes. When white faces perform with other clowns, they usually function as the straight man, "Top Banana," or the leader of the group. ... A white face gets to be a whole lot prissier than anybody else. That's part of the joy. I can wear ruffles, and have sparkles in my makeup.

A: I have face-painted at the Golden Corral restaurant, Walmart and on Main Street. I entertain at birthday parties and corporate events. I am the director of a clown troupe in Hendersonville, "Caasi and the Clowns of Glory." Last year, we face-painted and twisted balloons at the Flat Rock Youth Theatre and entertained the residents at Beystone Assisted Living. We have participated in all the Relay For Life events in the area. We added laughter in the Flat Rock Ice Cream Social, and performed for the Kiwanis Club on Flag Day. Spring Arbor Assisted Living invited us and several churches invited us to assist with their VBS and Awanna programs. Camp Liberty has been a highlight for us for the past two years. We entertained at the Fruitland Block Party, several fall festivals and Sugarloaf School. ... I have led a clown troupe for several years now. I give opportunity for individual training in clowning skill development. Our local group is hosting a training event in the spring in the area. I face-paint and twist balloons regularly at Fun Depot in Asheville, two Saturdays a month. Every Tuesday evening, I twist balloons at Moe's Southwest Grill on Airport Road.

A: Most people are very positive and join right in the fun. Sometimes, I have teenagers and adults that say they are afraid of clowns. If a child is truly afraid, I will turn away from them so they aren't face to face with me. Sometimes, a sticker given to a mom or a dad softens their fears. Several children who were afraid of Caasi at first watched me for a while from a distance and became a friend before I left. That always pleases me.

A Little Relief at the Rodeo: Job Is Fun But Dangerous

Clown is Half Comic, Half Protector

Clowns in the News: Clifton "Hollywood" Harris puts on his makeup as he gets ready Friday for the Professional Bull Riders Battle of the Bulls at the Amarillo National Center

Hollywood Harris remembers the encounter like it was yesterday - facing down the baddest bull he's ever known.

Harris, a professional rodeo clown, was 31 years old when a half-ton bobtail Mexican fighting bull named Spanish Two Step shoved him down in an Orlando, Fla., arena and went to work.

"He mopped the entire arena floor with me, and I couldn't get away from him," Harris said. "He had his crooked horn in my pants." Twenty seconds later, Harris was able to escape the testosterone-charged animal, and he crawled to safety with 6,000 people watching. Amazingly, he suffered only a 1-inch gash to his head, which he butterflied shut.

"I had two more performances, one that night and one the next day," said Harris, who brings his act to Amarillo this weekend for a bull-riding event.

As a rodeo clown, Harris is a professional paradox. He is half comic, half protector of the vulnerable bull rider, who has either been bucked off or has dismounted. While the clown distracts the bull by dashing around the arena or dodges him behind a padded barrel, the rider can run to safety. In just another moment, the clown, historically unrelated to the circus clown, might go into comedy mode, entertaining the crowd that has come to expect his mime and physical humor.

Harris, now 49, of Micanopy, Fla., will take the same risks for a laugh tonight during the second evening of the Professional Bull Riders' Battle of the Bulls and Concert Series. The 2� hours of bull riding, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Amarillo National Center, will feature the eight-second competition for 46 professional riders.

The job of rodeo clown was one born of necessity in the late 1800s or early 1900s, said Gail Woerner, author of "Fearless Funny Men: The History of the Rodeo Clown," published in 1993.

The first clown was a cowboy sent to the arena to entertain the crowd during the long rodeos of the early days, she said.

"So (the producer) grabbed a cowboy and said, 'I'll pay you a buck or two bucks to entertain the audience.' In other words, the rodeo clown was only someone to make the audience laugh. He was a buffoon," Woerner said from her home in Austin.

The job evolved over the years from simple comic to comic and protector with the introduction of the ill-tempered Brahma bull and it divided again in 1960, when clowns became barrel men - they provided most of the comic relief for the rodeo - and athletic bull fighters assumed most of the protective role, she said.

Harris is a barrel man, blessed with the gift for physical comedy, while two bull fighters will do their best to distract angry animals. As he prepares to move into his 50s, Harris is not as fast as he used to be and is unwilling to suffer the injuries of his youth: separated shoulders, a twice broken leg, a twice broken arm, several fractured ribs and broken ankles.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Clowns in the News: The Coastal Caring Clowns

The Sunshine Coast’s caring clowning group, ‘Coastal Caring Clowns’, is holding an introductory clowning workshop “Clowning for Beginners !” on Saturday 6th March.

The workshop will run from 9 00 am until 4.00 pm. The venue will be in KAWANA. It is necessary to book in advance for the workshop which will cost $25.00 and will include a light lunch.

The workshop is generously supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and Starshots Maroochydore.

Coastal Caring Clowns (CCC) are inspired by the work of Patch Adams and strongly believe that “laughter is the best medicine”.

For 9 years the clowns have been visiting hospitals, nursing homes and respite centres on the Coast, and the demand for the fun they bring to those they visit means more clowns are needed (the group has 14 actively clowning members at the moment, 10 women, 4 men – supported by 8 non-clowning members). Visits are both on weekdays and weekends.

“Most of us have a clown inside – why not join us and let it out” said Kevin Furness, President of CCC; “it doesn’t matter how old you are – anyone can be a clown – our clowns range from 18 – 80 years old.

At the workshop, participants will learn some of the history of caring clowning, clown make-up and costume, simple magic and balloon sculpturing, as well as playing some quite stupid games – “we aim to make the workshop a real fun experience” said Kevin.

CLOWNING FOR BEGINNERS Kawana 06 March 2010 8an start - 4pm finish Cost: $25 which includes all materials, lunch & refreshments

Plenty of Clowning Around for 'Go Seek' Crew

Clowns in the News: Richard Butler, who plays Crunch the Clown and Stacey Garrett as Tizzy. Picture: Alan Place

HAVING buckets of water tipped over your head or falling off the back of old jallopies aren’t part of Crunch the Clown’s bag of tricks - but he’s still fun and children adore him!

Crunch is one of the star attractions of the Go Seek show that has become something of an institution int Memorial Park, at The Entrance. The team has been appearing there for eight years and many are on first-name terms with their audience.

They’ll be at the park again on Saturday, entertaining and delighting audiences of all ages. Go Seek members write their own music and have performed to thousands of children around the country.

Parents have told the performers they are impressed by their style, catchy tunes and natural skill for interacting with children.

“The Entrance is one of our favourite venues,” Keren Alexander, a psychologist, who started the show nine years ago said.

“Although we’re based in Sydney and we do a lot of shows in the metropolitan region - we never fail to accept an invitation to come back to the Central Coast.”

“Our material is stimulating, informative and interactive which is why it’s so appealing to children,” she said.

“We cover everything from music appreciation to healthy eating messages and the importance of exercise, while children just love to sing along with to our catchy songs. “Even parents join in without any coaxing.”

Crunch the Clown is just one of many faces that actor, dancer and singer Richard Butler puts on for the show.

The make-up routine is often a long and arduous task but he said the enjoyment children took from the characters made it all worthwhile.

“Obviously the attention span of children varies and you can’t let up for a moment,” Butler said.

“Once you get them in you have to hold them and that’s where it’s so very important to have material that is stimulating.”

Butler had no doubts children were as enthralled with the show’s clowns, pirates and super heroes as ever before and reactions had never changed.

“The younger ones are a bit overawed to start with but quickly come on board while those a little bit older and into their early teens get into it from the start,” he said.

“Super heroes and funny dress-up characters may change a bit in appearance as time goes by, but they’re basically the same and if we can get an educational message across - even though we look a bit stupid - then it’s all worthwhile.”

Go Seek will entertain school holiday families at Memorial Park Stage, at The Entrance, on Saturday, January 23.

What Began As A Theme, Turned Into A Career for Peatrowsky

Clowns in the News:
Sweetheart the Clown

Marie Peatrowsky isn’t offended if she walks into a room and young children start to cry.

When you’re wearing full clown makeup, a bright-pink wig and giant clown shoes, you never know how youngsters may react.

“At kids’ parties I get a little bit of everything,” said Peatrowsky of Fremont, who portrays Sweetheart the Clown. “I’ve gone to a 2-year-old party and mom was so excited. And you go in and the whole room starts screaming.

“So you put down your magic and you sit on the floor with your puppets and just play with your puppets.”

Eventually, even the most petrified children almost always warm up to Sweetheart. “Before you leave they all have to hug you,” she said. “I always give a lot of hugs. That’s my favorite.”

She got her start as Sweetheart the Clown in 1988 due to her involvement in the Eagles Club. Each year, the state president picks a theme and that year it happened to be clowns. So Peatrowsky and other women of the local Eagles Club dressed up as clowns and walked in a parade in south Omaha.

“Two little girls came up and said I was the best clown there and gave me some pictures they drew,” Peatrowsky said. “And I’ve been doing it ever since.”

She doesn’t have a lot of formal clown training besides going to conventions where she learned about such things as balloon art and magic.

At one seminar which her husband, Tom, sent her to, Peatrowsky met up with a clown from Omaha who goes by the name Carrot Top. She got Peatrowsky involved in the Omaha Clown-Dum.

Peatrowsky also is a member of Clowns of America International, so she is a registered clown, although her clown face is not registered.

Putting on her makeup complete with a pink heart painted on her nose is a bit time consuming.

“It takes about a half hour to put the makeup on and about a half hour to take it off because you set it with baby powder, so it doesn’t easily come off,” Peatrowsky said.

She’s had several different looks over the years. For the past 4-5 years, Peatrowsky has gone with darker hair. Her clown costume was specially made in Texas and she wears the customary big clown shoes, which she said actually are quite comfortable and easy to walk in.

“Everybody can’t believe I drive with my big clown shoes. They just fit perfect,” she said.

Besides birthday parties, Sweetheart the Clown has made appearances at grand openings, John C. Fremont Days, Relay for Life, Fremont Area Medical Center’s Health Tracks and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church’s Fun Festival. She also visits local nursing homes and retirement communities.

Peatrowsky does magic, face painting and balloon art, but her puppets are what she treasures most.

“I had went to church one day and I had asked God to give me something special. And then I got into this clowning bit,” she said.

While working at a local convenience store, Peatrowsky is often asked if she is Sweetheart. Customers say her voice gives it away.

When she thinks back to how reserved she was in high school, Peatrowsky said it’s hard to believe how she’s now often in the spotlight. During high school, she was about to sing a solo at a large music contest, but instead she panicked and ran out.

“I was fine when I was in a big group of people, but when I was by myself I was petrified,” she said. “I could never speak in front of people. I guess as another character you just let loose easier.”

Summer is the busiest time for Peatrowsky as Sweetheart. But that doesn’t keep her from staying busy the rest of the year.

She is active in the Eagles Club, having served as president in 1988, 1998 and 2007. She currently is a first-year trustee. Given the Eagles’ theme of “People Helping People,” Peatrowsky works on many projects which help to raise money for several charities.

The first Wednesday of each month, Peatrowsky makes pork tenderloins for a dinner hosted by the Eagles Club.

“Everybody knows Marie for her pork tenderloins. ... I got that recipe when I worked at Kindler’s Cafe and I’ve kept it ever since,” she said.

On Thursdays, she makes the homemade soups for the Eagles’ hamburger night. She also helps with bake sales, pie and ice cream socials and funeral luncheons.

Peatrowsky’s latest project is working the concession stand during the summer horse shows at Christensen Field.

When her two sons, George, now 32, and Casey, now 29, were younger, Peatrowsky was secretary of Boy Scout Troop 104 for 10 years. She also was secretary for the youth bowling association.

Between all of her volunteering and portraying Sweetheart the Clown, Peatrowsky isn’t left with much free time. But she doesn’t mind, nor does her family.

“My husband is pretty understanding,” she said. “He just lets me do what I want to. That’s probably been the reason we’ve been married 33 years.”

Come Prepared for A Terrific Time

Clowns in the News: Russian clowns are known for being the centrepiece of the show.

The director of the Moscow Circus hopes that its upcoming show will not only entertain, but act as a bridge to Russian culture.

Global Entertainment Production's Moscow Circus show 'A Russian Winter's Tale' begins on January 29, as part of the Bermuda Festival for the Performing Arts programme.

It has, so far, proved to be one of the most sought after shows, with tickets selling out almost immediately, even with the addition of extra shows.

"Come prepared to have a terrific time," said Moscow Circus Director and Producer Sasha Vorsk. "Come to see more than just a circus. We are trying hard to give audiences a piece of Russian culture."

The Moscow Circus has on offer acrobats, hand balancers, jugglers, clowns and one non-human performer: "We have one terrific veteran animal performer that is with us with every tour," he said. "He is a partner in the acrobatic duo of Andrey and Kirya. Kirya is a small and extremely talented dog."

Mr. Vorsk said the Bermuda audience could expect a variety of acrobatics, gymnastics, aerial acts and contortion, among other things.

"We have very interesting clowns," said Mr. Vorsk. "They are not the American type of clowns. Russian clowns are known for being the centerpiece of the show. Sometimes whole shows are built around the clowns."

During the show, audiences will hear Russian music and see Russian and Ukranian performers. "It is a kind of cultural exchange," said Mr. Vorsk. "That is why we like to do it. It is not just the circus for the circus' sake. "

Mr. Vorsk currently lives in Brooklyn, New York but grew up in Kiev, Russia. His path to the circus was not a straight one.

"My mother was an architect and I was always drawing," said Mr. Vorsk. "Architecture seemed to be the thing to do."

But from a young age, he learned mime from an uncle. As a teenager he studied mime, stand-up comedy and theatre in Moscow. While studying architecture at the Moscow University of Architecture he kept performing on the side.

He joined the Russian airforce and entertained the troops. Eventually, he went back to school to study at the prestigious Moscow College of the Circus and Variety Arts, also known as the Moscow Circus School.

He said it was interesting to consider how architecture had influenced his circus work. "They say that architecture is the mother of art," he said. "In a way it might have influenced things. It probably helps me to structure the show. A lot of movie directors in the United States started out as architects."

When he moved to the United States in 1981 he spoke no English. He worked as an illustrator while he got the language down. But, eventually, his sights strayed back to performing.

In 1990, he created and co-produced the Emmy Award-winning HBO feature film, 'Billy Crystal — Midnight Train to Moscow'.

Eight years later, he and his wife Lena, an acrobat, began producing Moscow Circus shows and organising tours around the United States.

Clowns in the News: Kirya the dog,
'small and extremely talented,' performs in the Moscow Circus with Andrey Loshkin.

"The duties are quite wide ranging," he said. "I am extremely fortunate to have this job."

As a producer, he first develops the concept for an act, then recruits performers to carry out his idea. "I go back to Russia and the Ukraine and audition performers that fit the concept," he said. "I take raw technique and turn each act into what I need for the show.

"I put all the acts together and go back to the drawing board and do sketches for the sets and costumes. Then I put together the music, the way I conceive it."

The Moscow Circus is descended from the Old Moscow Circus started 130 years ago in Russia.

"Like everything else, the Moscow Circus has gone though a few transitions over time, but the Moscow Circus of today takes its roots from the old Moscow Circus started in 1880," said Mr. Vorsk.

Following the turmoil of the 1917 revolution, the circus was allowed to continue in the Soviet Union, because it was considered an egalitarian activity.

"There are 18 performers in the Moscow Circus," Mr. Vorsk said. "My job is to make the audience believe that we really have a cast of 40. Our performers have multiple talents and each appears in different acts and groups."

Most of the performers are from Russia and the Ukraine so Bermuda winter weather will make for a bit of a change. "We are starting in California," said Mr. Vorsk. "From there we are flying to Bermuda. Then they will get a real taste of American cold as they are going on to Illinois."

He said in the winter of 2008, they went to Alaska where temperatures were minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mr. Vorsk said he was happy to say that they sold out in most places they visited. "We take these little signs with us that say 'all sold out. No more tickets'."

He said it has got slightly harder to find circus performers since the fall of the Soviet Union, because people now have a greater choice about what they did for a living. "It is part of being an open society now," he said. "Finding performers was easier when everything was controlled."

But he said some things were better. Russian circus schools were now much more prominent in the world, and were influencing the big circuses like Cirque Du Soleil. And that in turn had a positive effect on the smaller circuses.

"Many circuses around the world, are thanks to Cirque Du Soleil, getting so popular," he said. "A lot of performers are invited to perform around the world. In our case, sometimes when I can't find someone, we develop our own talent."

He said as with any circus, there was an element of danger involved for the talent. "The only way to avoid problems is to be well-prepared and have reliable people responsible for the rigging and the things the performers depend on for their safety," he said.

He said they were fortunate to have American production and stage manager, Joe Sharp.

He and his wife now have two children of their own ages three and five-years-old.

"They have been traveling with us since they were about four-months-old," he said. "They love it. We do as well with five and six-year-olds as well as 75-year-olds. The show is not geared for the kids, but kids find it fascinating."

The Bermuda Festival is on from January 20 to March 6. The Moscow Circus is on January 29, 30 and 31 at The Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts. Unfortunately, all shows are sold out.

Kids' Variety Show Part of Chicago Sketch Festival

Clowns in the News: On stage in New York, Gordon White clowns around with other cast members of Cirque de Soleil’s show entitled Kooza.

"The Ankle Todd Show" is an audience interactive comedy geared to teach kids how to make every day special and fun, said Todd Obuchowski, the show's creator, director, writer and cast member.

The 50-minute show gets kids and adults involved. Upon entering the theater, the audience is given red clown noses to make them part of the show.

Show time is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12.50. On Jan. 23, the show will return to its original venue for open-run performances at 4 p.m. every Saturday at the Playground Improv Theater, 3209 N. Halsted. Tickets are $7 for those 10 years and older; $5 for kids under 10. For more information, call (312) 590-4380 or visit www.TheAnkleToddShow.com.

Finding Your Inner Clown

Clowns in the News: On stage in New York, Gordon White clowns around with other cast members of Cirque de Soleil’s show entitled Kooza.

Clowning is a serious business – just ask Gordon White and Elaine Brewer-White, who will be offering a two-day Physical Comedy and Clowning workshop for adults at South Surrey’s Chameleon Studio.

It’s one, they admit, where there’s no better pay-off than having an audience falling about, laughing at you.

But getting to that point, however, takes hard work and an intense focus – and it’s a taste of that they’re hoping to give to actors this Sunday (Jan. 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, March 14 (3 - 6 p.m.) at the studio, 20 15531 24 Ave.

In spite of pre-conceived notions of knockabout comedy being something crude and unrefined, the couple say, it’s actually an extension of the acting process; becoming more aware of – and more in control of – one’s physical presence as a vehicle for expression and swaying an audience.

“The term is ‘finding your clown’ – and it can be a real deep search,” Brewer-White said.

“It’s nothing to do with large shoes and a red nose – it has to do with taking risks and finding the inner core of character. We all have a clown within us.”

White has appeared as a lead clown performer for Cirque du Soleil for some 17 years, originating roles in Kooza and the new vaudeville-style show Banana Shpeel, about to open at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway, as well as inheriting roles in productions of Varekai and Saltimbanco.

Brewer-White is head facilitator for The Comedy Factory, a corporate entertainment company, and has taught improvisation and clowning workshops across North America, as well as teaching improv as a regular faculty member of the studio.

The workshop is aimed at grooming potential candidates for auditions Cirque du Soleil will hold in Vancouver in the late spring, in which the burgeoning Montreal-based organization will be giving West Coast performers a comparatively rare chance to try out for a variety of clown roles in productions from Las Vegas to Japan.

But Brewer-White said even those who don’t plan to audition for Cirque – including actors interested in increasing their range – can benefit from adding physical comedy skills to their repertoire.

Chameleon director Tom Pickett said he leapt at the chance to present such an adult program at the studio when it was suggested by the couple.

“This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been wanting to do to lift up the talent pool in this area,” he said.

The first workshop session, led by the couple, will focus on finding the inner clown, breaking down inhibitions and resistance and being willing, figuratively if not literally, to fall flat on one’s face.

The follow-up session, led by Brewer-White will focus on polishing the characters that participants have developed.

“I started in legitimate theatre and started branching into physical comedy. When I started, one of the problems was how to describe what I was doing. If I said ‘clowning,’ people thought of big shoes; if I said ‘mime;’ they thought white face and striped shirt; and ‘comedy’ meant doing standup.”

White said that while images of circus clowns of old are hard to dispel, the character-driven work of silent screen giants such as Chaplin and Keaton comes closer to the mark of what physical comedy can do.

It’s a less-is-more approach in which a simple turn of the head in reaction can be funnier than the biggest pratfall.

“If you look at people who are clowning but aren’t really funny, it’s usually because they’re trying to do too much,” he said

Citing Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean as a good example of a modern-day clown, White said participants in the workshop won’t be guided to develop a routine, but a character – like Mr. Bean – who can spark a routine merely by being placed in a situation, particularly one in which “things go wrong.”

Send In the Clown

Clowns in the News: Meeks applies his clown face with a paint brush backstage before the bull-riding competition.

Rory Meeks carefully outlines an exaggerated circle around his eyes with a thick, black pencil.

A white shirt covered with black spots hangs behind him as he uses a paintbrush to cover his face with white face paint.

In a matter of minutes, Meeks transforms from cowboy to clown, wearing bright white shoes and baggy jeans held up by red suspenders.

He's ready to trot in front of the audience at the Five Flags Arena and ham it up for the crowd, while also relying on his instincts from decades in the rodeo world to protect bucked riders from the bulls.

Meeks is a former bull rider and was producer for the Anderson Weber Toyota Championship Bull Riding contest. The contest ran Friday and Saturday.

Meeks spent some of Saturday's performance climbing up into the stands to get some laughs.

"You look like the biggest canary I've ever seen!" Meeks announced to a member of Saturday's audience who was donning a bright yellow shirt, drawing laughter from the crowd.

A native of Marion and a graduate of the University of Dubuque, Meeks got involved with rodeos in 1976. He was introduced to it by a friend from high school.

He said some aspects of his routine remain the same from venue to venue, like teasing the announcer and spouting off silly lines to audience members. But much of his act is done spontaneously.

Rodeo clown Rory Meeks, of Marion, Iowa, bravely holds a prop above his head for Texas Jack to whip into pieces during a break in competition Saturday at Five Flags Arena.

Meeks' friend, Texas Jack Fulbright, said Meeks has a special gift for comic performance. "If you're into it with your heart and soul, it's just gonna flow out of you," Fulbright said. "He's got that," he said, nodding toward Meeks.

Despite the comedic aspects of the job, there's plenty of danger in distracting the angry bulls, which is why rodeo clowns often are referred to as bullfighters.

Meeks kept going with his performance Saturday even after one cowboy was kicked in the groin and fell to the ground in pain outside the ring. Paramedics surrounded the cowboy, but Meeks kept the crowd focused on himself.

Meeks admits that watching bull riders getting hurt in the ring is the most difficult part of the job.

"That was always hard, watching them get beat up," he said, adding that the job also is a lot of work.

The set-up at Five Flags took about four days, and Meeks said Saturday night's clean-up would last until 5 or 6 a.m.today.

Despite the effort involved and the pressure of ongoing travel, Meeks said it provides the chance to see friends like Fulbright and to meet new people.

Ringling Brothers Clowns Visit Children's Hospital

Clowns in the News: Husband and wife clown couple Dave and Cherie Gregg entertain 5-year-old Viniya Young and her mother, Brittany Young, in their room at Backus Children's Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center. (John Carrington/Savannah Morning News)

Members of The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown troupe brought fun and games to the young patients at Backus Children's Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center on Thursday.

The comical duo of Dave & Cherie Gregg travel ahead of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus tour making guest appearances as a community service.

The event was part of the circus' "Barnum's FUNundrum" production, where ambassador clowns will visit and entertain children.

Clown Club Prescribes Laughter for All

Clowns in the News:
Members of West Suburban Clown Club

If laughter is the best medicine, a La Grange-based group is doing its best to stay healthy and spread the cure to whatever ails you in life.

"As a clown, it's so much fun to see people's faces," said Deb Kennedy of Countryside, also known as Bloomer. "It's nice to make people happy if only for one minute."

One look at Kennedy's clown costume and bystanders can't help but smile. Bright shades of pink and purple highlight an oversized dress with jumbo pockets, giant shoes, striped socks and bloomers that can stretch down to cover stilts.

Kennedy, who began clowning several years ago to help with fund raising and children's events, joined the West Suburban Clown Club two years ago to hone skills, learn new tricks and meet experienced performers. She specializes in stilt-walking.

"They're very inspirational people," she said of her fellow clowns. At age 89, Violet Fross of Willowbrook is among the group's most admired members, both for her outlook on life and commitment to clowning.

"Clowning is good for you. It keeps me like I'm young," Fross said. "And I exercise faithfully. I do yoga five times a week, the Body Electric and Sit and Be Fit."

More than 20 years ago, Fross signed up for a creative writing class but switched to take the Art of Clowning. Her husband joined in the fun, and the two became Mr. and Mrs. Sparkles.

Fross said she no longer entertains at parties, but takes part in the parades and other events sponsored by the West Suburban Clown Club, such as a December appearance at a children's group home.

"If I can shed God's love for 10 minutes in a situation like this, it's a privilege and a blessing for me," she said. "Clowning is not hard work. It's a joy."

The club, celebrating it's 25th year, has about 34 members who meet at 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month at Meadowbrook Nursing Home, 339 S. 9th Ave., in La Grange. Details are at www.performforthelove.com/wscc.

"You meet all different kinds of people and learn a little something different," said Mike Pepe of Norridge. "Everyone has a different kind of skill to share.

"Our meetings might be on twisting balloons, or being a ventriloquist, stilt-walking or jugging."

Pepe, who wears an assortment of costumes as Lumpy, said he was attracted to being a circus performer as a child.

"When I was a kid, I learned how to do balloons and magic tricks," he recalled. "At Halloween, I always put a clown face on."

Pepe and several other club members get their wish to join the circus each spring at the Triton Troupers Circus, a continuing education class with performances at Triton College in River Grove.

"I've done the circus for 11 years," said Marcia Baron of Willowbrook, the club's president.

In performing as Ruffles, Baron said she has learned to be sensitive to children.

"For kids who are scared, we do back away," Baron said. "We let the child come to us and don't go to the children."

Many of the club's members got their start as clowns through a circus class taught in the 1980s through Lyons Township High School's continuing education classes for adults. The instructor, Lynda Miller of Lyons, founded the club.

"It was wonderful; one of the best things I've ever done is to become a clown," said former Western Springs resident Pat Dalton, who took the class in 1989 and now lives in Chicago Ridge.

"I like all the good people I've met, and I love working with children," said Dalton, also known as Paddy.

"It's better than seeing a psychologist," Dalton said. "It's a lot more fun and a lot less expensive."

Chuck Rice of Joliet, a club member for 15 years, said he enjoys doing balloon sculptures and bantering as Charlie with Pepe in a barrage of clean jokes.

"I like to interact with the crowd, especially the seniors," Rice said. "If we can make you smile, we walk away much brighter."

Taking Music Seriously to Make People Laugh

Remembering Victor Borge

Clowns in the News: Victor Borge

Victor Borge often said that was his philosophy of life, and he walked that talk his whole career. Borge was born 101 years ago tomorrow and died 10 years ago Dec. 23, but, no matter what the date is, it is always a good time to remember the Clown Prince of Denmark. And we remember him with affection, for we really appreciate the people who make us laugh.

Although Borge was good at making people laugh all his life, his primary vehicle was music. In fact, Borge was a good musician, someone from which savvy musicians could learn. He was born Borge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen, and both his parents were professional musicians -his father a violinist and his mother a pianist. Borge began piano studies when he was two and showed great talent from the beginning.

At this point most people go on to list milestones like giving his first public recital at age eight, but I would prefer to talk about the sheer musicality and wit of this clever child. Badgered by his parents to perform for dinner guests he would oblige, announcing "a sonata by Beethoven." Then he would sit down and improvise something out of his head in a vaguely classical style and wait eagerly for the comments. He was often rewarded with: "My favourite Beethoven," or "Never heard that piece played so well."

His delight in such playful deceptions fuelled many of his comic acts for years to come. He would bring someone on stage, toy with their ability to make music, then give them a chance to show what they could really do. Such was his work with coloratura soprano Marilyn Mulvey, falling off the bench for her high notes, pointing out the repetition of words and otherwise drawing good fun from her singing of opera arias.

In the same line were his piano duets performing Liszt's ("Fliszt" in Borgespeak) Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 or Chopin's Minute Waltz. The Liszt caricatures all the foibles of two players at one piano: sharing the bench, sharing the keyboard, sharing the pedal and getting in the last note. But the Chopin is a tour de force of virtuosity with both players sharing a piano stool between two grands and revolving from one piano to the next as they play.

These acts defy written description so thank goodness for YouTube where you can laugh away your troubles with the deep humour of Victor Borge. Even when you know exactly what's coming you still relish his jokes to the fullest.

Moreover, as you watch these videos you can see what good musicians Borge chose to work with, and they seem to be well known outside of their association with the Great Dane. Although I can't find any contemporary news about Zhahan Azruni, the young "Armenian" pianist in the Liszt, Leonid Hambro of the Chopin performed with Borge for about10 years and had an excellent reputation around New York City before and after that time. Likewise Marilyn Mulvey had a good reputation in opera and concert circles.

But what I really want to draw attention to is Borge's musicality. Another YouTube video of the same type illustrates this superbly. When you Google "Victor Borge improvising on the piano" you will find the comedian at the triumphant conclusion of an orchestral concert in celebration of his 80th birthday. The crowd is ecstatic and the first violinist suggests they do an encore. Whether planned or not (and Borge was famous for never rehearsing his routines with any of his professional musicians) they decide to perform the famous gypsy piece Czardas by Vittorio Monti.

What follows is claimed to be Borge improvising an accompaniment to violinist Anton Kontra's performance of this famous piece, and it certainly gives that appearance. One way or the other, while the harmonies for this bit of showy writing for the violin are not very complicated, Borge goes way beyond a simple accompaniment to provide music that is both interesting in itself and a hilarious commentary on the violin part.

This is also what Borge does in a number of other situations, accompanying Mulvey or sharing the Minute Waltz with Hambro. His very musical and inventive mind supplies lots of other tunes for us to recognize beyond the piece they had set out to perform.

He also does all of this without music. Despite all his other great skits with music, playing the melody upside-down before turning the page right way up or the excellent jokes with a page turner, Borge knew his music and knew it well. Every once in a while he would let us hear what he could really do, but he was more interested in letting us hear this often-heard music with fresh ears.

Borge once commented, "To people who take music seriously, I'm a musician. To people who don't take music seriously, I'm a comedian. To people who don't take anything seriously, I'm a clown." But the best clowns have an act based on real life, and a lot of training to make what they do seem spontaneous and unrehearsed. We can learn a lot about life and ourselves by watching them, and somehow laughter aids our digestion of these lessons.

As we laugh our way through Victor Borge's legacy as a gifted musical clown, we also learn something of the art of music.

Murray Charters (murraysmusic@rogers.com) is a musician, teacher and writer in Brantford who wonders if anyone else remembers the musical clowning of cellist Morey Amsterdam.

Clowning Around

Clowns in the News: Something is fishy here - When it comes to balloon manipulation, Tinsel is a true magician.

With his talent for balloon manipulation, Tinsel has become Fredericton's clown of choice for all occasions.

The man behind the carefully applied face paint is Ray Mulholland. He's been clowning around since 1975, when he lived in Summerside, P.E.I.

"I couldn't come up with a name," he said. "I was looking in the mirror and no name came to me, so I was just 'The Clown.'"

The name Tinsel didn't come until the early 1980s. It was given to him by someone who said that his outfit made him look like a Christmas tree covered in tinsel. Mulholland first got interested in being a clown thanks to a Halloween dance, where everyone dressed up in costume.

"At Towers department store, I found some interesting material on a remnants table in the curtain section. My wife, the seamstress, put it all together and she and I had matching costumes," he says. The couple won first prize for their clown outfits. That original costume lasted until 1998 or 1999, he says.

"My wife is not as adventurous as I am. She only wore it the one time," he says, laughing as he adds, "So I had a backup costume."

Being a clown was a good fit for Mulholland, as he has "a bit of a sense of humour" and enjoys putting a smile on someone's face. "I like having fun," he says. "And that (Halloween) party was an absolute blast."

He has also discovered that by having a different persona, you can do things that you wouldn't do in your own identity.

"Everybody needs a laugh. Laughter is by far the best medicine," he says. "There is a time and a place for laughter, and it is everywhere and every time."

After that costume party, Mulholland would take whatever clowning opportunities arose, always willing to dress up and entertain.

"There is sort of a creed of how to behave when you're a clown. Definitely no smoking or drinking or unkind language," he says.

He also notes that you can't approach people who know you out of costume the same way while in costume. "You have to be aware of how people of all ages are reacting to you and adjust your behaviour accordingly so that the fear factor is not there," he says.

He loves "the look of joy on children's faces when they're around, the reactions of children of all ages. In most cases the children do really silly things, and that adds to my excitement as an entertainer because I'm having a positive reaction from that child."

Mulholland is at the Boyce Farmers' Market almost every weekend and has many regulars. He's also performed at birthday parties, reunions and even a wedding and a wake. He's never given away a bride, but he'd be happy to do so.

He has been part of a couple different clown troupes, both here and while living in Germany, and is a member of Clowns Canada and Toronto Clown Alley. Tinsel has performed from coast-to-coast in Canada, in the U.S. and in 12 European countries.

"Clowns can be a source of joy, a source of happiness. Clowns can help people to relive their own childhood," he says.

While Tinsel used to speak while performing, he no longer does so. "The non-speaking adds to the magic," he says. "Tinsel can communicate without speaking."

Milo Leahy, another member of Clowns Canada, said he can't imagine keeping quiet while clowning around as Milo "T" Clown. "I started out as Milo the Mime, but if you knew me you'd understand that silence is not in my personality. I just couldn't 'mime' my own business," he says.

Not counting his time as class clown, this Nova Scotian has been doing this for about 24 years.

"I have always loved entertaining children, but it all began when a friend of mine and I went to a festival in downtown Halifax on Halloween 1985. We dressed up as mimes and had a lot of fun," he says. "Several tourists stopped to get a photo with us, and I really enjoyed how free I felt to be just plain silly."

Much of it comes naturally to him, but once Leahy joined Clowns Canada in 1994 he received professional training through a variety of workshops and mentors.

"In 2005 my clown partner Chuckles the Clown and I went to a Clowns International convention in (England). There were 200 clowns there from all over the world, and we were representing Canada," he says. "I am proud to say that Chuckles and I won the Taffy/Stone Slapstick Award for the best use of slapstick in a routine. We each received a silver plaque to take home and our names join the rest on a trophy that is on display in the Clowns Gallery Museum in London, England."

While this began as a hobby, Leahy says it's now a business as well, one that brings joy to him as well as others.

"It keeps me young at heart. I have always said that if the day ever comes when I am only doing it for profit, I will hang up the clown shoes for good, because my heart simply won't be in it," he says. "But I don't envision that day ever coming. I will be clowning until I am no longer able to, due to old age or illness."

SBI!