2014 CLOWN FESTIVAL BEGINS...FIRST SHOWS...

Hello again and thanks for reading...

My favorite time of year has rolled around and here we are at another Clown Festival. The Brick Theater is the focal point of clowning in New York for the month of September, and well worth the trip to Williamsburg, Brooklyn (if you don't already live there). I live in Queens--the other, cooler Brooklyn  &:0)

I always try to see as many shows as possible during the course of the Festival. However, I will have to miss some due to scheduling conflicts. That's my advance apology to the performers whose shows I will not be able to attend. It kills me to miss anything in the Festival! A couple of other notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all performers are also creators of their shows. Showtimes listed will only convey next possible date to be seen--my posts sometimes come out too late for same day attendance.

For those performers new to New York, welcome! To those returning, welcome back! We are fortunate to have all of you right in our own backyard.

To the audience--you are the lucky recipients and patrons of this unique, offbeat, and funny theatrical form with a long tradition of various styles. Be prepared--many clowns interact with the audience and even make them part of the onstage antics.

"EVERYBODY DANCE NOW !"

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POOFY DU VEY in "BURDEN OF POOF", Courtney Cunningham, performer, 
Los Angeles, CA

9/6 7pm: First official show of the festival (Opening parade, pie fight and cabaret, notwithstanding) is not an easy spot to be in--the opening act of the entire festival! Poofy is a perfect way to begin. She is a charming clown who draws us in right from the top of the show. Well-attuned to the audience, her improvised interactions were sharp--she never missed a beat. Audience members new to clowning will have a wonderful first exposure to a clown's personal journey that is mystically intertwined with theirs, and employs many traditional elements of the form.

You can see it Wed. 9/10 @ 8:30 pm.

EIN TOD KOMMT (DEATH SELDOM COMES ALONE) Kerstin and Sepp Egerer, performers, Bavaria Germany

9/6 8:30 pm: As the title suggests, this show confronts a heavy subject, told on a very simple scale. We are not sure exactly who or where these two clowns are in the world, but their emotional life is very clear. Their story is a dark tale centered around a red balloon. This is not a laugh riot type of clowning. Kerstin and Sepp work well off of one another, and do not approach the audience directly. We are witness to a very personal story of suffering.

You can see it Thursday Sept. 11 at 9:30 pm