New York Clown Theatre Festival

Tomorrow is the opening day of the New York Clown Theatre Festival at the Brick Theatre.

All the creme de la creme pie will be there wearing their best polka dot suits and slap shoes. Some of the folks presenting will be familiar to followers of the local clown and variety scene, such as Ambrose Martos (Manchego: The Birth of Cheese), Jeff Seal and Chris Manley (Neon Lights), and Miss Saturn (Hula Hella is Miss Saturn). The involvement of the latter points up the connections between clown and burlesque, a subject I address at some length in an essay in the next edition of the New York Theatre Review (due out this fall). The same essay plugs festival organizer Audrey Crabtree and her creative partner Lynn Berg in a big way, so don’t miss it! More info here anon. I can also endorse Legs and All, by Summer Shapiro and Peter Musante, having reviewed it on this blog some months ago.  As well as Coney Island Chris, whom I caught at the Bindlestiff show some months ago and mentioned with approval here. Then, you may want to support some of the hard working clowns who’ve traveled from afar just to take part. This year the festival has shows from Ukraine, Israel, Mexico, Wales, and also some foreign countries like California and Oregon. And, as clowns know best, brevity is the soul of wit. Most of these shows are well under an hour. For full details and a schedule, go here.

To find out more about the history of the variety arts, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.