I am thrilled to perform in "What Are You?", created by Nicolette Emmanuel, at 7 Stages Theater. The show previews on November 7 and opens on November 9.
This production is the third installment of this project I've enjoyed contributing to over the past several years. The opportunity to present this piece in front of a live audience at 7 Stages adds a dimension to the experience, making it feel even more impactful, and we have the opportunity to perform a longer run of the show.
Read MoreI find great joy in the work of hospital clowning, especially because of the wonderful support we receive from the hospital staff, including the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. It's heartwarming to see the smiles on their faces when we arrive, and it's even more fulfilling when they join us in our activities, such as singing and playing music. In a previous post (link here), I shared about the time Dr. Levine joined us in singing a lullaby to the patients in the NICU.
During my recent visit to the hospital, I was delighted to encounter Dr. Levine once again, this time wearing a bowtie similar to mine. We both looked rather dapper. dr. tiny and I took a moment to capture the memory with a photo by dr. tiny in the NICU.
On the same day, we also had the pleasure of interacting with a group of young interns who were training to become doctors.
Read MoreCelebrating 25 Years as a Hospital Clown
This fall, I will begin my 25th year of working as a hospital clown.
It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since I first started doing this work as Squeeze the Clown. As I mark the beginning of my 25th year, I want to take a moment to think about my history as a hospital clown.
I was excited to be hired by the Big Apple Circus and to be one of the original members of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in Atlanta. Michael Christensen of the Big Apple Circus created the modern idea of hospital clowning. I’m proud to have that connection to Michael and the BIg Apple Circus. As a new hire, I was one of eight members who traveled from Atlanta to New York for weeks of training in hospitals and studio rehearsals. These rehearsals were artistically inspiring, and the hospital work was emotionally challenging. I was drawn to using humor to lift spirits, and children's hospitals were new to me. At the time, I didn't realize the impact a clown could have in a setting like a hospital. But I did know that I wanted to make people laugh.
Read MoreThis Summer, I’m Inspired by the Great Ones
Over the past few weeks, I've enjoyed entertaining audiences at various libraries and camps. I really enjoy doing these shows. I'm eagerly anticipating my upcoming hospital clowning performances in Columbus this autumn. In the meantime, I've been keeping busy with shows at camps and libraries this summer.
I do some comedy, music, and juggling during my summer show. It's the skills I've learned mixed with some basic performing skills. While I'm doing all of this, I also take time to talk about some of the artists who have inspired me. While the list of those who have inspired me is long, for these shows, I focus on three artists: Bert Williams, the Mills Brothers, and Josephine Baker. These performers were all Black artists who were internationally renowned when they were in their prime…
Read MoreThe topic for the panel was "How is a clowning agent of social change? Should that be the role of the clown? How can clowns help society?
I thought about this topic a lot, and I felt some extra pressure because I was expected to comment on it. Clowns can be agents of social change, and our organizations should play a role in that. That said, during the panel, I focused on how difficult change can be.
Read MoreWe walked past where we were supposed to go.
We had the address, but somehow, we misread the signs on the street. After walking through the streets of Montreal, we finally found the right address. We had missed it once or twice before. We walked right by without recognizing that this was the address where the show was. That said, after we found the right address. We opened the door and saw a narrow staircase. Just as we reached the top of the stairs, I looked around the room. There were a few sofas, a ticket booth, and several people milling around before the show started. Then, I gazed across the room and caught the eyes of a woman sitting at a table; she looked at me and loudly said, "Meredith!" The woman was Vanessa Rigaux from the Montreal Clown Festival. After that, we knew we were in the right place. Gina and I made ourselves at home before the show.
Read MoreI recently had the opportunity to attend a three day workshops, a clown festival, and a clown conference in Montreal. The experience was nothing short of exhilarating and eye-opening. I am always looking for ways to enhance my skills, connect with fellow performers, and stay updated on the latest with what's happening in the industry. I will mention more about the clown festival, conference, and other posts. Here, I will focus on the workshop I took the first three days of my week in Montreal.
Read MoreThis past Sunday, I had the pleasure of preaching at my church, Oakhurst Presbyterian, in Decatur, Georgia. Our transitional pastor, Katie Ricks, asked me to do the sermon because this past Sunday was Holy Humor Sunday. Holy Humor Sunday, also known as Bright Sunday, is a day that originated in the tradition to celebrate joy and laughter.
Read MoreA 17-year-old boy claps his hands as he lies in bed. He has a big smile on his face, a big, honest smile that stretches from ear to ear when he laughs. His eyes are closed. However, sometimes, he opens them to look at us. When he looks at us, he chuckles even louder…
Read MoreThis past week, I've enjoyed attending and teaching at the Cool Fool School in Atlanta, Hosted by the Laughter League. It's been an artistic highlight for me. I'm particularly grateful for the artistic challenge. The
Read MoreI've done this trick many times before. This time, however, I'm doing it in front of about 100 full-ride scholarship college students from Emory University. I asked them to count from 10 to 1 in a language they chose. As the students count down, I balance a chair on my face for their entertainment.
Read MoreSomeone smashed my car window. Broken glass was everywhere!
My car was parked in a public lot, and someone decided to break my window after I parked it. I don't know who did this. I was only away from my car for a few hours. It happened in a public car lot. Now, I had to spend the rest of my day addressing this problem. I had to clean up the mess to make the car drivable, and then I had to drive somewhere where I could vacuum the rest of the glass out of the vehicle.
Breaking something can be easy; repairing it will take work….
Read MoreI walked from the parking deck across the university campus and approached the medical school building. The destination is familiar. We've met in this building several times over the semester. I open the door and walk into the halls of the Emory Medical School. I am at the university to co-teach students at medical school as part of Emory’s Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program.
Read MoreOver the past few months, I've enjoyed playing in a different playground. I got the clown around with the Atlanta Opera. Doing this work was a special treat for me. It was my second opportunity to work with the Atlanta Opera.
Read MoreAs I played the music, there was a line of performers singing and dancing along. They all replied, "It's Alright "!. This started as my version of the Curtis Mayfield song "It's Alright." It's one of my favorite tunes to play in the hospital. At home in Georgia, people sing along. For them, it is a gospel refrain from the black church, and they are eager to join me in singing….
Read MoreI was a plainclothes clown, not knowing what to do. Should I buy the avocado? Should I put the avocado down and walk away?
Read MoreAt first glance, she looked like she is in her 60s. She was lying in her bed with a look of stoic unease. I often see this look on the faces of adults in a way that I don't see in children. A sense of fatigue and weariness is unique to adults. dr. tiny, and I carefully approached
Read MoreAt this point, I stopped everything again and said. "Why am I singing? You should be singing all the lyrics to this song."
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