I was so happy when I looked at the screen. There were about 25 small squares on my computer. Each square had a person waiting to take the class. Some looked back at me, waiting to begin. Others were going about their business eating, stretching, or playing on their computers, It was an early Monday morning, and I wanted to start with something energetic
Read More….Sydney Poitier and Helen Donnelly were trailblazers creating new paths, moving us forward to a new normal. Both authentically shared their work with us. We are better because of their art and their lives.
Read MoreMy nostalgia has led me to stumble across some pictures of our work. Mainly photos with Vincenzo Tortorici. Vincenzo was with me when I began as part of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. He was instrumental in helping us establish hospital clowning in Atlanta. I always enjoyed working with him…
Read MoreA few notable moments from my most recent day clowning at The Children's Hospital Piedmont in Columbus, Georgia, with dr. tiny, a.k.a. Ron Anglin. Ron is doing an excellent job of organizing and maintaining our clown presents in Columbia. …
Read MoreHealthcare clowning has always been close to my heart. Over the years, I've watched some programs begin working with adults and eldercare populations.
Eldercare clowning is especially close to my heart because of my experience with my mother, Florence Gordon. Mom played the piano at church. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom playing the piano at church in my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee. I would sit in the pew during church services and watch mom…
Read MoreWe're coming up on a full year of the Covid pandemic. The pandemic routine has become oddly familiar, almost comfortable. The pandemic has introduced a schedule for me, mostly staying at home, on the rare occasion going out into public. I'm an introvert at heart…
Read More"I have a legacy.", he says. He raises his hands in celebration, knowing that his work is remembered. Jonathan Perry is a former hospital clown. He is celebrating a memory he created. A picture on my phone reminds him of the legacy he started twenty-one years ago. He was one of the founding members of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit…
Read MoreTwenty-nine years ago, in 1991, I came to Atlanta to perform at Oglethorpe University. I performed in a tent in the middle of a field. Now, in 2020 I'm back at Oglethorpe University, once again performing under a tent in a field. In 1991,..
Read MoreThe conversation about diversity in the arts and the clowning world continues. I've been in several panel discussions about diversity and people of color in the circus world. In late September, The Play the Fool Festival hosted a talk called "Culture, Identity, and Clowning: A BIPoC Artist Conversation"…
Read MoreC.O.V.I.D. has caused fundamental changes to how clowns work. Many of us are doing virtual clown work. We stare at computer screens and do our best to entertain our audiences. This is a new challenge for performers…
Read MoreI recently had a conversation with Ampie Alblas. They are a blogger from Belgium who writes a blog called Collecting Clowns. Ampie was working on a story about a film made in 1916 called “Natural Born Gambler.” This film is unique because it is considered one of the first films directed by a black man, Bert Williams…
Read MoreRecently this ripple of cultural change has been felt in my professional world. There's been a lot of discussion in the circus and clown world regarding racial issues. Some of our performing/circus organizations function under the presumption that "we performing artists" are not racist.
Read MoreOne of my favorite moments when I'm performing as a clown is the…. pause—a moment of stillness before a big reveal.
There is a moment when the tension builds. The clown has been busy working. Will the clown succeed or fail?…
Read MoreYesterday I had two meetings with a bunch of clowns.
It started as a big mess—clowns talking over each other. One clown played the ukulele while another clown played a completely different song on the kazoo. There were lots of missteps as clowns introduced themselves,
Read MoreI shaved my face today.
I was careful not to cut myself. I took the time to focus and made an effort to do the job carefully. This is not unique. I shave on a regular basis. Today, I’m taking the particular note of this because it’s one of the things that is somewhat “normal. “ I did this because I wanted to have something routine. So, I shaved, knowing that I had no plans of going anywhere today….
Read MoreI wait in stillness for a reply. After a moment, the preteen boy interrupts the pause by speaking.
Read MoreA woman showed me an image on her cell phone. It was an image of an old photo. By old photo, I mean an image many of us remember as a film picture before the days of digital cell phones. As she showed me the photo, she said, “Does this look familiar ?“…
Read MoreI've been a lifelong fan of Buster Keaton. I remember as a child watching his films. More so than the movies of Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, it was Buster Keaton who got my attention…
Read MoreToday is October 25, 2019. At the time that I'm writing this, it appears that the clown scare of 2019 has not taken hold…
Read MoreI like this picture, great clowns/comedians. I also love how Buster Keaton is set apart from the other three…
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