Pat Cashin's CLOWNALLEY: 5/30/10

Saturday, June 05, 2010

CLOWN ZEN: Clown Dharma

One of the topics that Sensei Merle Kodo Boyd spoke about the other night was how each of us radiates our own dharma. I don't think that this is more clearly evident than in old Alley photos from the "Golden Age of the American Circus".

I have asked her to send me more information in the hopes that I might be able to illustrate the idea more fully here this coming week.

LOSHADKA

DAVID MASSOT: Magic Act

VAL DE FUN: Whips

CLOWNALLEY.NET'S 4TH BIRTHDAY: May 28, 2010

Despite being reminded by a few folks, I still got busy and forgot to commemorate clownalley.net's 4th birthday on May 28th. We now enter our 5th year of celebrating the best in physical and visual comedy from around the world.

Thank you all for allowing me to do this and to continue to feed all the hungry ghosts.

Friday, June 04, 2010

CLOWN ALLEY: Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus (1973)

Scan courtesy of Holly Pitchell

GARNER, WOLFE & HAKINS: Swing, Swing, Swing

Three of over the 20 comedians who worked as part of Ted Healy's stooge act were cousins Mousie Garner & Jack Wolfe (father of sportscaster Warner Wolfe) and Richard Hakins between 1922 and 1936. Although none of these three were ever members of the act at the same time as Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Curly Howard or Shemp Howard, Mousie Garner did cross paths with the Three Stooges on several occasions and would later join the New Three Stooges in the 1970s (with Curly Joe DeRita and Emil Sitka).

CIRCUS OZ: Barely Contained (Sydney 2010)

The most consistently entertaining show on the road anywhere. Don't miss them!

ROGER VLASTEK: Royal Hanneford Circus

Thursday, June 03, 2010

PROF. LULU ZONGO

Hi

I am Prof. Lulu Zongo, Director Contract Administrator working with the Ministry of Finance here, here to solicit your urgent assistance to claim the sum of US$22.4M (Twenty Two Million Four Hundred Thousand United Stated Dollars).

The money was deposited in the affiliated reservoir Bank via Europe as unclaimed Fund belonging to one of the Mrs.Janet eech a Foreign Contractor who died with her entire Family on the Air crash. The deal is a risk free and legitimate, furnish your private telephone and fax numbers,home/office address together with scan copy of your international passport or identity card and The 40% will be for you while i take 60% .

Regards,

Prof Lulu Zongo

I share this not because I have any belief in the story told by this nitwit Nigerian scammer but because "Prof. Lulu Zongo" is one of the best clown names that I've ever heard. Any ladies out there interested, it's here waiting for you. You are welcome.

TIKA: In India

EL PAYASO Y EL FUHRER

From the film about Charlie Rivel working in Nazi Germany.

Actual footage of Charlie and his brothers at that time...

CAESAR DIAZ JR: My Way

ZEN CLOWN

Clowning isn’t really something you can learn from a school, a class, a book or on a website. It's not on video. That is, it’s nothing you can be told, it's nothing you can pull down off of a shelf to learn. Rather, it’s highly personal; an intimacy with your audience and with your own life: experiencing moments genuinely, completely, just as they are... and finding the comedy.

As you discover more and more about yourself and your craft, the right teachers and fellow travelers will appear along your path.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

ICHOF: Sensei Merle Kodo Boyd Quote

I had the opportunity to hear Sensei Merle Kodo Boyd speak this evening and she used the phrase "devoting your life to feeding hungry ghosts".

I like that. That's probably the best articulation of what Greg, Karen, and the rest of us were doing in the days leading up to the opening of the Hall of Fame... devoting ourselves to feeding some very hungry ghosts.

And hopefully they're a little less hungry right now.

JESSI "WONDERFOOL" HOFFSCHILDT: Circus World Museum

Jessi is the clown this year at the Circus World Museum and if you haven't seen her yet run, don't walk. Her "How to Get a Man" gag is excellent but her aerial parody is one of the very best clown gag that I've seen in recent years. Inventive and new, it's the rare skill gag that's firmly grounded in comedy. Real comedy.

Jessi is at the CWM now through Labor Day. While you are there, be sure to visit the ICHOF ; )