Traci Livingston

Traci Livingston and Stephen Simon performing in the 1995 Clown College graduation.

Traci Livingston attended the Ringling Clown College in 1995. She toured with the Red Unit in 1996 as one of the Adventure Clowns who only worked during the brand new Three Ring Adventure an hour before the performance.

I believe she had her own public access show, The Totally Traci Show, in Portland, OR for awhile, and she has a presence on Youtube making comedy videos.

Claire Wedermyer

Claire Wedermyer performing the Newspaper Gag on Kelly Miller Circus.

Welcome to the beginning of the Clown Alley Women's History Month!

Yes! I know I'm late.....get off my back!!!!

There will be a full month's worth of content....plus some!

First up Claire Wedermyer on Kelly Miller Circus in 2006. Claire attended the NY Goofs Clown School in NYC in 1999. She toured with the Ringling Red Unit in 2003 and 2004, and then toured with the Kelly Miller Circus in 2005 and 2006.

More recently she performed with Circus Harmony at the City Museum in St. Louis, MO.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Carlos Ragas

 

Carlos Ragas attended the Ringling Clown College in 1987, and he toured with the Red Unit for the 1988 and 1989 seasons.

He currently lives in L.A. and makes his living as a stunt man and actor.

Few people know of his short lived comedy team Ragas and Milano.... :O) 

Clown Alley Black History Month: Garry “Otis” White

 

Garry White clowned at the Circus World theme park in Florida before attending Clown College in 1976. He toured with the Ringling Red Unit from 1977-1980, and also toured with Universoul Circus and Fern Street Circus as his clown character "Otis".

Clown Alley Black History Month: Carlton Russell

 

Carlton Russell attended the Ringling Clown College in 1982, and he acted as Clown College administrator for Steve Smith’s first year as dean in 1985.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Dwayne Cunningham

 

Dwayne Cunningham attended the Ringling Clown College in 1975. He toured with the Red Unit from 1976-1978.

Dwayne has also performed stand up comedy and many people know him as Doc Wasabi from his years at Jungle Island in Miami, FL.

He is currently working at the Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota, FL.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Armando Hurley

 

Armando Hurley attended Ringling Clown College in 1970 and toured with the Blue Unit for the 1971 season.

Armando worked with Crosby, Stills, and Nash for many years and now lives in Australia.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Marlon Russ

 

Marlon Russ toured with the Ringling Red Unit for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Today is also his birthday!

Happy Birthday, Marlon!

Clown Alley Black History Month: Jamarr Woodruff

I know it is March, but I still have more to say on Clown Alley Black History month.

Jamarr Woodruff could have auditioned to be in the 1997 Clown College class, which turned out to be the school's last, but instead he went to California to attend the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater. He later attended the Clown Conservatory in San Francisco, CA as well. That is where he caught the attention of Ringling V.P. of talent, Tim Holst.

Jamarr was hired to join the Red Unit's 135th Edition of Ringling for the 2006 season, but after less than a week he was swapped to the Blue Unit to replace a clown who was let go during Winter Quarters.

I worked with Jamarr, aka "The Clown of Crunk" in 2006 and 2007 for the 136th Edition of Ringling aka The Circus of (Broken) Dreams. Jamarr also stayed for the first year of the 138th Edition, Over The Top.

Jamarr left the Blue Unit at the end of 2008 and since then has performed advance PR for Ringling and also clowned in hospitals.

Learn more about Jamarr at the Uncle Jr. Project:

https://www.unclejrproject.com/jamarr-woodruff

Clown Alley Black History Month: Reggie Montgomery

 

Reggie Montgomery was the first African American graduate of the Ringling Clown College in 1968. He toured with Ringling for the 1969 tour, before the show became the Red and Blue Units.

Learn about Reggie and his life in Don Hepner's book Reggie: Ringling's First Black Clown. 

Clown Alley Black History Month: Preston Crawford

 

Preston Crawford attended the Ringling Clown College in 1982 and toured with the Blue Unit in 1983 and 1984.

Photo courtesy of Mark Renfro.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Lem Fillyaw

 

Lem Fillyaw attended the Ringling Clown College in 1993 in Baraboo, WI. I know he toured with the Kelly Miller Circus in 1996, but I am not sure about the years between CC and KM.

Photo courtesy of Mark Renfro.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Willie Yeomans

 

Willie Yeomans graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1982. He spent two years with the Blue Unit in 1983 and 1984, and then he replaced a clown midway through the 1985 Red Unit season. He also performed in Japan with the Gold Unit in Japan in 1988.

I met Willie in 2003 in Washington D.C. where he was working as a nurse. That was the last I have heard from him.

Thank you to Mark Renfro for the photo.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Dean Anderson

Dean Anderson attended Ringling Clown College in 1986. I met him in NYC while I was touring with Ringling, but I am not sure what he has been up to since then.

Thank you to Mark Renfro for the photo.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Bill Forchion

Bill Forchion graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1988 and toured with the Gold Unit in Japan in 1989 and the Red Unit in 1990.

He has also performed with the Pickle Family Circus and Cirque Du Soliel, and taught at Circus Smirkus and NECCA. 

Thank you to Mark Renfro for the photo.
 

Clown Alley Black History Month: James Holyfield

 

James Holyfield attended Clown College in 1991. He is related (a cousin I believe) to the famous boxer, Evander Holyfield who had part of his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson.

I'm pretty sure James still has all of his ears....

Thank you to Mark Renfro for the photo.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Robert Dunn "Onionhead"

 

Robert Dunn created his clown character of Onionhead long before he became synonymous with the Universoul Circus.

Robert joined the Universoul Circus at the age of 56 as a cook, but eventually was able to step into the ring as a clown, his initial ambition.

He has performed with the Universoul Circus for over 13 years, and is well known and beloved by their audiences. 

Learn more about Onionhead at the Uncle Jr. Project:

https://www.unclejrproject.com/onionhead

Clown Alley Black History Month: Sean Davis

 

Sean Davis fell in love with a beautiful circus dancer and joined the Ringling Blue Unit on the floor crew to pursue her.

He attended the Ringling Clown College in 1995 and toured with the Red Unit Clown Alley in 1996.

In 2009 Sean returned to the Red Unit Clown Alley, and left at the end of the 2012 season. He was the final Clown College graduate to perform in Clown Alley before Ringling's closing in 2017.

Thank you to Mark Renfro for the photo.

Clown Alley Black History Month: Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin attended the Ringling Clown College in 1996 and afterwards toured with the Universoul Circus along with Danise Payne. 

 

Clown Alley Black History Month: Brian Wright

 

Brian Wright saw the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus for the first time as a very small child. His family took him to see the Arianna the Human Arrow tour at Madison Square Garden in 1996, and from that moment on, his path in life was clear: Brian was going to be a Ringling clown.

Brian and his wife both worked on the backstage crew on the Ringling Red Unit before he attended the Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp. That year there was a large group of young clowns who all wanted to work for Ringling, and several of them were hired, including Brian.

Brian toured with the Ringling Red Unit from 2014 through the show's closing in 2017. Brian was the only clown in the Alley who did all "three" years of the Circus Xtreme show, and at the moment holds the title of the last African American clown on Ringling.