The New York Clown Theatre Festival

Clowns Invade Williamsburg when the Brick Theater, Inc hosts The New York Clown Theatre Festival, the first clown theatre festival in New York in over 20 years!

This world-class festival brings New York audiences critically acclaimed clown performances from Paris, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, the United States, and more. With 23 mainstage productions, 19 one-night-only cabaret performances, and a series of lectures and workshops by some of the top clowning professionals around the world, The Brick Theater’s New York Clown Theatre Festival takes their clowning around very seriously!

On Friday, September 1 at 5 PM New Yorkers are invited to get on the L train and ride to the Brooklyn Bedford stop. Volunteers will be handing out free clown noses at stations along the L train. Participants will get out at Bedford stop in Brooklyn, and march 10 blocks to The Brick Theater along with a marching band and over 100 Clowns! Once arriving at the Brick…participants can participate in a free and fun pie fight.

In addition to performances, the New York Clown Theatre Festival also hosts clown classes, workshops and lectures from some of the world’s most prominent and renowned Master Clown Teachers, including Philippe Gaulier (Ecole Phillipe Gaulier, teacher of Ali G, Emma Thompson, Theatre du Complicite), David Shiner (Fool Moon, performer and Director for Cirque du Soleil), and Sue Morrison (European and Native American Clowning Guru) among others.

Bill Irwin leads a Celebrity Guest Panel where accomplished performers talk seriously about clowning. Other events include retrospective lectures on the history of Clown Theatre in North America; “WHY I HATE CLOWNS: The Reinstatement of the Sacred Clown”; “Stage to Silent Screen: Adapting the Clown to Film;” and a Mock Clown Panel (where a panel of Clowns get seriously ridiculous).

The New York Clown Theatre Festival features cabaret evenings on Thursdays at 10pm. These short clown-theatre pieces feature works by diverse artists such as Sean Edwards (‘STOMP’), Gandhi (Gautham Prasad, Ringling Brothers Circus), Spatz Donovan (life-long circus performer/showbiz chameleon who can impersonate 26 American film, radio and theatre funnymen.) and many others. For a list of cabaret performances, visit www.bricktheater.com.

2 MAINSTAGE SHOWS EXTENDED!

ABSENCE OF MAGIC Eric Davis
Eric Davis stars as a bone-thin cantankerous clown, whose neurotic endeavors run the gamut of comic expression. Wildly impish one moment, pathetically gutless the next, he answers the call to an epic adventure only to find himself stranded in a cave for 100,000 years. Surrounded by the skeletons of failed attempts, he must now conquer a disembodied voice as this unlikely hero fends off monsters, struggles to make a name for himself and quests to find the Glove of Never Ending Awesomeness.
Friday, October 6 at 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 7 at 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 14 at 8:30 pm

AND

BOUFFON GLASS MENAJOREE by The Perfectly Touchables
Gentlemen callers beware: The Wingfields plume their nest with broken glass, twisted morals, and perverted minds. Each night a new audience member will get to play the role of Jim. Tom, Amanda, and Laura claim no responsibility for your hurt feelings or offended sentiments. Tennessee Williams is spinning in his grave. Why would anyone do this to an American Masterpiece!
Friday, October 13 at10:30 pm
Friday October 20 at 10:30 pm
Friday October 27 at 10:30 pm
Friday November 3 at 10:30 pm
Friday, November 10 at 10:30 pm