Gene Anderson
After 32 years a scientist and manager at the Dow Chemical Company, Anderson
retired Global Research and Development Change Leader. He earned his Ph.D. in
Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, and he did post-doctoral research
at the University of Oslo, Norway. While at Texas he co-authored "Newspaper
Magic" with Frances Ireland Marshall. Now in its eleventh printing, it is one
of the two best selling books ever published by Magic Inc. of Chicago. Following
his Norway sojourn, he wrote Topper Martyn's book, "Topper Mad, Mad Magic" which
is also published by Magic Inc.
Anderson has performed magic professionally (i.e.,
he was paid!) as a "part-time pro" in 21 countries on six continents.
He has been awarded seven trophies in magical competitions for stage,
comedy, close-up and originality. He was on the cover of GENII (June,
1977) and THE LINKING RING (May, 1987) and he is one of six honorary lifetime
members of the Magic Circle of Norway.
Anderson's initial presentation of "The Part-Time Pro" lecture was for
the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood in 1975. It earned him a nomination
for "Lecturer of the Year," and he was simultaneously nominated as "Visiting
Magician of the Year" for his performances at the Magic Castle.
Although he has retired from his corporate job, Anderson still considers
himself a "part-time" professional magician because he is also in the
speaking, training and facilitation businesses.
Avner
Avner Eisenberg
was described by New York Magazine as "a clown for the thinking man".
His show Avner the Eccentric was a hit of the 1984-1985 Broadway season.
He appeared on Broadway in Ghetto and The Comedy of Errors, but
he is probably best known for his portrayal of the scene stealing holy man in
the film The Jewel of the Nile.
Avner continues to tour his one-man show internationally and has won awards
at the Edinburgh Festival, the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, and
the Festival Internacional de Pallassos in Barcelona. He won the first prize
at the Arosa Humor Festival in Switzerland.
He recently won the "Snow Star" for comedy in Switzerland, and the
"Lachmesse" award in Germany. Avner starred as Vladimir in Waiting
for Godot at the Portland Stage Company. Avner studied with Jacques Lecoq
from 1971-1974.
Karl
Baumann
Dancer/choreographer Karl Baumann certainly fulfilled our high expectations
when he flew in at the last minute to replace a late cancellation at the
first MotionFest. Taking into account his years of experience as a featured
perfomer/dancer with Cirque du Soleil and Momix, it's easy to understand how
he could deliver a stellar performance on such short notice.
Is it fair to say he raised the bar even higher by conducting an
electrifying, kick-ass workshop on group and individual movement the next
day? Ask any of the dozens of excited participants who were fortunate to be
on hand as he shared his delightful sense of wonder and exploration.
We wanted Karl back for the next MotionFest. Unfortunately, his busy
schedule with Cirque du Soleil, as well as appearing in music videos and
television spots (both for North America and Europe) prevented him from
attending. Fortunately, he has time for this year's MotionFest at
Reno.
If you move on stage (and we all do), you will want to take one of Karl's
workshops.
Tom
Casciero
Tom
Casciero holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from The Union Institute Graduate School. He
is certified as a Movement Analyst (CMA) by the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of
Movement Studies in New York and has received post-certificate training in Advanced
Teaching Methods from the same institute. He has taken Laban workshops with Warren
Lamb, Janis Pforsich, Peggy Hackney, and many others and presented his research
at International Laban Conferences in Amherst, Minneapolis, and Baltimore.
In physical theatre,
Tom is trained in mime, acting, and improvisation by Tony
Montanaro and has taken workshops or master classes with Kabuki Master Shozo
Sato; Jacques Lecoq and Daniel Stein of Paris; Rymond Kleckot of the Polish Mime
Theatre; Tmu-Na of Israel; and Ronlin Foreman of the Dell Arte School. He also
studied anatomy and has taken workshops in stage combat, clowning, and psychobiology.
In the area of voice, he studied with Arthur Lessac, Shakespeare & Co. and has
taken workshops with Bonnie Raphael, Neil Freeman, Patrick Tucker, and Robert
Sataloff. He studied the singing voice with Charlotte Anderson and together they
developed voice/movement integration methods for singers.
Mr. Casciero is
currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Towson University in Maryland,
where he teaches Movement for the Actor, Mime and Movement Theatre Techniques
and Styles, Beginning Acting, Voice & Movement Integration, and Movement Theatre
Improvisation and Production.
Mr. Casciero is
also a performer, director, and workshop presenter. He has toured his solo performances
of comedy and physical theatre nationally and internationally; directed regional
and university theatre; and taught for colleges, theaters, conferences, and festivals.
Having served as
a producer, promoter and director within the theatre community, and as founder
and board member of several organizations in the larger community, Mr. Casciero
also brings a wealth of organizational, personal communication, and business
skills to his work.
Dick
Chudnow
Richard Chudnow is the co-owner and co-creater of COMEDYSPORTZ. He is the
licenser to twenty-two ComedySportz Venues in the United States. He has taught
Improvisation classes throughout the USA and has been a writer on movies such as
Spy Hard, Off the Wall and KGOD (Pray TV on Video). He co-created and starred in
Kentuckey Fried Theater and has been a past President of Toast Masters
International
Peter Davison
Peter is a multi-disciplinary performer
working with juggling, dance and
monologue. He began as a teenage street performer in Los Angeles in the late
'70s. In 1982, he won first place at the National Juggling Championships and
became a founding member of the trio Airjazz. With Airjazz, Peter has toured
internationally and appeared on numerous TV shows such as the Tonight Show
with Johnny Carson. Peter has taught movement workshops at the national
circus schools of Quebec and France under the direction of Guy Caron (one of
the founders of Cirque du Soleil), at Celebration Barn Theater in Maine, and
at the Lecoq Theater Program of Naropa University in Colorado. Working
primarily as a solo performer since 1991, he has toured his show Up in the
Air
nationally and was featured on Harry Anderson's CBS special The Tricks of
his Trade. Peter's new one-man show, A View from the Moon, a dance/theater
piece based on four famous insane artists, was produced in October at the
California Performing Arts Festival. Peter lives in Boulder, Colorado with
his wife and two children.
Jim
Dorman
Jim is a working theatrical designer & technician with over 18
years of experience touching on virtually all aspects of technical theatre.
While usually specializing in lighting and sound design & operation, he has been
working as a one-person technical staff in a 600-seat theater for the past 6
years.
Besides his
passion for technical theatre, Jim has also been juggling for 14 years and has
done "a little bit of everything" in the staging of juggling shows, from
directing to stage managing to performing on rare occasions. Jim has also spent
time teaching theatre technology and design to students ranging from junior-high
volunteers to his professional colleagues.
As he is forced
to move out of traditional theatrical work by his failing eyesight, Jim is
developing new juggling skills and working on lighting and sound designs to
enhance their performance. He is also teaching juggling classes and working on
Neon Husky, a prop
company specializing in "stuff you don't have to let go of."
Tom
Dougherty
Drawing
on the traditions of both theater and circus arts, Tom has developed a style
of performance that has brought him success in many different venues. A graduate
of New York's famed neighborhood playhouse, Tom went on to co-found the Baltimore-based
theater company Theatricks. It was there he combined his theatrical knowledge
and the clowning skills he had learned earlier in his 3 year tour with the Ringling
Bros. Circus. He has performed his one-man show in such places as the Kennedy
center, the National Theater, and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts as
well as festivals and galas worldwide.
He was commissioned to develop a special comedy act for the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra and then successively performed it with the National, the Detroit,
and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestras. In 1997 he returned to the circus ring
to win the silver medal at the International Circus Festival. In 2001 he was
the star clown in the Big Apple Circus' "Clown Around Town" tour and most recently
as a guest performer with Cirque du Soleil. As a teacher he was a member of the
faculty at the Baltimore School for the Arts, and the Ringling Bros.Clown College
as well as guest instructor for drama departments nationwide..
Bob
Fitch
Bob Fitch is a professional actor, dancer, singer, magician, director and
choreographer. His extensive performing career includes roles in 27 productions
on Broadway as well as in films and on television. As a magic consultant and
director, he's worked with (among many others) David Copperfield and Jeff
McBride. He is also well-known for his coin and topit work. In this workshop he
will offer performers the unique opportunity to learn and to integrate acting,
movement and basic theatre techniques into their work.
Julie Goell
Julie Goell grew up in Rome where she learned from the masters of Commedia
Dell'Arte. In Europe she worked in music and theatre, film, television and
recording. Among these were "Mummenschanz", the Swiss circus "Schaubude", the
film "Cassandra Crossing" and the TV series "Le Avventure di Saturnino Farandola".
While in Rome Ms. Goell cofounded the clown troupe "I Gesti" and taught physical
comedy skills at Teatro Studio and at the Max Rheinhardt Schule in Berlin. While
based in New York she acted in the Broadway production of Ghetto and directed
several small theater and regional productions.
She currently lives in Maine and teaches clowning and Commedia at the Dell'Arte
School of Physical Comedy and at the Celebration Barn Theatre in collaboration
with her husband, Avner Eisenberg. A graduate of Emerson College in acting and
directing, Julie is completing a music degree at the University of Southern
Maine. Julie plays Klezmer music on string bass with The Casco Bay Tummlers and
was music director for the world premiere of a new Holocaust play, "Manifest".
She tours internationally with her solo shows, "Woman in a Suitcase" and
"Opening Night" which recently previewed at Diorama Arts Center in London and
opened at the Physigig Festival of Physical Comedy in Portland, Maine.
Ruth Mae Finch
Ruth Mae
Finch is of counsel to the firm. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors
(1974) and a Master of Arts degree with honors (1979) from University of Maryland,
and received her Juris Doctorate degree with honors from University of Baltimore
Law School in 1978. She received further training in the Masters of Law program
in intellectual property at George Washington University. Prior to joining the
firm, Ms. Finch served as an Assistant State's Attorney in Baltimore City for
which she gained substantial jury trial experience. She also practiced with her
father, Walter G. Finch, as an intellectual property attorney for more than ten
years.
Ms. Finch is a
member of the Maryland Bar, and is a member of the Bars of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit,
and the U.S. District Court for the State of Maryland. She is also an active
member of the Women's Bar Association, Maryland Bar Association, and Toastmasters
International. Ms. Finch is also a Dale Carnegie Instructor.
Ms. Finch counsels
clients in all aspects of intellectual property protection relating to trademark
registration and litigation, copyright registration and litigation, licensing,
and unfair competition.
Ronlin Foreman
Ron trained with Jacques Lecoq and at the
Valley Studio in Wisconsin.
His solo clown shows have been presented all over the U.S. and
internationally, including The Actors Theatre of Louisville and the
International Movement Theatre Festival. He has received Solo Artist grants
from the National Endowment for the Arts and has directed nationally and
internationally.
As a Master Teacher, he has been at
Dell'Arte since 1985; he has taught clowning to first year students as well
as given Masters Workshops and directed ensemble productions.
Fred Garbo
Fred Garbo got paid for doing a card trick in 1974, and has been a professional
performer ever since. On Sesame Street, he was the acrobat inside Barkley the
Dog. On Broadway, he was the chief juggler in the musical Barnum. He toured Europe,
Hong Kong and Australia with the Obie Award-winning Foolsfire, with Bob Berky
and Michael Moschen.
Whether tumbling for the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center or dancing with
MOMIX in Brazil, Fred brings a gymnast's timing and an actor's presence to his
Inflatable Theater Co.
Most recently featured on David Letterman's Late Night, Fred Garbo continues
to astound and tickle audiences with his pop-action inflatables and hilarious
stage presence.
For the last 12 years he has been inventing inflatables with artist/builder:
George York. Fred has trained and performed with the Master of Illusion: Tony
Montanaro. (Fred also trains in "snowboarding" every chance he gets.)
Laura Herts
Laura Herts is a Paris based Character Clown, whose training began years ago
at the The Baltimore School for the Arts where she studied Dance and Visual Arts.
Upon graduating, she began a world tour, which has now been extended into a lifetime
experience.
Through her travels she rediscovered a childhood passion; mime. From that moment
on, she performed wherever possible, beginning with street performing and teaching
mime in Israel in 1985. As her passion for the art of mime, improvisation, and
comedy performance grew, she decided to continue her quest for experience and
knowledge by travelling to and throughout Europe; participating in Theatre festivals
and attending workshops and Schools based on the Physical Theater.
Laura, studied under Lassaad Saidi, Jacques Lecoq, Philippe Gaulier, Daniel Stein,
Stanislav Borgeofski, and Zigmund Mollic, while continuing to earn a living performing.
Slowly and surely, Laura developed her original style of theater creating a world
of clown, comedy, and social satire. SInce moving to Paris, Laura has created
two One-Woman-Shows: "The Last Tangle In Paradise," and "Electric
Lazy Land," and various cabaret numbers. Performing interactively with her
audiences, she has played in Theatres, Cabarets, Circuses, and many Festivals
throughout Europe, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Israel, Madagascar as well as giving
her workshops on Mime, Neutral Mask, and Clown.
Scott Meltzer
Scott Meltzer is
the head writer and chief performer for Comedy Industries. He has degrees in
math and computer science from U. C. Berkeley where he graduated with honors.
An ex-IBMer and a Watson Scholar, he chooses to spend his time juggling knives
on a six foot unicycle. He has performed at more comedy clubs, trade shows, and
corporate events than any other computer programmer in the world.
In addition to his performing skills, Scott has written commercials for radio,
computer code for database systems, interviews for professional wrestling and
over two hundred scripts for trade shows, training sessions and other corporate
events. Scott has also taught comedy writing since 1991.
Scott started performing as a child actor at the age of 10 with the award winning
San Jose Children's Musical Theater alongside such future stars as Charley McGowan,
Paula Benedetti, Megan Hart, Paula Mulcahey, and Eilana Lappalainen.
In college, Scott met John Park and together they formed the American Dream Comedy
Team. They won first place in The San Francisco Street Performers' Festival,
an honor which led to lucrative bookings in Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia.
These first international shows led to further bookings back on the streets of
San Francisco. Oh well.
After graduating in 1986, Scott and John became the featured act in the glitzy
Las Vegas revue "Splash." They moved on to "Superstars and Stripes"
in Atlantic City where they received rave reviews. This critical acclaim led
them to even greater success back on the streets of San Francisco. Oh well.
Joe Lake, producer of the Children's Miracle Network Telethon, gave Scott and
John their first national television exposure. The show went so well that Scott
appeared with John (and later with Rich) for nine straight years on CMN telethons.
Eventually the glamorous whirlwind that is telethon television spat them out
like a used Kleenex, and Scott and Rich returned to the streets of San Francisco.
Sigh.
Scott has never forgotten his roots as a street performer, probably because he
was constantly being reminded of them. However, now that he has created Comedy
Industries, he has left the streets for good. At least for now.
Tony
& Karen Hurll-Montanaro
Tony is the Artistic Director of Celebration Barn Theatre. His
background includes over 40 years of acting & mime in the U.S., Canada, and
Europe. He studied at Rutgers and Comumbia, and later in Paris with Marcel
Marceau and Etienne Decroux. He first gained national attention with his show,
"A Mime's Eye View." In the 1960s, Tony wrote and performed in "Pretendo," an
award-winning improvisational mime show developed for CBS television. In 1972,
Tony and his family moved to South Paris, Maine, where he created the Montanaro
Mime Theatre School. He continued creating, teaching, and directing throughout
the 1980s, including performances at Lincoln Center, on Swedish national
television, and in the motion picture "Clan of the Cave Bear." Tony currently
tours internationally with his wife, Karen Hurll-Montanaro. Their first book,
Mime Spoken Here, was published in 1996.
The Jokesters
Steve Bauer and Marianne Wittelsberger, AKA the Jokesters, are professors
of stage makeup at Towson University. The Jokesters lived in Hollywood, California
for the past 12 years where they produced, wrote and starred in their own Cable
Ace Award Winning television show called "Jokesters." There they worked
for every major studio in Hollywood, including Paramount, Fox, MGM, Universal
and Disney and were on the Ben Nye Makeup catalog and poster. Bauer and Wittelsberger
have been performing their unique Comedy, Mime & Magic act together since 1983.
They bring a performer's perspective to the art of makeup design. They don't
just put makeup on other people; they actually wear it themselves - their techniques
are road tested. Both Jokesters graduated from Towson University in 1986 as Theatre
Majors with concentrations in Makeup Design, Costume Design and Mime.
Stuart
N. Keiser CPA
Stuart N. Keiser is a senior manager in the accounting and auditing department
at Keiser and Keiser CPA. He has extensive experience with individual tax returns
and he specializes in non-profits. He has many artists as clients and is a former
guitar rocker.
Ann
M. Lembo, Esq.
Ann M.
Lembo, Esq. is an attorney in private practice, concentrating in protecting the
intellectual property rights of writers, designers, photographers, and other
artists. She also practices in the areas of small business matters, estates and
trusts, and is a trained mediator. She is an adjunct faculty member of the University
of Maryland School of Law in the Clinical Law Program and of the University of
Baltimore in the Legal and Ethical Studies Graduate Program at the Yale Gordon
College of Liberal Arts, and has been a panelist at the annual meeting of the
American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Ann was graduated
from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she was awarded the Hoffberger
Clinical Law Prize and the Public Service Award, and was named Outstanding Woman
Law Graduate by the Women Lawyers Association. She was graduated, magna cum laude,
from the University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business. Ann is a member
of The Women s Law Center of Maryland, Inc., the Maryland State Bar Association,
the Intellectual Property, the General Practice Solo and Small Firm, and Law
Practice Management Sections of the American Bar Association, the Bar Association
of Baltimore City.
Ann is an avid
bicyclist and is co-author of Short Bicycle Rides In and Around Philadelphia
(The Globe Pequot Press, 1994; 2nd edition 1997; 3rd edition 1999). She is vice-president
of the Maryland Association of Mountain Bike Operators (MAMBO), a bicycling advocacy
group with more than 500 members, and serves on the Maryland Coalition for Recreational
Trails.
Brian McNelis
Brian
McNelis is a twenty year veteran of Special Events, Theatre, and Television.
He has unique training in comedy and circus skills, having studied with several
European and American Master Clowns. He has worked on over 4500 corporate, social,
and private events as a producer, writer, and performer in New York City, Philadelphia,
Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, and Bermuda. In addition, Mr. McNelis has worked
in arts administration Off-Broadway, with Washington DC's Arena Stage and with
the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger. Mr. McNelis constantly searches for the
best and most appropriate artists for events. His skills as a producer are appreciated
by both clients and performers alike; the events are exceptional because of his
attention to detail and his care of all aspects. He believes in fun as a way
of life, and loves to laugh.
Robert
Nelson
(The artist formerly known as Butterfly Man) A
former research chemist at Vanderbilt University, Robert Nelson quit the world
of science to pursue a dream of making people laugh, and has never looked back.
Mr. Nelson first metamorphosed into his Butterfly Man character in 1978 while
performing at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Soon after, he indelibly affirmed his
commitment to performing by getting his now famous butterfly tattoos.
This veteran stage
entertainer and busker has been traversing the globe ever since. Repeatedly voted
the most popular performer at San Francisco's legendary Pier 39, he also has
won numerous international performing competitions.
Still going strong
after 20 years onstage, he observes, "You really have to love people to keep
this up." Mr. Nelson, also a writer and actor, lives in Los Angeles with his
wife, Kumi.
Steven Ragatz
Steven Ragatz has been entertaining audiences with his juggling, physical comedy, stilt walking and general antics for over two decades. As a six year veteran of the French Canadian circus, Cirque du Soleil, Steven has performed throughout North America. His television credits include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Today Show. He has recently appeared with the Indianapolis and Detroit Symphony Orchestras performing a juggling act during the Yuletide Celebration 2001/2002 programs.
Steven holds a B.A. in Variety Theater and an M.S. in Computer Science from Indiana University. He studied mime, stage movement and juggling with Fred Garbo, Tony Montanaro, George Pinney, and Michael Moschen. He currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana, with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Andrew and Melissa.
Kenny Raskin
Kenny
Raskin has made a name for himself as a leading physical comedy
performer of the New Vaudeville movement. He originated the role of
Lefou, the comic sidekick of the villain Gaston, in the Broadway
production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Before coming to
Broadway, Kenny also starred as the lead clown Everyman in Cirque du
Soleil's Nouvelle Experience, and recently filmed a 3D IMAX film
with Cirque du Soleil entitled Journey of Man.
In addition, he appeared as the Vaudeville Comedian in critically
acclaimed director Barry Levinson's latest film, Liberty Heights.
Before joining Cirque du Soleil, Kenny performed his one man show The
Audition in theatres, universities and festivals throughout the
United States and television shows in Europe and South America,
delighting audiences with a unique blend of theatrical pieces and clown
characters. The San Francisco Chronicle called him "a stunning
virtuoso." In the spirit reminiscent of the great old silent clowns,
Kenny explores the comic possibilities inherent in seemingly simple
tasks. He injects an infectious sense of play into his performances,
creating a true two way street between his audiences and himself.
Kenny has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the theatre
departments at Boston University, the University of Nevada Las Vegas,
New York University, and at Emory University, where, in the fall of
1999, he produced, directed and performed in A Fool's Festival: The Last
Laugh Before the Millenium. He also teaches clowning and physical comedy
workshops and retreats across the United States as part of actor
training programs.
Jeff Raz
Jeff Raz is a professional playwright, actor, clown, director, consultant
and teacher living in Alameda, California. He is a graduate of Dell'
Arte School of Physical Theater and a veteran of the Dell' Arte Players
Co., Vaudeville Nouveau and Make*A*Circus. As a performer, Mr. Raz has
played on Broadway and toured nationally and internationally, specializing
in a wide range of material from Shakespeare to circus.
His credits include Comedy of Errors at Lincoln Center, N. Y., which
was televised nationally on PBS, Servant of Two Masters at Berkeley
Repertory Theater, the title role in La Bete at TheatreWorks and Midsummer
Night's Dream at the Marin Shakespeare Festival, winner of the Bay Area
Drama Critics Circle's Play of the Year of 1994. For almost a decade
he has worked with Diane Wasnak in the acrobatic clown duet, Pino &
Razz, at the core of the New Pickle Circus. In the mid 80's, Mr. Raz
was the founder and artistic director of the San Francisco New Vaudeville
Festival that featured hundreds of artists and was captured in two Disney
Channel specials.
In addition, he has written 10 plays. He has taught at Ringling Bros.
Clown College, S.F. State University and is currently the director of
the Professional Clown Conservatory at the S.F. School of Circus Arts
and the Lead Teaching Artist at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts
in Berkeley, CA.
Drew Richardson
Drew's life-long personal tension between drama and foolishness gelled
on his way to attaining a B.F.A. in Theatre while studying Clown-Theatre
under the tutulage of John Towsen at Ohio University.
Left speechless after his academic achievement, Drew continued his studies with
Jacques Lecoq in Paris.
After recovering from these experiences, Drew taught Dramatic Foolery
workshops at such institutions as the University of Michigan, Roosevel University, Columbia College, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Northwestern
University Medical School. He has served as clown consultant and instructor for
500 Clown Macbeth, Strawdog Theatre, and Powertap Productions/Next
Theatre Lab. He also taught 'Improvising
Physical Comedy' at The Big Stinkin’ Improv Festival in Austin, Texas.
Drew has created five one-man shows including "The Psychology of Clumsiness"
(twice picked as Critic’s Choice by The Chicago Reader), and Help!
Help! (“Ingenious” - the Chicago Tribune)
His one-minute
silent movies (The Guy Who series) are currently showing in major motion
picture theatres around the United States.
Don Rieder
Don Rieder is the author of Klauniada's clown plays. Behind
their pratfalls, mayhem, and laughter is a gentle pathos akin to the comedy
of Keaton and Chaplin. His performances are characterized by a rubbery
dexterity, energy, and invention. As a solo clown Rieder has had European
tours that included performing and teaching at international mime and
theatre festivals in France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic.
He has studied at the Ecole LeCoq in Paris and received two International
Research and Exchanges Board Grants to study in Prague with founding members
of the famed Circus Alfred. Don Rieder who is also a certified Laban Movement
Analyst, teaches circus clown/theatre clown, physical comedy, commedia
dell' arte, mask and circus technique. He has taught at the National Theatre
School and the Ecole national de cirque in Montreal and as artist-in-residence
invited by the theatre departments of both Canadian and American universities.
He is a contributing editor for the French journal GESTES, a member
of the Montreal English Critics Circle and writes regularly for the websites
of the National Movement Theatre Association in the United States.
Joan Schirle
Joan Schirle is an Artistic Director of Dell'Arte International, a resident
ensemble with a 27-year history of collaborative creation, international touring,
and acclaimed physical style. She is the Director of Training for the Dell'Arte
International School of Physical Theatre as well as one of its Master Teachers.
Her directorial achievements include a ground-breaking circus production of Charles
Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at the San Diego Repertory Theatre in
2000 and 2001. She leads Dell'Arte's Study Abroad Bali program in the performing
arts of Bali, and is a certified teacher of the F.M. Alexander Technique. As
a principal performer with the Dell'Arte Company, she has performed all over
the world in over 20 original company productions.
Steve Smith
Steve Smith, a 1971 graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown
College, served as the Director of the school from 1985-1995. In addition, Steve
conceived & directed the 123rd Edition of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Circus. He has a BFA in acting from the Goodman School of Drama and he has
attended Sigfrido Aguilar's Estudio Busqueda de Pantomima, in Mexico. Steve has
also studied with Jacques Lecoq; American mime, Ben Tucker and Israeli mime,
Juki Arkin.
In addition to his teaching experiences at the Goodman School of Drama at the
Art Institute of Chicago, The Theatre School, and DePaul University, Steve has
conducted numerous workshops and master classes in physical comedy worldwide. In
1993, Steve was inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame. In 1996 and 1997 , Steve
served as the Talent Development Coordinator for Chuck Jones Film Productions,
which was exclusively involved in the on-going production of short theatrical
cartoons for Warner Bros. in the traditional style of full character animation
established by Warner Bros. in the 1950s.
Recently, Steve directed for the international touring cast of the Reduced
Shakespeare Company, spent two months in Japan, writing/ directing Fantasia De
La Primavera, for the Japanese entertainment venue called "Parque Espana", and
took to the sea directing MYSTIQUE, for Princess Cruises' inaugural voyage of
The Sun Princess. Steve also returned to Chicago to remount his play, Center
Ring Circus, for the Chicago Children's Theatre lOth Anniversary Season, and
served as Lead Teaching Artist for The Midnight Circus/Gallery 37 Project. In
1998, he was co-creator and co-director for Florida Studio Theatre's Cabaret hit
revue, Inspired Lunacy; co-director of The University of Virginia's production
of Noises Off; director for The Clown Show featuring David Larible and Pipo
Sosman Jr. in Mexico City; and part of the Creative Team for the Inagural Season
of Circus Sarasota. Currently, Steve is serving as a Creative Consultant for a
major theme park in Orlando, Florida, in addition to serving in that same
capacity for the off-Broadway show The IT Girl A Silent Movie Musical.
Joanie Spina
As principal performer, choreographer, and artistic consultant to David
Copperfield for 11 years, Joanie Spina redressed the ancient art of magic
with a flair of the caliber of Broadway and Hollywood productions. Critics
worldwide note that the results of her collaboration with the world's most
respected conjurer raised the stature of magic to new heights in the eyes of
the public and ensured the viability of the art form into the 21st century.
An acclaimed solo performer, Spina mesmerizes audiences as she infuses magic
with a gamut of emotions ranging from romantic mystery to whimsical fantasy.
These results invariably lead to unadulterated amazement. It is through her
work as a single performer that audiences gain insight into the depth and
range of this one-woman tour de force.
Las Vegas is very familiar with Joanie as she has performed at two
world-famous hotels, Caesar's Palace and the Riviera Hotel in their lavish
showrooms. She also co-starred in her own show with Becky Blaney, the
critically acclaimed "Women of Magic," at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic
City
Todd
Strong
Todd was the juggling teacher at the National Circus
School of France and Die Etage circus school in Berlin. Todd is the
author of several books on juggling-related skills: "The Devil Stick
Book", "The Diabolo Book", "Diabolo für Fortgeschrittene", and "The
Dice Stacking Book". Visit Perceptual
Motion, Todd's web page.
Livingston
Taylor
Who is Livingston Taylor?: Livingston Taylor is a
singer/guitar player and a teacher of performance at the Berklee School
of Music
Why is he lecturing at MotionFest? Livingston Taylor was seen
performing by a pair of experienced variety performers at a small
cafe/club in Florida. The room held about 150 people and it was reported
that Mr. Taylor "OWNED" the room. Never had an entertainer so held his
audience according to these performers. The following year Mr. Taylor
came back to the area to perform at an outdoor festival with attendence
close to 2000. The variety performers went to see him perform
specifically to see how he would handle a large audience in a different
setting. Their review..."He OWNED the audience." Livingston Taylor has
written a book called Stage Performance. And yes, he has a brother named
James.
Liebe Wetzel
From 1989 to 1998, Liebe Wetzel, the artist formerly known as Too Too Tomato,
inhabited a variety of entertaining incarnations including puppeteer, mime, stiltwalker,
and clown at a staggering number of fairs, festivals, and theaters throughout
the west coast. In 1999 Wetzel debuted her now award-winning style of ordinary
object puppetry with a collection of vignettes for adults, Naked Foam and Objects
in Predicaments, written and performed by Wetzel with the assistance of director
Jeff Raz on comediturgy and the helping hands of a small ensemble of manipulators.
After playing to sold out houses and critical acclaim at the 1999 San Francisco
Fringe Festival, Objects in Predicaments was redesigned as a children's Show
which premiered at the Marsh Theater in Fall of 1999, and was reprised in Zeum's
No Strings Festival. In 2000, as artistic director and head manipulator of Lunatique
Fantastique, Wetzel created and performed in Snake in the Basement: The Prosecution
of Rev. Bill Pruitt at the Exit theatre. When her SF Bay Guardian Goldie Award
for best new theater talent was announced, Wetzel and her ensemble were already
hard at work creating The Wrapping Paper Caper, a holiday-themed show for children
and adults Which earned rave reviews and sold-out houses at il Teatro 450 in
San Francisco's Union Square.
2001 was been an even busier year for Lunatique Fantastique. Lunatique Fantastique
performed the original Snake in the Basement in January in New York City at the
Currican and at Here. Wetzel mounted an expanded version of Snake in San Francisco
at the Marsh in May and June. She created and directed Brace Yourself! which
premiered in Dallas and then won Best of Fringe in the 2001 SF Fringe Festival.
In between, she taught her unique puppetry style to teens in a residency program
at Zeum, and to teen Shakespearean acting students at Cal Shakes' summer program.
Lunatique Fantastique received a cash grant for Brace and a Zellerbach Family
Fund grant for Snake. This holiday season, a generous donation from Papyrus supported
the development of Another Wrapping Paper Caper at Zeum in December and January.
Moni Yakim
Moni Yakim
began performing at age fourteen with the Massach Theatre in
his native Jerusalem. In Paris, he studied with George Wilson at the
Theatre Nationale Populaire, and with Tanya Bolashova. He studied mime
with Marcel Marceau, and Etienne Decroux, in whose company he was a
principal performer. In 1960, Mr. Yakim moved to the US and founded
the New York Pantomime Theatre with his wife Mina. They also created
the Performance Theatre Center, for which he- conceived, directed, and
acted in many productions. Mr. Yakim directed the original production
of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well . . . Off-Broadway as well as on
Broadway and abroad. He has directed at Yale Rep. and the American
Shakespeare Festival (associate director), and has staged opera for the
American Opera Center and the Metropolitan Opera Studio, among others.
He created the movement for the movie Robocop, and its sequel, Robocop
II.
As a teacher, Mr. Yakim has taught at the Stella Adler Conservatory,
New York University, and Yale University, and has conducted master
classes in Paris, Oslo, and Moscow. He currently teaches at the Circle
in the Square Theatre School, The Juilliard Opera Center, and heads the
movement department of the Juilliard Drama Division, where Mr. Yakim
has taught since its founding in 1967. MotionFest attendees who plan on
taking Mr. Yakim's workshop may want to prepare by reading a copy of his book,
"Creating a Character: A Physical Approach to Acting."
