THE GREY LADY AND THE RED NOSE

Nice piece in today's New York Times about the classes we have on offer as part of the New York Clown Theatre Festival. My only quibble is that the article seems to downplay how much damn fun these classes can be. Slots are still available, so this is your last chance to sign up and learn from some of the greats in the field - Jeff Raz, Christopher Bayes, Dody DiSanto, and Eric Davis!

WE MADE A MESS

This past Friday's Parade/Pie Fight/Cabaret night was a slamtacular superccess, and, oboy, do we have the pictures (and video) to prove it.

Billy Parker from Gothamist came by, and snapped photos for the ages.

Here's a lovely video of the proceedings (thanks to Bobbi Williams/Smokifantastic):



Here's The Brick's Flickr set, featuring photos by our own Hope Cartelli.

Lynn Berg (who is also our own) has given us this Flickr stream.

No media from the cabaret, A) because it would have distracted the artists, and B) because there were so many damn people that we had to turn away 30 audience members, many of ourselves included. So to see shots from the shows themselves, well, I guess you'll just have to buy some tickets, wontcha?

CLOWNS (ALSO NEWS) ON THE MARCH!

Tonight, come behold that Procession of Pep, that Pageant of Preposterousness, the New York Clown Theatre Festival Clown Parade! It begins at Union Square, takes the L Train to Williamsburg, where it will morph into the Slapstick Smackdown known as the New York Clown Theatre Festival Pie Fight! (Participation = free, humiliation = priceless.) And after that will be an Anthology of Asininity, the New York Clown Theatre Free Preview Cabaret! Three (3) (III) free festival-branded events! One night! Millions of slavering fans! No excuses!

To celebrate the opening night of the Festival, please allow us to share with you a collection of the wonderful press we've been receiving, which will help to elucidate and expand the madness:

AROUND TOWN - The New York Times

THE EIGHT-DAY WEEK - The New York Observer

PERFORMING ARTS - Flavorpill

A RED-NOSE AFFAIR - The Village Voice

TIPS FOR TODAY - Paper Magazine

DEVON HAWKS LUDLOW CLOWNS AROUND - Nytheatre Mike

CLOWN PREVIEW - IndieTheater.org

Hope to see you tonight!

THEY WALK AMONG US

If you are a follower of The Brick, you have to have spent the summer hoeing permafrost in Franz Joseph Land to be unaware that we are nearly ready to open the third annual New York Clown Theatre Festival. However, on the off chance you actually have just returned from the Land of the Midnight Sunniness, let us give you a brief primer:

1. The Festival runs from September 5 through September 28

2. On Friday 9/5 we kick off with a Clown Parade that starts at Union Square and wends its way to The Brick via the L Train.

3. This Parade is followed by a participatory, interactive Pie Fight.

4. If you participate in the Pie Fight, you will get very dirty.

5. You will also have a kind of jaw-droppingly good time.

6. You will not have time to go home and take a shower before the Free Preview Cabaret, which highlights a number of shows that can be seen in full later in the Festival - so bring your own shampoo.

7. We are not talking about circus clowns here, but Theatre Clowns.

8. Yes, they can be scary sometimes, but only on purpose.

9. They do not do children's birthday parties, so don't ask.

10. If you see enough shows, you will develop washboard abs from all the laughter.

11. We have shows from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, and France.

12. Not to mention the entire U.S. from Hawaii to Maine.

13. Any lingering you prejudice you may have towards clowns will be shattered like some sort of tiny glass unicorn.

14. The shows are like $15 - more than a movie, sure, but do movies talk back to you?

15. There are also classes and workshops you can take to become more clownlike!

Okay, there will be more tips and tricks in future blog posts, but this is probably more than enough for you to handle. Come one, come all! And as you walk down Metropolitan Avenue, keep your eyes open - you never know who might be a clown...