Introduction

Hello Festival go-ers and Clown enthusiasts,

Deborah Kaufmann here.
If you don't know me yet, I hope by the end of the month we will have had a chance to meet and chat about clowning--its scope, its challenges, the joy it can bring, its (still relevant) role in society. 
You will know me by my short stature (TooShortToFallOver.com), my curly brown hair, and my unmatched eyes. Don't hesitate to introduce yourself. 

From my first workshop with Bob Berky and Fred Garbo (way back in the '80s), clowning has fascinated me. The theater form demands that the actor be truly present, willing to be vulnerable, connected with the audience and play a range of levels truthfully. The form also embraces many varieties and styles.

I have performed my solo works in the US, Europe, Australia and South America. I started out with clown and have recently made work that uses puppetry.

The bulk of my performing experience has been as a member of Big Apple Circus Clown Care, the original hospital clowning program. I started with them in 1986, and have consistently played a minimum of two days a week since then. 

At one point about 4 years ago, I could truthfully claim that I had more days on the hospital floors as a clown than anyone in the world! Since then, I have been working as the Associate Creative Director of BAC CC and spend a bit less time on the floors. I am the lead trainer, and am responsible for guiding the ongoing artistic development of 70 clowns in 14 hospitals along the eastern seaboard and in Chicago.

I have studied many aspects of clowning--Le Coq-based, classic circus material, physical comedy, Commedia, buffon, mime. I studied with Richard Pochinko in the '80s and have been inspired to create a curriculum based on his teaching that also includes lessons learned from  an understanding of clown vocabulary and years of playing in the hospital. 

It excites me to see new work that stretches the boundaries of the form. Great character, a performer who is connected and in the moment, good writing, clear structure, and lots of surprises, this is what I look for in a clown theater show. 

Oh and of course--The FUNNY!!!

The NY Clown Theater Festival always serves up a generous helping of great shows. I look forward to seeing this years offerings and sharing my responses with you--either in person or on this blog.