VAUDE_VISUALS

I was very interested in hearing the history of the NYGoofs. I had seen the name around for years and knew a few performers that worked with them. Finally a few years ago I began documenting their shows.

(Thanks to original Goofs member Hilary Chaplain)

Located at the Flea Theater in Lower Manhattan, the NYGoofs held a ‘Clown School‘ that lasted between one and two weeks two times a year.

Many aspiring clowns, comedians, actors and other physically trained movement performers take these classes. The second year I photographed the workshops they had Avner The Eccentric teaching as well as Dick Monday and his wife Tiffany Riley, Hovey Burgess, Barry Lubin, Jay Stewart, Hilary Chaplain and many others.

This year I wanted to get more information about the origins of the group and hear what Dick Monday had to say about this ‘clown venture’ that has lasted quite a few years!

Here is an interview that covers all that and more. I enjoyed working with Dick, Tiffany, Chet and Lily as well as the entire cast of performers that did the

WATER FOR CLOWNS show this year. Go here for photographs and more information on that show.

Dick Monday Interview

Recently Dick and Tiffany sat for me to do a portrait for my Clown Un_Mask series.

This video can NOT be Embedded to play on other sites!

Part 2 – Interview with Hovey Burgess by Jim Moore from Jim Moore on Vimeo.

Here is Part 2 of an interview I did with circus historian, book collector, teacher, juggler Hovey Burgess. Hovey Burgess literally wrote the book on Circus Techniques (1976) which is still in print. Carlo Mazzone-Clementi considered Hovey his colleague working with him at New York University and American Conservatory Theatre and spending endless days and night exploring Commedia Dell’Arte. He has taught at some of the finest professional conservatory programs in theatre. He taught at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Ultimate Clown School, Dell’Arte, and is a forty year veteran of New York University where he first introduced the concept of Circus Arts in the theater curriculum, an idea which quickly spread to theaters programs across America. He also taught at The Juilliard School, American Conservatory Theatre, Sarah Lawrence College, National Theatre for the Deaf, National Theatre School of Canada, and the Israeli National Theatre for Youth. Hovey was circus choreographer for the motion picture Popeye (1980) staring his former Juilliard student Robin Williams.

Hovey Burgess has been teaching circus skills for as long as I can remember…he is a really great teacher. You can ask the thousands of students that have passed thru his classes.
He talks about his work in the circus world and his teaching and amazing library of circus and circus related books.

Part 1 – Interview with Hovey Burgess by Jim Moore from Jim Moore on Vimeo.