Joel Jeske will be performing his one man show I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE at the Amuse Bouche: NY Clown Theatre Festival presented at The Brick Theater. Tickets can be purchased here.
Enter the theatre and a trio of performers greet you with Dunkin Donut ‘Munchkins’ and lemonade. They take your name and immediately affix a name tag on your clothing. A lovely greeting to be a member of the ‘Underground’ meeting soon to take place.
Philip (Chris Arruda) offers an audience member some lemonade upon entering the theatre.
Karen (Sandi Carroll) Philip, and Stuart(Brad Fraizier) facing off with the audience after an amazing rolling chair routine by Stuart.
Suddenly a ‘TOP SECRET’ box is lowered down to the stage from the skies mysteriously.
Out of the box Karen finds a ‘TOP SECRET’ tape. The other members look on.
Philip O’Hara (Chris Arruda) points to a member of the audience.
Karen (Sandi Carroll) practices some ordinary facial disguises for the audience to see.
The members try and hang a banner and it turns out to be not so easy.
Karen tries to recruit a new member into the group with not much luck.
In the dark with only helmut flashlights they search the stage for clues.
They take the well deserved ‘curtain call’.
This show was a wonderful change of pace for the festival.
I had an interest in finding out about this new show ‘I HAVE NOT DONE THIS BEFORE”. I ask clown, physical comedian Joel Jeske about his new upcoming show.
[From ‘Amuse Bouche’ Festival Brochure]
In his first ‘Amuse Bouche’ offering, clown and physical comedian Joel Jeske presents himself raw and unpredictable. Jeske takes his career experience in circus, theater, and variety and throws it all aside to do what he has truly never done before.
Gabriela and Audrey started working on the basis for this show last March and came to me this summer with some fabulous characters and ideas for the piece before coming to me to direct them, and together we built what you are seeing here.
Chula(Gabriella Munoz) arrives – new bird in town.
Pepper (Audrey Crabtree) makes sure that what’s hers is hers!
Chula let’s Pepper know she’s not putting up with any of her lip.
Pepper doesn’t like the look of her new neighbor.
Chula’s bath time finishes with a big splash.
Pepper takes a bird bath with a Handi-wipe.
Pepper tortures Chula by playing with her piñata.
Scared of an outside force, they cling to each other for safety!
Professor Lawrence Fishburne, head of research at the Institute for Abnormal Awareness and Non-Standard Knowledgement, ventures to another dimension to acquire the most magical treasure the world has ever known…the Bezinkule!
His adventure is told through a series of hologram diary entries for the woman he loves: Miss Lillian Treemont. Along the way, he meets a curious creature named Nump and a Shrimp Squirrel named Shrimple.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Great storytelling fun! Had me captivated all through the show.
Joel Jeske greeted the audience from behind his suitcase with title cards.
When the audience didn’t respond to his ‘Title Card” vocally he directed them to do so.
Joel handed out clip boards and pens to the audience members (Mask Maker Stanley Allan Sherman) and proceeded to time them.
An audience member (Triskelion Executive Director Abby Bender) helps Joel Jeske gets his balloons in his suit.
He certainly hasn’t done this before!
With helmut and glasses he is ready to take to the skies.
Singing a uke song with assistance from the audience holding his song book.
Joel Jeske is certainly a very funny man!
Grabbing another audience member by demonstratively pointing them out.
The show ended on a high note with a ‘pillow fight’ between audience members.
