Jay Stewart in the Tribeca Citizen Slinging the Soap.

NY Goofs—which used to be based in New York City but moved to Irving, Tex., after 9/11—is nearing the end of its two-week Ultimate Clown School at the Flea theater, culminating with three nights of performances beginning tomorrow at 7 p.m. (Tickets are only $20.) Today, however, out on White Street, master clown Jay Stewart—in the light blue shirt—led a seminar in the art of pie-throwing -receiving. With crusts made of foam, he showed how to spiral in the shaving cream, using a fingertip to create meringue-like peaks. Then the real fun started: One student at a time, he beaned them with the pies they had made—explaining that they should hold their breaths and close their eyes, and once the pie hit, they should quickly clear their air passages (so they can breathe) and eyes (because shaving cream is as painful as soap). As each student took his/her turn, Stewart talked about placing the pie-throwing in the context of a bigger gag (he once played a lunch-lady who doesn’t get hit at all—until, riotously, the end), about how it’s a good idea to have an exit strategy so you can get the shaving cream off. Finally, the students tried throwing pies at each other. All I can say about the whole experience was that I smiled for about a half hour straight.