Avner in New York March 1-24!

Avner The Eccentric is playing a very exciting run of shows at the Canal Park Playhouse during the month of March. For those of you not familiar with Avner, you probably are, but you just don’t know it.  Avner has had a long career as a touring artist and master teacher.  He was a student of Jacques LeCoq and of Carlo Mazzone-Clemente (of who he famously said, “I learned everything I know from LeCoq.  I learned everything I don’t know form Carlo.”)

Avner has been on Broadway, has toured nationally and internationally, and was the iconic Jewel of the Nile in the movie Jewel of the Nile.

I first encountered Avner in Providence, RI in 1988 or so.  I wasn’t yet a clown, but I spent the summer ushering at his shows during a summer run in Providence at my alma mater (Trinity Rep) .  His show was downright hilarious, but had a timeless feel.

A few years later, I  took a workshop with he and his wife Julie Goell up at the Celebration Barn.  In fact, Avner gave me the direction for my flea circus (which strangely enough, when he saw it finally about 15 years later, he thought I should have gone in a DIFFERENT direction!)

Since then I’ve run into Avner a few times at conferences and festivals.  Whenever I get a chance to see him perform or take a workshop with him, I do.  I’ve probably seen his show 12-15 times in a variety of venues.  The Canal Park Playhouse will perhaps be the most intimate venue (it seats no more than 50 people maximum.)  It will be very exciting to see Avner working the tiny crowds (I’ve seen his show about 10-12 times in a variety of venues, but mostly in large theatres)

The show he does is called Exceptions to Gravity, which is pretty much the show he’s been doing for the last number of years. It’s a classic, and FILLED with amazing classic bits that Avner has polished and perfected over the years. I once asked Avner how he changes the show over time.  He told me that he changes it by showing off less.  For example, he is a really great slackrope walker.  But his show over the years contains less and less of his skill as a slackrope performer, and more about the obstacle of trying to do it and failing.

Failure and problem-solving are big parts of Avner’s method and philosophy as a teacher and performer.

I expect to go two or three times during the run, to try to soak up everything I can from his performances.  I suggest you do the same!

 

Buy tickets online at the canalparkplayhouse.com