The New York Goofs are thrilled to announce their return to The Flea Theater with the world premiere of WATER FOR CLOWNS, written and directed by Dick Monday. WATER FOR CLOWNS begins performances on Thursday, August 11 for a limited engagement through Saturday, August 13 at The Flea Theater (41 White Street, between Broadway and Church. Via subway take the A, C, E, R, N, 4, 5, 6 to Canal). Opening Night is Thursday, August 11 at 7 PM. The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 7 PM. The regular ticket price is $20. Student Rush tickets are available for $15, 30 minutes prior to the performance. For tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.theflea.org. For more information, visit www.nygoofs.com.
WATER FOR CLOWNS is the yet untold story of a troupe of traveling clowns during the depression who endure the harsh reality of show business when a drought prohibits the use of water in their routines. Our story follows a young meteorologist who is just about to graduate from MIT when he learns his dog Biscuit has been hit by a car driven by the parents of a guy who was about to graduate from veterinarian school.
The story of the veterinarian was told in Water For Elephants. Our meteorologist, Dusty Hinkle, gets his turn in the spotlight when he jumps on a train that leads him to the Martini Brothers Circus.
Combining the skills and spills of eight professional loonies, WATER FOR CLOWNS guarantees a night of surprises and visual delights performed by some of America's greatest clowns. Perfect for all ages, this group of professional clowns and clown teachers gather at the end of the NY Goofs Ultimate Clown School and put together a riotous night of pure insanity and laughter.
Led by Dick Monday, the Goofs received the 2009 Golden Nose Award for Best Clowns, and have appeared worldwide in festivals, theaters and circuses, including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
The cast includes some of America's most accomplished physical comedians: Hilary Chaplain, Jay Stewart, Joel Jeske (2011 Drama Desk nominated for Room 17B with Parallel Exit; Live! with Regis and Kelly), Tom Doughterty (Big Apple Circus, Ringling Bros. Circus) Evelyn Tuths, Rob Lok, Mark Gindick (Big Apple Circus), Tiffany Riley and Dick Monday (Late Show with David Letterman; The Tonight Show; Sweet & Lowdown).
Tiffany Riley and Dick Monday (co-founders and artistic directors of the New York Goofs) have been partners for nearly 15 years. In that time, they have trained all the clowns for the Greatest Show on Earth, created the clown troupe The New York Goofs, and opened Slappy's Puppet Playhouse in Dallas. In performance, they are the clown team Slappy & Monday who have appeared from China to Mexico, Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, and lots of circuses and festivals in between. As Director of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Dick traveled to 30 cities each year to help find and train clowns for producer Kenneth Feld. He was awarded this job because of his lifelong commitment to the art of clowning and his illustrious background in circus and clowning in films and television. He has been seen as a funnyman in such classic films as Brain Donors, My Life and Sweet & Lowdown. His teaching has been recognized in the book "Guiding Lights" where he is celebrated as a mentor, or someone who helps guide people toward their purpose in life. Tiffany has been the driving force behind the NY Goofs' Ultimate School, cultivating students each year from all corners of the world. The finest faculty in physical comedy is assembled every summer to impart their skill to a new generation of clowns and physical comedians. Tiffany is also the creator of the Funnyatrics Program, a therapeutic clown program at Children's Hospital in Dallas, which is a five-day-a-week, two-clown-a-day program that is entering its seventh year of entertaining and delighting sick children.
Aside from teaching, Tiffany & Dick create shows for theatrical clowning, circuses, festivals, and even for marionettes. Their goal is to inspire laughter wherever they go, and to prove that laughter is not just for the kids.
