Back in the Yukon
In those days I liked to say yes when someone offered me a gig. I ended up in some strange situations.
I was so delighted to be in the Yukon at their International Storytelling Festival and to perform. The organizers asked me to do an extra show at a festival on one of the main streets. I had only been performing for a couple of years and was used to roving – walking about as a clown – at festivals. So, no problem.
There I was as Pierrot, the mime clown, performing her heart out while people walked by in conversation with each other. They would glance at her, but what they saw was fairly incomprehensible from their perspective and so they walked on. Lesson number one – a mime needs a focused audience. Lesson number two – we can be our own worst critics.
Pierrot on the Street
While I was up in the Yukon at the Storytelling Festival in Whitehorse, two of the organizers asked me if I would perform at the Arts’ Festival downtown. I said, “Sure.” I’m always happy to get an extra gig.
Putting on Pierrot’s make-up in the bathroom of the place where I was billeted, I was mildly nervous. Pierrot was ready and my billet drove me downtown.
The main street was closed down and lots of people were walking around. The organizers led me to a stage perched beside the sidewalk. People were walking by on both sides of the street.
Poor Pierrot. She didn’t have music, she didn’t have a voice, she didn’t have lights, she didn’t have a theatre; she was just a white figure standing alone on a makeshift stage.
As people wandered by, I started my show. They glanced up, or stopped and stood for a moment and then kept on walking. I felt desperate. Pierrot’s imaginary balloon took her high into the air, and then she fell into another imaginary land. Nobody noticed. I felt utterly humiliated. People kept walking by. All I wanted to do was to get off the stage.
I ended the show early and rushed to find my billet. She drove me home and I changed and showered. I felt so ashamed. I had done the worst show of my life. I had left without collecting my cheque. I had to go back. I didn’t know if I could face the organizers. I didn’t know if they’d refuse to pay me.
We found them back at the festival. They came running up to the car and handed me my cheque. You were wonderful! They exclaimed. Thank you so much!!!
Odds & Ends
This silly story is action-based so that as a Narrator I directed the children acting, so they knew what to do. If they did something different from the story, I adapted the Narration to what they were doing. Being flexible and being able to improvise made this type of performance possible. Everyone was successful.
Clown Town in Nowhere Land – 5/6 year olds - Manitoba Theatre for Young People
Once upon a time there were several clowns living in Clown Town. There was Wiggy, Carrot, Bunny, Funny Billy, Funny, Jerry, Gooper, Potato, Furby, Vanessa, Cat and Clowny.
One morning they were all in bed sleeping. If you listen very carefully you could even hear them snoring. They woke up. They opened their eyes, they stretched, they yawned, they scratched their tummies and finally got up. They went to the centre of town to see their friends and they saw a big ice sculpture. Nobody knew who had put it there.
All of a sudden it started to rain, then the rain turned to ice, and then the ice turned to snow. Those poor clowns were getting very cold!
Just as suddenly the sun came out and started shining down on Clown Town. Everything began to melt except the sculpture. The clowns were amazed, it stayed where it was.
As if by magic, it got very cold again. This place had weather like Winnipeg! The clowns went back to their houses and got their skates. They put on their skates and went skating on the ice. They were enjoying skating, doing twirls and fancy dances. Some of the clowns were playing hockey with their feet instead of with hockey sticks! Oh no! The ice was thin and it started to crack. (sound effects). The poor clowns clung together and were very frightened! The ice broke under their feet and they fell into the water.
Cat managed to climb out of the water and moved the ice sculpture to Snow Town where she felt it would be safer.
Meanwhile, the soaked clowns were thinking! They decided to build themselves boats to float on the water. One group made a boat of Ice. One group made a boat of Water and one group made a boat of Sun. When the boats were made, they climbed in them and traveled to the shore. They went to the centre of town and the sculpture was gone! They looked around and everyone was there, even Vanessa, who they had suspected of building the ice sculpture. Only Cat was missing. They saw a trail of water on the route to Snow Town. They all followed the path, but they forgot one thing! They forgot to dry themselves off! As they entered Snow Town they gradually froze solid and stopped.
Cat ran to see her friends. And there they were, as still as statues. Oh no, she said. I wish the sun would come out in Snow Town!
The clouds blew across the sky and behind them was the sun. The sun shone down and melted the ice on the clowns and they could move again. They looked at the ice statue but it didn’t melt. They congratulated Cat on the ice sculpture. It was the best ice sculpture they had ever seen!
All the clowns, even Cat, were getting tired. They had had quite an adventure. They walked, danced, skipped and jumped all the way back to Clown Town. They went into their houses, except for Jerry who sleeps in the water and Potato who just sleeps anywhere and Clowny, who sleeps standing up.
If you listen very carefully, you could even hear them snoring.
End