NEW YORK GOOFS End Run at The Flea Theater 8/7

The New York Goofs are thrilled to present their return to The Flea Theatre with the premiere of NEW YORK GOOF SHOW, written and directed by Dick Monday. NEW YORK GOOF SHOW is THREE NIGHTS ONLY beginning on Thursday, August 5 for a limited engagement through Saturday, August 7 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). 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.

All performances are open to critics. To download images, please visit their Picasa image sharing site.

The New York Goofs, called a "demented Ed Sullivan Show" by the New York Times, are back in New York for three nights only, presenting their unique brand of comic lunacy at the renowned Flea Theater in Tribeca.

Surrounded by clowns who juggle, play bizarre instruments and cross dress, an unsuspecting man is handed a life of surprises, u-turns and crash endings until he finally gives in to the lunacy. NEW YORK GOOFS SHOW upends everyone's expectation of the Clown!

Rooted in the beliefs that every human is unique and special, this group of career clowns prove that nothing is more comedic (or tragic) than human nature itself. Surrounded by eccentrics, this Everyman forges his way through a world where normality is abnormal, and the abnormal is normal. A Concertina, Tuba, Banjo-uke, and musical saw take the chaos of noise and turn it into music, while juggling, balancing and feats of absurdity bring urgency to the human condition.

These seven clowns explore seven points of view on how each of us approach life. As Goof's founder Dick Monday explains, "Remember, a clown is artist who is also an orangutan!"

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: Larry Pisoni (founder of the Pickle Family Circus), Hilary Chaplain, Jay Stewart, Joel Jeske (2008 Drama Desk nominated for This Way That Way with Parallel Exit; Live! with Regis and Kelly), Evelyn Tuths, Tiffany Riley and Dick Monday (Late Show with David Letterman; The Tonight Show; Sweet & Lowdown). NEW YORK GOOF SHOW also features the NYC premiere of 10-year-old professional clown Chet Monday.

NEW YORK GOOF SHOW marks the grand finale of their training intensive, NY Goofs' Ultimate School, which is the premiere professional training ground for aspiring clowns in the United States, which runs from August 2 - August 7, also at The Flea. In 1998, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College closed its doors, leaving a void in the legacy of this ancient, somewhat mysterious, art form we call clowning. The last Dean of this fabled institution, Dick Monday, knew that there were people who needed a means to develop their craft, so he and his partner, Tiffany Riley, created the NY Goofs' Ultimate School to fill that void.

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. 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.

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