Kendall Cornell – Clowns Ex Machina (women in dangerously, dangerously bad moods)

Kendall Cornell is the creator and director of THE BAD’UNS: CLOWN ACTS OF CONTAGION currently running at La Mama downstairs Theater. She leads the all female clown troupe - Clowns Ex Machina in a piece that " takes a darkly comic look at transgression, the corruption of dreams, and women in dangerously, dangerously bad moods." I found it utterly transformative. You can read my review here  I asked Kendall a few questions about her journey to becoming a clown, her inspiration for her work and other nonsense... Can you remember the moment when you knew you were destined to be a clown/performer/dancer? Vividly! I went to be

The Bad’uns: Clown Acts of Contagion at La MaMa’s Downstairs Theatre

  On Saturday I found the wellspring of funny -Kendall Cornell's all-women clown troupe: Clowns Ex Machina. I am still suffering from acute bouts of sudden, uncontrollable laughing at the flashbacks from their show -The Bad’uns: Clown Acts of Contagion. It's 90-minutes of intense bliss. There is a palpable, vast intelligence that forms the canvas for every scene. The humor bounces off this backdrop imbuing each moment with the massive force of thinking, focused, funny women. The clever comedy comes at you faster than Venus Wiliams' 56.95 m/s tennis ball serve -you have to gird up your loins for the shock and the skill of

My Birthday at Theaterlab

  My Birthday is a glorious occasion to celebrate the clown. Michaela Lind, has developed a delightful clowning framework to explore the complexities of the ritual of birthday parties and how unmet expectations around these events gives a “tragic” clown a lot of material. It is a heartbreaking and heartwarming interrogation of our need for friends and family at key moments of our lives. It’s a charming, playful and earnest little gem. Lind follows in the strong female clowning tradition that started in Greece in the 7th Century with the Dorian Mime troupes. We see female clown prowess in Medieval England as

Interview with Michaela Lind on “My Birthday”

Michaela Lind is a Swedish performer who is preparing to clown around at Theater Lab, NYC on November 13, 14, 15. She has developed her own unique clowning style and created a lucky packet of extraordinary surprises with her new solo clown show entitled “My Birthday”. This original work was created in collaboration with Clown’s Ex Machina and promises to tickle your funny bones and turn your cells into Champagne as we follow a clown as she prepares and celebrates her birthday. I chatted with Michaela about this physical theater clowning experience. What was the main impetus for choosing to create or

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