What Daddy did on his vacation

[Guy Fawkes]

A long time ago, and in a land far, far away. Daddy was a clown to help cover University expenses. Not just any run of the mill clown; A Mute, Balloon twisting, Magic performing clown that gave him great joy because it gave a shy and introverted guy a chance to be extraordinary for a while now and then.

 

Somewhere along the way, the clown fell into the back of the closet and except for a few photos that somehow he had the brilliance to have made; The clown became a dusty memory of days gone by.

 

During his vacation, one of his customers had a meltdown with a database which required that Daddy in his secret identity to spend a couple days very carefully putting that fragile egg back together and setting it back up on the wall. The customer was so aghast at disturbing Daddy's vacation that he slipped Daddy some cash.

 

Just enough cash for Daddy to take a class in "Mask, Mime, & Magic" from what Daddy considers one of the best magicians in the world. A class that just happened to be scheduled during Daddies vacation. As you can imagine, the mixture of the three immediately appealed to Daddy because of his background in clowning. The way that he looked at it was that for a couple days work, he got a couple days of magic.

 

This class introduced Commedia dell'arte - "A colorful and extremely theatrical art form is based on the interaction of traditional [masked] stock characters in improvised scenarios that facilitate a comic plot to arrive at a humorous climax. Seven stereotypical characters to be precise; The same seven stereotypes that were represented on the TV show "Gilligan's Island" from a bygone era.

 

The character that I played was "il Dottore" - "a commedia dell'arte stock character, one of the vecchi or old men whose function in a scenario is to be an obstacle to the young lovers." This character has one of the more unusual masks, and is usually represented as a fat man that utters complete total nonsense and never cures his patient.

 

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/509d812ee4b081ffff71c32f/t/50b8fce8e4b0e7ebf0679082/1354300649582/Dottore1_web1.jpg?format=300w

 

Daddy's job was to introduce two of the themes into the play: "Fart Attack" which was warped into "Heart attack" later, and "Red Electrolytes" which got warped into "Red Dynamite." The scene (think SNL segment) was hilarious and well received by the audience.

http://shane-arts.com/dot3.gif

The class renewed Daddy's interest in Mime and Magic. I've spend a good portion of my vacation working on a new character: A bumbling old wizard (think the wizard from "7 Faces of Dr. Lao") that that'll be performing magic that goes right on occasion.

 

The End

 

P.S. Daddy is still on vacation until next week. He's very busy building the foundation for the next version of the website. This 1st effort is replacing a very old, very fragile program written in a language that has fallen out of favor. Since it's the program that sends out the initial confirmation of the reviews, I suspect that you'll agree with him that it's time well spend.

 

Enjoy the updated Message Forum, The reviews should be back next week. - Daddy

[+ honcho]

I've spend a good portion of my vacation working on a new character: A bumbling old wizard . . .

 

You might recall me posting about reading a Terry Pratchet novel on a business trip back from DC to SFO via Philadelphia ...

 

The novel was called Interesting Times and about a bumbling middle-aged wizard ... maybe you might enjoy the book as much as I did ...

[+ sync]

Daddy,

 

I concluded some time ago that only a very talented magician could keep all of these plates spinning.

 

Many thanks for the haven and advantages of these forums and reviews.

 

 

http://images.sodahead.com/images/profiles/0/0/1/4/8/6/4/1/7/rose-1266515914.gif

[Gar1eth]

I'm glad you are having what sounds like a fun vacation, Daddy.

 

 

 

 

P.S. Daddy is still on vacation until next week. He's very busy building the foundation for the next version of the website. This 1st effort is replacing a very old, very fragile program written in a language that has fallen out of favor. Since it's the program that sends out the initial confirmation of the reviews, I suspect that you'll agree with him that it's time well spend.

 

Enjoy the updated Message Forum, The reviews should be back next week. - Daddy

 

To paraphrase Mrs. Meers-"Sad to be a very old, very fragile language that has fallen out of favor in the world"

 

Gman

[jackjackjack]

Now I understand..... hence, the clown avatar. Ringling Brothers Clown College? Other than people on here who know you intimately... well, not just intimately... haha... but your friends, have to be surprised by your interest and talent in clowning and magic. Although I shouldn't be surprised..... you're gay.... and we know all gay people are artistic. . Hats off to you, sir!!!!! And I dim my red nose to you.

[+ stevenkesslar]

The character that I played was "il Dottore" - "a commedia dell'arte stock character, one of the vecchi or old men whose function in a scenario is to be an obstacle to the young lovers."

 

Ironic. Seeing as how the main purpose of this website is to bring "lovers" of all ages together -whether young, or just young at heart.

 

It's all a form of magic in my book.

 

This also may prove that clowning around is every bit as fun as fucking around.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I'm glad you are having a fun and productive vacation. As a side comment, I was active in the non commercial theater circuit back in Buenos Aires in the 80s and 90s, and Commedia dell'Arte was one of the many techniques I experimented with. Clown was big back then in the underground scene. There are still outstanding clown schools in Buenos Aires. Wearing a mask is one of the more liberating things you can find, and an excellent technique to understand how a mask works, even when you are not wearing one in other acting roles.

One more side comment. During those years I develop a fetish: clown noses. I always have one in my night table drawer to use it with the appropriate lover. If I find somebody attractive, put on a clown nose and I just go nuts. If I do not find somebody attractive but he is borderline, put on the nose and I go for him.

[Gar1eth]

and we know all gay people are artistic. .

 

I'm the exception here!!

 

Gman

[Brian Kevin]

I'm the exception here!!

 

Gman

 

 

Daddys artistic for the both of us Gman!!

 

However, just like when someone looses one of their senses, they say another becomes stronger. So, Gman, what we lack in the arts, we make up somewhere else-- I hope.

[Gar1eth]

Daddys artistic for the both of us Gman!!

 

However, just like when someone looses one of their senses, they say another becomes stronger. So, Gman, what we lack in the arts, we make up somewhere else-- I hope.

 

Sorry-

 

Gman

[geminibear]

I'm the exception here!!

 

Gman

+1 me neither Gman.

 

On top of that I am actually diagnosed as tone deaf.

[N13]

Interested people are interesting people. Bravo!

[nate_sf]

This is wonderful to hear about! I'd love to see you in the "il Dottore" character and I can only imagine you as your new bumbling old wizard.

 

It's also great to rediscover something that had been put away long ago, and the excitement from coming from that. As my own odometer continues to spin upwards along with everyone else's, this has been a thrill I've had to rediscover things I'd long ago thought were behind. Congratulations on this turn of events!