Fellow Performers: Part III
A Magician; A Clown; A Protégé
I think all teachers are really just frustrated
performers. After all, that's essentially
what we do when the classroom doors are
closed-perform for our students. So, if
I were to admit to being a frustrated performer,
it would come as no surprise that I envy
the real thing-so much so that I never get
enough of stories like the ones that follow
here. Any way, this month, I am rounding
out the Fellow Performers mini-series with
three folks-two accomplished performers
and a neophyte. After reading each of their
interviews, I think you'll see that they
have a lot to relate. Carl Wilson, of course,
has appeared within these pages before.
He's been a close acquaintance of mine now
for about five years and through him, I've
come to appreciate the art of magic and
sleight-of-hand like never before. Eli and
Ginger I very much hope to meet someday
soon. I've included Ginger here, because
I thought it might be fun to see how Charlie
still plays a role in the creative lives
of the very young. I think Ginger's story
gives us just that sort of perspective.
And Eli's story is especially appropriate
in that he is a clown. Charlie's influence
on his work is palpable-and, therefore,
especially compelling.
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A
Magician: Carl Lane Wilson
Bio: Carl was born and raised in Michigan where he performed his first magic show
at the age of eight with his father
at a Christmas party. His family moved
to California when he was 12 and it
was there at the age of 13 that he got
into mime and improvisational acting.
By the time he was 15, his love for
magic resurfaced, so he spent much of
his free time practicing sleight of
hand. Being a magician fulfilled all
of his needs as a performer; there is
magic, astonishment, acting, entertainment
and no script to assist with any of
that. In 1988, when he was 18, he made
his professional debut at the now long-gone
Magic Island in Newport Beach, CA. Today,
he has a very busy schedule, from working
for agents and corporate events to being
the Disneyland Resort's primary magician
subcontractor. The magic keeps happening.
A Clown: Eli Echevarria
Bio: Eli began his career as a Chaplin impersonator in 1992 and slowly evolved
into becoming a full time professional
clown. He is the author of two instructional
books on the art of balloon twisting,
has won many awards for his make-up,
costuming and performance skills and
has been on the teaching staff at dozens
of clown and magic conventions, workshops,
and seminars. For more information,
see www.clowningbybuster.com.
A Protégé: Ginger
Parsons
Bio: Ginger is 16 years old and has been involved with community theater
and high school drama since she was
14. In one instance, she played Fritzi
Bonwit in the Community Theater Production
of M*A*S*H. She is also active in the
local Improv group. Ginger enjoys being
on stage as well as working backstage
with sets, props and lighting. Recently,
she had the pleasure of meeting Dan
Kamin during a workshop and was deeply
inspired by him; she felt it was like
meeting a soul-mate. In her spare time,
she designs and maintains a website
and blog dedicated to Charlie Chaplin
and other comics. It is her desire that
others will come to appreciate their
contribution to the comedic films of
today as she has. She hopes one day
to be able to pass along what she has
learned and to keep Charlie Chaplin's
dreams alive. See Ginger's webpage at
www.2ndstorylaughter.com.
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