Fools Festival Marks End of the Clown Wars in Pittsfield
Fear of Clowns and Mimes Still Linger, However
By: Larry Murray - Apr 01, 2009
It all started with an argument over the use of whiteface, and whether its purpose was to mask a performer's features or exaggerate them. Tempers flared between mimes and clowns over who came first, Marcel Marceau or Emmett Kelly, and which group could claim Commedia dell'Arte as their inspiration - the followers of pantomime or the devotees of slapstick.
It wasn't long before the clowns bulbous noses were out of joint, and they began hoarding rubber baseball bats while the mimes went into action, building imaginary walls to keep their opponents away. Acts of terrorism were committed. Careers and reputations were lost, bookings mysteriously canceled and costumes burned in effigy.
It was a sad time for the public which was forced to choose between the two traditions. Mimes maintained that clowns were not nice people. "They scare little kids, they cause neurosis in some adults, they have big floppy feet, they try to fit too many of their kind in a car," claimed one partisan. Nevertheless, clowns easily won the battle in the USA, but it was the mimes who prevailed in France. What else can you expect from a nation that idolizes Jerry Lewis. Japan just said Noh to the whole contretemps.
The Berkshire Fool's Festival marks the 33rd anniversary of the Greasepaint Treaty of 1976, signed in Pittsfield, which marked the end of the Clown Wars, the catastrophic conflict between clowns and mimes that had begun in the 1960s and raged for almost two decades. Even today there are remnants of the battle, with face painting being the dividing line between the factions - some people love it, but an equal number despise the practice.
Nevertheless, to commemorate the momentary peace that has returned, The Fools Festival will bring together artists, organizations and businesses in a multi-media, multi-venue, and always surprising celebration. More than a dozen exciting events will take place April 1-5, including theatre, music, art exhibition and engaging activities for all ages.
Celebrating both the richness of the area's history and the spirit of April Fool's Day, the Fools Festival will combine elements of traditional arts/music festivals, carnivals, renaissance fairs and local bicentennial holidays, with an emphasis on the fake, absurd and mysterious. The Festival celebrates the anniversary of the end of the Clown Wars, one of several mythical events in local history to be explored through art, music and theatre as part of the Festival's collaborative programming.
Sponsored in part by Zeitgeist Gallery, in conjunction with Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development and a wide variety of area organizations and businesses, the Fools Festival will take place all over Pittsfield, with programming in various venues and public spaces.
Many of the special exhibits, performances and activities will be free to the public, while others will charge admission, varying from venue to venue. Passes providing free or discounted admission to all the festival's events, as well as discounts at select local businesses are available now. More information follows the listings.
Berkshire Fools Festival - The Events
MUSIC
The Spring Folly
Apr 3 8pm-12
(St Joe's HS Gym)
The ultimate April Fools Day bash. Costume ball/ dance party extravaganza amidst a museum of bizarre curiosities, with gypsies, jesters, stilt-walking and more. Performances by Bella's Bartok (extreme klezmer/gypsy punk/folk) and skits by "Those Two Guys." DJ, cash bar, popcorn, cotton candy, and surprises.
The Noble Fool
(Concert Performance)
The Berkshire Museum
Apr 4 3pm; Apr 5 4pm
Soprano soloist and concert director Shana Blake Hill will joined by pianist Alexander Rothvang and guitarist Lawrence Glatt in a journey in song through the many facets of the fool from the silly clown to the village idiot to the fools we make of ourselves in love or striving for social status. Jazz, opera, music theater come to life in this program full of nostalgia and child-like wonder.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Copperworks Pittsfield
April 5 7:30PM
Mixing Eastern European lumbering folk with experimental jazz the group has a facinating sound. From his early beginnings with the now legendary Neutral Milk Hotel, to collaborating with Beirut and Bright Eyes, to mining the music of the world, Jeremy Barnes has been at the forefront of musical experimentation over the last decade.
THEATRE
Into the Woods (Theatre- Musical)
Taconic High School Theatre
April 2, 3, 4 730pm
A Baker and his Wife must go deep INTO THE WOODS to find a Cow as White as Milk, Cape as Red as Blood, Hair as Yellow as Corn, and a Slipper as pure as Gold in order to break a spell and have a child... see the stories of Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella come together in this Sondheim classic.
The Lynch Bride (Theatre)
Berkshire Concert Artists
First Congregational Church
Apr 2 730pm; Apr 4 4pm & 7:30pm; Apr 5 2pm
Local fact and fiction blend in this faux-historical Victorian comedy by J. Peter Bergman. The drama is set in the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield from April 1-4, 1877, where confusion, flirtation, and hilarity surround the arrival of a new minister and an upcoming wedding. Appropriate for all ages.
Bunker Mentality (Theatre)
Lichtenstein Center April 4 & 5 3pm
A tragicomedy about an old-school man in a post-modern world; written and performed by Bob Balogh.
The Musical Hat (Theatrical- Family)
Nutshell Playhouse & Clothespin Puppets
Berkshire Athenaeum
April 4 1pm
A delightful tale for the whole family, featuring clowns, music, mime and puppets. Shmurple and her fellow clowns sing songs from their Musical Hat, when suddenly they discover that their music has been stolen. Join them in their hilarious adventures as they try to get it back and in the process discover what music is made of.
Playwright Mentoring Project (Theatre)
Barrington Stage Co- Stage 2 (VFW)
April 4 2pm
Showcase of play material from Barrington Stage's award-winning youth program; 40 local teens performing 4 short original plays developed during weekly sessions over the past six months. Themed on "Teens taking emotional risks," intended for mature audiences.
Dinner & Improv Performance
Dottie's Coffee Lounge
April 4 7PM
Dinner at 7 followed by a performance by the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe. Dinner comes with a complimentary glass of wine or beer.
EXHIBITS
Greasepaint Tears: Remembering the Clown Wars (Exhibit)
Berkshire Museum
April 2-5
This educational exhibit commemorates the wave of violence that transpired between clowns and mimes during the late 1960s and early 1970s, specifically the central skirmishes that took place in the area surrounding Pittsfield, long regarded as the clowning capital of the northeast United States.
Michael Hitchcock, Man of the Future (Exhibit)
Zeitgeist Gallery
April 2-5
The office that started it all! Come see how the most divisive and inclusive figure in American politics got his start. His Pittsfield campaign office remains virtually unchanged from his 2020 campaign.
Wayne's World: The Art of Wayne Duffy (Exhibit)
Ferrin Gallery
April 1-May 1
Duffy presents modern social surrealism through this series of 50 hand-cut collages all from issues of National Geographic.
OTHER THINGS TO DO AND WATCH
Clown Games (Activity/Performance- all ages)
Pittsfield Common
April 4 2-5PM
Games, relay races, clowns, mimes, unicycles, balloons, face painting, and more! w/performances by Youth Alive and cast from Into the Woods.
Fools Errands (Activity/ Game)
Dotties Coffee Lounge
April 5 11AM-5PM
An epic scavenger hunt for all ages (Adult and youth difficulty levels). Pick up list at Dottie's and scour for a variety of items around downtown Pittsfield. Begin anytime after 11am, turn in by 5:00 pm.
Improv Comedy w/ Debt Free Players
Mission Bar and Tapas April 3 8-10pm
Coulrophobia & Evil Clowns (Lecture)
Storefront Artist Project
April 5 1PM
Clown scholar Joe Durwin discusses theories about the fear of clowns and its influence on modern culture. Based on his published research "Coulrophobia & the Trickster" (2004)
"Explicit" Live Comedy with Tom Scott
Micro Theatre
April 4 8PM
Probably not appropriate for young ears.
ADMISSION and PASSES
You can purchase a commemorative button for $25 (adults) or $10 (children under 12) which offers admission and discounts throughout the Festival.
With the button, you will be admitted to most events free of charge, the most notable exception being "Into the Woods", but even there you get a big discount. Tickets for non button holders is regularly $12, but you pay only $5 with the pass.
The Festival also needs volunteers and you can earn a pass that way, too.
Here's a list of the events that are included.
- "The Noble Fool" -Concert performance
- "The Lynch Bride" -Theatre
- "Bunker Mentality" -Theatre
- "Greasepaint Tears" -Exhibit
- "The Spring Folly" - April Fools Ball
For other purchase options, event updates and general information, visit their website.
Quick Link to the Fools Festival