Page 21 - Boca ViewPointe - May '22
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May 2022 Viewpointe, Page 21
The Club At Boca Pointe “Performing Scam Troupe”
Presents An Afternoon Of Entertainment
The “What’s Up” club welcomes all seniors to enjoy the recent articles and television
program! Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 1:00pm at the Club. reports of the increase in scams
The talented players: Harriet Rubin, Arlene Berkwich, against Seniors has prompted
Roberta Pfeiffer, Nancy Hirsch, and Ed Swell will Director Harriet Rubin to get
entertain you, while demonstrating how to avoid “Being the remaining cast members
Scammed!” together and help spread the
From 2006-2014, this group performed all over word that Seniors need to be
After several years of retirement, this wonderful South Florida, entertaining over 3,000 seniors at various cautious and mindful of the current problems. We are
performing troupe will delight members and guests with clubs and venues. As a non-profit they donated well hoping to have an officer from the Sheriffs Department
skits showing how easy it is to “Scam Seniors”! over $10,000 to charities supported by the cast. The for a Q&A after the performance.
Clowns On Call
By Harriet Rubin, The biggest event we have attended in 2 years was
aka Florabelle the Clown at the YMCA for a special outdoor event on April 9th,
YMCA Healthy Kids Day. We spent 3 of the busiest
Spring has Sprung! hours in the history of our 7 years of clowning! Cutie
Florida always looks like Pie, J.J. and even Juggles made balloons for over 300
spring, but this year, as kids. Twinkle Toes and I face painted with stencils and
life has started to return to we have never been that busy. We had long lines for both
normal, everything looks activities, and consequently we all tried to go as fast as
more beautiful! possible to accommodate those waiting. Parents and kids
I am so sorry to have to were very co-operative and it was a great big party! We
share some sad news. One of actually ran out of balloons and that’s a first! Over 1,500
our original dedicated clowns passed away in April. Many people attended. You can imagine how tired we were at
of you knew “Perky” aka Barbara Gaynor. She was a kind, 12:30, but we had another event to attend! We went to
compassionate clown, funny but subtle, always anxious to Florence Fuller West, and entertained another 100 kids
please and bring a smile to those around her. She reminded and families, inside, after having a lunch break. Wow,
me of Emmett Kelly, a famous tramp clown with sad eyes that was some day!!!
and a kind heart, demonstrating true pathos for a clown. In Now for some exciting news! The Club is planning Cutie Pie, Twinkle Toes, Florabelle, JJ, Candy Bar and
fact, I created a skit in our “Wiggles and Giggles” show for to have a 4 week Day Camp during June, and we have Juggles with Hawaiian Dancers at The Hab Center
her, just because I knew she would be able to create that sad, volunteered to teach clowning to the kids, ages 7-12.
trusting, naive look needed to make the character believable. Since this is one of my very special clowning activities,
For those of you who’ve never seen “Ice Fishing”, it’s done and one I haven’t been able to enjoy for over 10 years, I
primarily in pantomime, and the facial expressions and am thrilled to share the joy of turning kids into clowns!
body language convey the story. Perky hadn’t been well for Many of you might think- “Why would kids want to
some time, but she still came to a few of the sparse events learn to be “clowns?” and “What can a kid get out of
we had over the past year. She came equipped with her clown training or exposure to Clowning?”
oxygen tank and her wonderful aide, Susan, who became Well, I’m going to share some of my experiences and
one of us. Thank you Susan for making her life fuller and knowledge with all of you. First of all, Florabelle (that’s
ours as well! Rest in Peace Perky. We will all miss you! me) has taught over 200 kids in her 27 year clowning
Her family requested we come in red nose regalia for her career. Ages range from 8-16. I’ve run programs at
beautiful Memorial Service, which in the clown world is a overnight camps in Pennsylvania, day camps in New
way showing respect and devotion to a fellow clown. Jersey, and at Hillel and Donna Klein here in Boca. How
We had our 1st repeat Red Nose Reader event for 3-4 does clown training compare to the usual activities offered
year olds at the YMCA. After the initial visit, when we at any camp? Well first of all it is Not Competitive. It’s not
apply our makeup and costume, and turn into a clown, physical, nor intellectual. It doesn’t require special skills
right in front of the kids, Cutie PIe and I were already or aptitudes. It is a relaxing, fun time experience with
in clown make-up and costume when we entered the lots of laughter and self-expression. “Jr. Joeys” as young Cutie Pie and Florabelle at the YMCA Pre-school class
classroom. We had 32 of the cutest kids to entertain, and clowns are called, traditionally find they can be different
we all had the best time. Cutie Pie and I agreed we have than they usually are. Something magical happens when our clown show, how shocked she was with the changes
never performed before such a well-behaved group of they put on a little make-up, add a red nose and maybe a she observed. I stayed in touch with the family for a few
little ones. They were so absorbed by our Easter Bunny wig, and move around the room walking like an elephant, years, and according to her mother, the training had a long
story, songs, activities, magic etc. and we came away or a duck, or a chicken, portraying how their faces would term positive effect. I was not surprised, as confidence
really thrilled with the success of the program! We have look during joy, wonder, teasing, etc. They learn in a goes a long way!
another session with the 4-5 yr. olds on April 27. We hope relatively short time how to convey feelings through body So what will the kids learn? A little of a lot of things,
to start Red Nose Readers on a regular basis with both movements and facial expressions, and nobody criticizes including : applying simple clown make-up, twisting
Florence Fuller centers in May or June. them for anything they try to portray. We learn new voices balloons into a dog, or a hat; juggling 3 scarfs or more if
Our event at “The Hab Center” went over well. There which also changes their persona. Of course, some kids they practice, simple magic tricks they can do at home,
were only handful of children present so our face painting will master these skills more rapidly than others, but simple clown skits they can perform for friends, playing
and balloon making was slow; however, Candy Bar doing everyone has a great time trying. It’s different than an songs on a kazoo, and lots of other “shticks” a clown
walk -a -round magic was very successful, and Juggles acting class! Again, there is no competition to be better uses. If all goes well, we plan to have a kids version of
always does well with than someone else. We are not trying out for parts in a our “Wiggles and Giggles” show at the end of
his juggling expertise! play or production, just developing our own personality the sessions!
J.J. walked around and and letting it emerge. I have seen the shyest kids turn into Look for further Camp information
interacted with the extroverts with improved confidence as a result of clown from The Club at Boca Pointe. I’d be
crowds in his special training. Interestingly enough, the typical “class clown” happy to speak to anyone who has
way. Cutie Pie always often does not make the best clown! As an example, one questions about the Clown program.
is a hit! We received of the teens in my class was very awkward, nervous and Well, that’s all for now and
a lot of compliments uncomfortable during the first 2 sessions of clowning. remember to wave when you see us
and thanks for our After she found a “look” with applying her make-up, her driving through property! We are
volunteering to personality changed tremendously. Her mother told me Back!!!
entertain. Perky aka Barbara Gaynor after the sessions were completed and she performed in