Silly of the Valley Productions

FAMILY STAGE SHOWS – FESTIVALS PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EVENTS

Imagine you're at a public event. There's a stage. A quirky looking character with a funny hat and red nose steps onto the stage and picks up a guitar. He struggles with getting the strap over his hat for a minute, then calmly tunes his guitar, smiling at the audience. He begins to play an energetic, pleasant melody which calls out a second clown. This character with a red nose and puppy dog slippers comes scurrying through the crowd, "Excuse me, pardon me, sorry..." hurrying toward the stage. She climbs up clumsily and hurries to pull her ukulele strap over HER hat. She manages to be ready for the last strum of the piece, and with arms thrown wide she says "TA DAH!!!!"

And so the Silly of the Valley show begins... The spectacle lasts 30 to 60 minutes, and may include music, storytelling, puppetry and/or audience participation.

BIRTHDAYS AND THEME PARTIES – Clown, Fairy and Superhero Parties

Party packages may include a musical show, puppetry, games, balloon twisting and or face painting, and are based on 10-12 kids. Super Crazy Deluxe parties include Mr Brown Knows too, and are especially fun for bigger groups and family gatherings.

SINGING TELEGRAMS AND GAG-GRAMS – Chicken, Elvis, Marilyn, Cheerleader, Top Hat and Tails, Nerd, Customized Gag-grams

A great way to embarrass that special someone at work, home or play! Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, retirement or milestone moments
***Featuring the infamous Slim Pickins the Mandolin Chicken. He's nothing to BAWK at!

WALKABOUT CHARACTERS

Trixie and Mr. Brown Knows bring out all the stops to entertain your guests in a "wandering minstrel meets balloonatic" sort of way. The duo will switch between making music and twisting balloon creations as needed, sometimes simultaneously! Great for small OR large gatherings, including wedding receptions, family reunions and corporate events.

MUSIC – Bluegrass, Ragtime, Folk, Family, Children’s Music, Original: Alternative-Folk.

Whether as Trixie and Mr. Brown Knows, or in human as The Maple Keys, they offer tight harmonies, engaging songs and high energy shows, with a witty touch. Perfect for festivals, corporate events and live music venues.

WORKSHOPS – Character Development; Improv Skills; Ukulele;
Childlike Play.

Charmaine Miron has acquired some wisdom through her experience as a professional performer and, while avoiding any claim to being any kind of "clown guru", she DOES have a natural ability to teach, an openness to continual learning, and a passion for sharing the art and beauty of clown through character development, of creativity through improvisational play, and of music through the ukulele and singing. Workshop packages are negotiable depending on context, duration, group size, etc.

There are two main components to Silly of the Valley Productions: Family Entertainment, and Music. As it would happen, often the two cross paths...

Our family entertainment features Trixie the Clown and Mr. Brown Knows. These two clowns make connections with audiences of all ages through any combination of music, improvized play, puppetry, storytelling, balloon twisting and face painting. Together, they have more than 35 years of experience in Clowning Around, and over 90 years combined experience in being human!

Mr. Brown Knows has charmed children and their families from Ontario to BC since 2010. He is known for breaking out in kazoo or having "tempo tantrums" while twisting balloons, and specializes in singing telegrams as Slim Pickins, the Mandolin Chicken.

Trixie began her career in February of 1999, and has won awards for Best Skit and Canada's Best Clown through Clowns Canada . Her "work/play" has touched thousands throughout Canada, and she has visited and played in the US, Japan and Israel. Trixie loves to practice her French, and encourages bilingual interactions whenever possible.

A key element in Trixie's clowning style is her 12 years experience working as a Clown Doctor with Fools For Health, in Southern Ontario. As Dr. Tilly Tom-Tom, Charmaine was privy to many magical moments, through "empty pockets clowning", humour, music and relationship-building with people of all ages, in hospitals and nursing homes throughout Southwestern Ontario. She has had the privilege of working with many talented and generous clown partners, and was also mentored by the incredibly talented and comical Michelle Mainwairing of MJM Entertainment.

These are some of the things Charmaine has learned about and through clowning...
It takes a village to raise a clown. Clowns need each other as mirrors and mentors, and everyone benefits from mutual nourishment.
True clowning means owning your humanity and being vulnerable to others through the childlike spirit of the clown.
Magic can and does happen when you fully exist in the present moment. But.... don't be attached to the outcome. And leave your ego at the door, it is the single biggest block to creativity.
Creativity is not a talent but a muscle, and play is its exercise.
Never underestimate the power of a smile, or the benefit of a few tears. ;-)

MUSIC
Both Charmaine Miron and Stefan Bruyere come from highly musical families, and are proud to carry forward that tradition to bring joy into the world! Stefan (Stef Be) has been playing and writing music since 1992. He describes his style as "Alternative Folk", but his bluegrass roots (with a fiddler as a father) can't help but peak through in their band, Riverteeth. He also works as a session musician, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Charmaine has dabbled in music most of her life, until getting serious about the ukulele in 2006 (a quick learn), then the fiddle in 2008 (a slower process!) Singing harmonies has always come natural to her, as has rhythm, so she contributes nicely to musical projects.

Charmaine and Stef have been performing together since 2010, and have basked in the pleasures of performing for young and old at everything from daycares to nursing homes, intimate gatherings to corporate events, children's festivals to wineries. Their musical range includes bluegrass, folk, ragtime, children's music and originals. They offer tight harmonies, engaging songs and high energy shows, with a personal touch. More than anything, they look forward to the next opportunity to share their art and passion!

STAGE SHOWS require 2 mics, 2 instrument inputs, and a sound system, preferably including a monitor. No special lighting or other sound equipment is necessary. Clown shows will require audience access to the stage and space on stage for a small number of audience members to participate.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES require little more room than your living room or back yard. Mostly, we need space to move and the support of parents in making the experience optimal for the children.

As such, here are some party tips:

Toys should be put away, and TV, music, etc. turned off.
Adult conversations should take place in another area as it is very distracting to both the children and the entertainer.
Save sugary snacks and/or cake for after the performer has finished.

Face painting requires a table and 2 chairs, as well as appropriate protection from the elements, depending on the season. These can be provided for an extra fee.
NB: Although we use only top quality professional face paints, some colors can stain the skin. Please let your guests know to remove any staining with facial scrub, or a paste of water and baking soda. Paint on clothes should be spot treated as soon as possible.

Respect for the performer(s) and their equipment
We love entertaining children and their families! As performers, we strive to give our best at each show. We bring numerous props and “tools of the trade” to do so, and need those things respected. On occasion, curious hands and sugar-induced energy need to be redirected. Most of the time we can handle the situation ourselves, but ultimately we rely on the support of the parents to keep disruptions to a minimum. Please have a responsible adult on hand at all times during performance, so that we can all relax and have fun. Much thanks!

Dealing with children who are afraid.
RESPECT THE CHILD'S FEELINGS. Forcing them will only make them more resistant. Trust that they'll probably get over it sooner or later. Many times a child who ran crying at the beginning of a performance has ended up being comfortable up close to me by the end of my stay.

BE PATIENT and KIND to your child. Encourage your child to confront his fears and praise him when he is brave.

STAY CALM. Verbally anticipating a negative response will reinforce any apprehensions they may feel, and physically yanking the child away will give the message that you think that something is really wrong.

DON'T "HYPE" THE SITUATION. Building up the excitement over the clown coming can backfire. Imagination can cause great anxiety in young children, so allow her to experience new things as they occur. That way she won't shut out new experiences before she's seen what's involved.

Most of all, know that it's common and normal for children to go through fearful phases, and that every obstacle they overcome is another success.