You are cordially invited to our...
Gala Awards Banquet and Tribute
Last year, Mooseburger's, along with a host of hometown clowns and life-long friends, saluted three of the top ladies of clowning:
Paula "stickers" Biggio hails from the Chicagoland area and is a seasoned clown performer and storyteller having worked over 20 years as a full time entertainer. She teaches at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Clown Camp program, where she has been on staff for the past 17 years. Paula held the position of Education Director for the World Clown Association for 4 years. She has performed and lectured throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia. National and international clown conventions for Clowns of America International and the World Clown Association have featured her as a keynote speaker. Paula has a bachelor's degree from Rosary College and a strong background in both theatre and business. Her specialties include: face-painting, balloons, walk-arounds, and storytelling. Paula's company, Laugh It Up Clownstuff, has been a big success on the hometown front. She has had corporate appearances from McDonald's to the Brookfield Zoo to the White House. Her company, "Laugh It Up Clownstuff" is a big success and continues to be a nation-wide source for face-painting supplies, puppets, and all sorts of clowning goodies.
This Texas native became Ringling's foremost female stilt-walker, and this 30-year Ringling clown veteran now serves as the circus' special events manager. She attended Clown College and toured as an ambassador for the circus for years. Since 1989, Ruth has settled into a career as a Life Cast artist. She has been recording and celebrating Ringling Bros. clowning year after year by painstakingly crafting and then perfectly replicating, in a rainbow of paint, the fully made-up face of each member of the world-famous Clown Alley. It takes about eight hours to complete a Life Cast. It's a piece of art that is co-created by the artist and the performing artist, becoming a three-dimensional historical record of the clown's stint with the Greatest Show on Earth. Notably, these remarkable Life Casts have been exhibited at Rockefeller Center; the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston; Washington, D.C., Musee de la Civilisation in Quebec; the San Diego Children's Museum, and the Fan Andel Museum in Grand Rapids. On clowning, Ruth has said, "It's that inner child in you that wants to goof around and have fun." You can witness Ruth creating a Life Cast of Tricia Manuel (aka "Pricilla Mooseburger") at the convention on February 21st (check schedule for time and location).
Changing career paths unexpectedly, Peggy went from studying speech pathology to becoming the first female graduate of the Ringling Clown College in 1970. During her distinguished nine-year tour with The Greatest Show on Earth, she also joined the teaching staff at Clown College where she assisted students in nurturing the relationship between performers and the public. In 1981, Peggy became the assistant performance director for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' Blue Unit. Later, she also became the Performance Director of the circus's tour of Japan. Peggy has worked on special assignments at the Circus's corporate headquarters in Washington, DC where she initiated a series of new educational programs. Additionally, she has directed a circus camp for disadvantaged youth in Belfast, Ireland. Throughout her career, Peggy has maintained her passion for reaching out to children with special needs. While doing outreach with children in schools, introducing them to life in the circus, Peggy began to develop Ringling materials for classrooms. The endeavor came to be known as CircusWorks, which now allows teachers access to curriculums for pre-school and elementary school-age children. Peggy equates the circus to a kind of United Nations, and one of her messages to youth is, "If you aren't getting along, keep trying to get along until you do." She attributes Ringling's success for 136 years to abiding by this philosophy. Peggy's advice is also: "Don't be afraid to try." Using the word try rather than do is what got her to the successful place she's at today.
Mooseburger's Great Clown Adventure is delighted to invite these truly outstanding ladies to have their well-deserved moment in the spotlight - Brava! This black-tie affair will feature friends and colleagues sharing memories and toasting the women of clowning.
A fun and relaxed cocktail hour will precede the delicious banquet, during which we will hear stories and reminiscences from clowning legends and close acquaintances. Awards from the convention competitions will be announced at this time as well. Grab your favorite formal gown or tux and join us for this fun and elegant tribute!
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