by Kirby Lindsay, posted 23 March 2012
In its ninth year, Moisture Festival – the wonderfully popular, homegrown vaudeville/burlesque showcase – already has a second generation of performers creating thrilling spectacles on its stages.
This weekend, March 24th & 25th, the matinee show features a solo act by Ruby Joyce, a 9-year-old, seasoned aerialist. And no season of Moisture would be complete without appearances by the sweet, simple clown Godfrey Daniels. When he takes the stage at Hale’s Palladium, (performances still to come on April 6th and closing night, April 8th,) expect to see ‘teen’ Godfrey as well – portrayed by Isak Moon.
Let’s Hear It For The Kids
Moon, a fifth grader at Greenlake Elementary, has grown up around performers, and has attended Oregon Country Fair since birth, he said. His mother, Shannon Moon, also a performer (and occasionally playing ‘female’ Godfrey,) agreed to let Isak suit up as ‘little’ Godfrey at the Fair starting around age 4. Moon’s mentor (and the Godfrey Daniels,) Randy Minkler recalled the first times the boy wore the top-heavy costume, “he couldn’t hold the head up. We had to strap him in.”
“It was exciting,” Moon recalled. Audiences delighted in seeing a mini-Godfrey, and Moon soon had a regular gig. “I was always wobbling around,” he said of his first few years, “and it was hard to see… As I grew older, it wasn’t as wobbly, and I got used to looking through the space.” An older, and much taller, Moon now navigates perfectly, but no longer fits the mini-Godfrey costume. Instead, he’s learning to act – and develop the character of ‘teen’ Godfrey, with attitude to spare.
Joyce has also been on stage as long as she can remember. Her earliest memories are of dance performances and, “doing my troll piece with Mommy as part of the Girl Circus at Oregon Country Fair.” Joyce started climbing up on the trapeze with her mother, Martha Enson, at age 3 or 4 – and the duo developed an act that Joyce recalled for its red velvet costumes. They performed together at last year’s Moisture Festival in clown fish costumes that Joyce declared “icky and hot.” As she explained, “I hate that costume.”
Yet, she loves to perform. “I really enjoy aerial,” she said, “I like flying.” Her father, Kevin Joyce, confirmed she will climb anything – monkey bars, hoops, ropes, etc. Father taught daughter to get the swing going high, and jump off. Joyce admitted that she’s gotten better and better, and higher and higher, and still enjoys the sensation although, “I’m not allowed to do it at school anymore.”
The Love Of Show
“I just like to get up there,” Joyce explained. For her last birthday she took lessons on the flying trapeze at SANCA. She’s also studied contortionist arts with Vita Radianova from Teatro Zin Zanni, and Joyce performs both ballet and modern dance. She has acted in a few theater works but, “I like not speaking better,” she said, “because it means I get to dance or do aerial.”
Moon admitted he likes the applause, but he really lit up talking about costumes. “I like being behind something,” he admitted about the disguises. According to his mother, he’s played an alarm clock, gnome, and a car. It doesn’t even have to be an elaborate costume. He’s worn the minimalist clown costume of German clowns Hacki & Moeppi Ginda for a routine they performed together at Moisture Festival.
When asked for his favorite part of being Godfrey, surprisingly Moon admitted, “I like doing the rehearsals, because we add in parts and take out stuff as we rehearse.” The act appears to be very simple, but Minkler carefully choreographs the routine – and Moon enjoys that he can offer suggestions, and participate in the creative process.
Among A Small Minority
So far, Moon and Joyce remain a small minority among the Moisture Festival performers. “It’s rare for a kid to perform at Moisture Festival,” Kevin Joyce admitted. Yet, they aren’t the youngest – Diemo Ginda, son of Moeppi and Rebekah Ginda, went on stage the first time at approximately 6 months of age.
“I like it because it’s really exciting,” Joyce said of performing at the Festival. She likes being allowed into the dressing rooms, and seeing other performers in costume. She also likes being able to take her friends backstage to watch from the front row of the performers area. Also, she reported, backstage always has treats laid out. “They treat the performers really well,” Kevin Joyce acknowledged. His daughter had only one complaint about performing – beyond the ‘itchy’ clown fish costume – “I don’t like wearing lipstick,” she said, “because I can’t eat anything.”
Moon enjoys the community at Moisture Festival – and the opportunity to meet other performers. “Some of the magicians have taught me how to do what they do,” he reported excitedly. Moon would like to go into show business when he grows up, unless he becomes an engineer, or a pilot. “I’ve always like to build things, and create things,” he said.
So come see what the young people contribute to the fun and frivolity of Moisture Fest, and give them a chance to build their skills as vaudeville entertainers – particularly in front of a friendly, Fremont audience. But get your tickets now as the 2012 shows keep selling out… Blink twice and this year’s Moisture Festival will be over!
Related Articles
- Love Among The Clowns
- by Kirby Lindsay, March 20, 2008 in the North Seattle Herald-Outlook
- Randy Minkler Answers Questions On Godfrey Daniels
- by Kirby Lindsay, March 18, 2011
- Kevin Joyce Recreates A ‘Covenant’ At West Of Lenin
- by Kirby Lindsay, November 30, 2011
©2012 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.