Marcel Marceau has passed away

[Juggling@large]

5:17am
i sit.
i think of him.
thank you sir,
I used your name and your profession to silence hecklers.
thank you.







thank you.

[stickman]

From an upper balcony from behind the lighting rigs valentines day in the Olympia theater in Dublin, Ireland this man in his 80s created imagery I'll never forget. He's the only performer I've ever waited at the stage door after a show to meet. Unfortunately one crazy women had the same idea. He had style even then.

Stickman

[jeep caillouet]

style

Hey stickman, how you been buddy? Hey I know that chick.She was knocking at my door last week!... Oh I don't think I ever met such a famous person that had so little to say,but what he did say was said in volumes. I learned my very first magic comedy routine from Toots in New Orleans. He was a Marcel type mime/clown He made so much money that when he got married he rented the entire Jackson square . I mean big time,limos tuxs and all. I'm sure he learned and was influenced by Marciel because he wore the same type white face and spoke little himself... but we did squeak a lot.

[le pire]

Unfortunately, he did not die quietly in his sleep. There is a good reason that the press states "causes unknown."

Marcel's school was taken from him by the French government (the same people who gave it to him) and he slowly starved himself out of depression. He had a bad fall and that, combined with age and starvation did him in.

It is fitting that he is buried in Pere Lachaise cemetary, where he will lie alongside Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Chopin and other greats. Annie Frattelini is buried in Monmartre Cemetary... a clown alongside of some of the greatest philosphers, scientists and politicians.

I met Marcel in 2002 and was astounded by how talkative,self effacing and funny he was. Age had slowed him down, but he was always articulate and very, very much alive.

Marcel Marceau was also jokingly called France's biggest exported good. Nice to know he was a bigger commidity to the nation than AirBus and nuclear power plants...


etienne