Katrina Land 2007
Elisa Lane and Gwendolyn Rooker in New Orleans
May 4th
There is an enormous need for laughter in Southern Louisiana
and Mississippi. Yesterday, my clown partner, Elisa Lane,
and I completed our nine-day tour of this stricken region
and are still overwhelmed by the damage done to the infrastructure.
For many, life is still a struggle, with few positive outlets
or happy distractions. At the Diamond FEMA Trailer Park,
a mini-city seemingly in the middle of nowhere, kids leave
the site each morning for school - a brief respite from claustrophobic
living conditions. Once they return to the trailer park,
there is nothing for them to do. Some kids aren't even making
it to school. One child told us, "I used to go to school.
I liked school." We heard similar words from a preschool-aged
boy while clowning at a shelter provided by Common Ground
Relief.
In the latter half of our trip, we clowned at the Children's
Hospital of New Orleans, following in the footsteps of our
clown colleagues, Deven and Yvette. The kids got up and danced
with Elisa while I played my accordion. One kid ran up on
stage to become part of the action, seeming briefly to forget
that his IV system was still attached. His mother rushed
after him, the IV system in tow. In a place called Harvey,
just outside New Orleans, we visited an elementary school
for special needs children. We performed for about 200 kids
as part of their Very Special Arts Festival. One boy we brought
on stage during an interactive bit, loved whales. I mean,
LOVED whales. He wasn't shy about his feelings either, so
a good portion of our show turned into a lesson on Marine
Biology. We followed his lead, gave him the stage and were
totally impressed by the young guy's knowledge of mammalian
sea life. The kids were such a delight to perform for. After
our show they gave us wonderful hugs! -My favorite reward
for clowning! 
In Waveland, Mississippi, we clowned for a children's shelter
and an after school program. We played in the hot spring
air and cracked up around 300 people, most of whom where
elementary and high school-aged. No small feat! These kids
live in a community that was one of the hardest hit during
the hurricane. Elisa and I made approximately 1,760 people
affected by Hurricane Katrina laugh during our nine-day stay,
but the truth is that these kids really need permanent services
to replace programs that were lost or discontinued as a consequence
of Katrina.
We are happy to help where we can, but at times
it is frustrating to offer only a short respite to the children
and teachers who work hard everyday with very little.
Still, we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't believe that
it makes a difference. One of the great challenges of clowning
for children is that you're bound to encounter kids who think
they're too cool to participate. In some cases they may withdraw
from the group, sometimes they'll heckle you. In our show
we call upon young audience members to join us on stage.
We often call on the more disruptive kids to include them
in the fun rather than compete for the audience's attention.
The pride they feel from being picked and then applauded
by their classmates brings an instantaneous change in their
behavior. These kids deserve a stage, and when they get one
they are beaming and unforgettable performers.
 Audience
members from Behrman Elementary
April 24th. Greeting from New Orleans! As many of you may
already know, Southern Louisiana and Mississippi are still
in a very nightmarish situation over one and a half years
after the levees broke. The Lower 9th Ward, where we are
staying and partnering with Emergency Communities (www.emergencycommunities.org),
is in exceptionally bad condition. Only one to two houses
on a block are inhabited while the rest remain in the condition
they've been in since the flooding. No grocery stories have
reopened, the eight o'clock curfew still remains, and military
police are still present. Some people who weren't addicts
before are now smoking crack as means of escape. Still, the
residents of the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans have hope,
and envision a better future ahead.
So far, Gwen Rooker and I have performed in elementary schools,
community centers, after school programs, and the Children's
Hospital of New Orleans. We held a parade in the Lower 9th
Ward with the help of a local four-year old girl, her twenty-year
old sister, and our new fiddle-playing friend, Mazy. Although
most homes here still stand uninhabitable and empty, those
residents who remain welcome our playful presence. They danced
with us outside their homes until we continued on down the
street.
The kids in the communities we visit laugh so hard during
our shows that I'm pretty sure I lost some hearing. There's
one part of the show where Gwen makes a handkerchief disappear.
The kids get so excited they shoot out of their chairs, telling
her where they think the handkerchief went, and screaming
with glee when she pulls it out of a child's shirt collar.
Gwen and I have another five days to make the situation
here a little brighter so you'll see another email update
from us. Until then I hope this email finds you healthy and
in good spirits.
Elisa
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