Avner the Eccentric
Encyclopedia
Avner the Eccentric is an American
vaudeville
performer, clown
, mime
, juggler, and sleight of hand
magician
. He played the title role (the Holy Man known as the "Jewel") in the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile
. John Simon
described him in 1984 as "A clown for the thinking man and the most exacting child."
Born in Atlanta, Georgia
, Avner went to four different universities with a variety of tentative majors
; he ultimately received a theater degree from the University of Washington
in 1971. He then studied mime in Paris
under Jacques Lecoq
, interrupting those studies to spend some time as a puppet
eer. Returning to the U.S., he taught at Carlo Clementi's Dell'Arte School of Physical Comedy in California
.
He performed at Renaissance fair
s and on stages, before playing the title role in the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile
, a film that also featured his fellow vaudevillians The Flying Karamazov Brothers
. In a generally negative review of that film, Janet Maslin
singled out Avner for praise: "Avner Eisenberg very nearly steals the film…" Other notable roles have included a self-titled 1984 Broadway
show, an appearance in a 1987 Lincoln Center production of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors
, and the principal role Srulik the ventriloquist in the 1989 Broadway play Ghetto
. He has also played both Vladimir and Estragon in productions of Samuel Beckett
's Waiting for Godot
, costarred with his wife, Julie Goell, in the world premiere of Zoo of Tranquility, and portrayed R. Crumb in Comix.
He has performed his wordless solo act at numerous festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival
, Israel Festival
, Festival of American Mime, and the International Festival du Cirque in Monte Carlo
. In 2004 he sold out the Theatre Fontaine in Paris for three months.
In addition to his performing, he is certified as an Ericksonian Hypnotist and NLP
Master Practitioner, and has taught workshops on silent theater skills as a therapeutic tool for students and professionals in health care, education and counseling, as well as teaching theater workshops. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Etz Chaim Synagogue (Portland, Maine
). As of 2009, he lives on an island in Maine
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer, clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, mime
Mime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
, juggler, and sleight of hand
Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain, is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
. He played the title role (the Holy Man known as the "Jewel") in the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile
The Jewel of the Nile
The Jewel of the Nile is a 1985 romantic adventure film, and a sequel to the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito reprising their roles...
. John Simon
John Simon (critic)
John Ivan Simon is an American author and literary, theater, and film critic.-Personal life:Simon was born in Subotica, Bačka, County of Bačka, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later, known as Yugoslavia . He is of Hungarian descent...
described him in 1984 as "A clown for the thinking man and the most exacting child."
Born in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Avner went to four different universities with a variety of tentative majors
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
; he ultimately received a theater degree from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1971. He then studied mime in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under Jacques Lecoq
Jacques Lecoq
Jacques Pierre Lecoq born in Paris, was a French actor, mime and acting instructor.He is most famous for his methods on physical theatre, movement and mime that he taught at the school he founded in Paris, L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq from 1956 until his death in...
, interrupting those studies to spend some time as a puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
eer. Returning to the U.S., he taught at Carlo Clementi's Dell'Arte School of Physical Comedy in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
He performed at Renaissance fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
s and on stages, before playing the title role in the 1985 film The Jewel of the Nile
The Jewel of the Nile
The Jewel of the Nile is a 1985 romantic adventure film, and a sequel to the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito reprising their roles...
, a film that also featured his fellow vaudevillians The Flying Karamazov Brothers
The Flying Karamazov Brothers
The Flying Karamazov Brothers are a juggling and comedy troupe who have been performing since 1973. They learned their trade while performing as street artists in Santa Cruz, California...
. In a generally negative review of that film, Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
singled out Avner for praise: "Avner Eisenberg very nearly steals the film…" Other notable roles have included a self-titled 1984 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show, an appearance in a 1987 Lincoln Center production of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
, and the principal role Srulik the ventriloquist in the 1989 Broadway play Ghetto
Ghetto (play)
Ghetto is a play by Israeli playwright Joshua Sobol about the experiences of the Jews of the Vilna Ghetto during Nazi occupation in World War II. The play focuses on the Jewish theatre in the ghetto, incorporating live music and including as characters historical figures such as Jacob Gens, the...
. He has also played both Vladimir and Estragon in productions of Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
's Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
, costarred with his wife, Julie Goell, in the world premiere of Zoo of Tranquility, and portrayed R. Crumb in Comix.
He has performed his wordless solo act at numerous festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, Israel Festival
Israel Festival
The Israel Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival held every spring in Israel. Its center is Jerusalem.The Israel Festival started in 1961 as a summer festival for classical music in the ancient Roman theater in Caesarea...
, Festival of American Mime, and the International Festival du Cirque in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
. In 2004 he sold out the Theatre Fontaine in Paris for three months.
In addition to his performing, he is certified as an Ericksonian Hypnotist and NLP
Neuro-linguistic programming
Neuro-linguistic programming is an approach to psychotherapy, self-help and organizational change. Founders Richard Bandler and John Grinder say that NLP is a model of interpersonal communication and a system of alternative therapy which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective...
Master Practitioner, and has taught workshops on silent theater skills as a therapeutic tool for students and professionals in health care, education and counseling, as well as teaching theater workshops. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Etz Chaim Synagogue (Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
). As of 2009, he lives on an island in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
External links
- Avner the Eccentric, official site