FOOL LA LA: ONCE UPON A MIND Returns to The Marsh Berkeley for a Limited Run

Due to popular demand, the Bay Area's favorite Clown Prince of Fools, Unique Derique, returns to The Marsh Berkeley for a limited run of Fool La La: Once Upon a Mind. Full of brand new, mindfully comedic mishaps for all ages, this zany circus extravaganza invites audiences to dive into the imagination of Unique Derique as he embarks on a whimsical adventure of mindfoolness through the wacky lens of clown logic. Packed with his trademark circus-inspired tricks, Fool La La: Once Upon a Mind sends Unique Derique on a joyful journey where the past and the future collide in delightfully absurd ways. After the show, Unique Derique invites audiences to join in a free 20-minute juggling and hambone workshop for the whole family. Fool La La: Once Upon a Mind will be presented January 11 - 25, 2020 with performances 1:00pm Saturdays at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets ($15-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved) or more information, the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call The Marsh Box office at 415-282-3055 (open Monday through Friday, 1:00pm-4:00pm).

The San Francisco Examiner wrote that Derique "leaves them laughing coast to coast," adding "he plays himself and the result, percussive and dynamic, is exhilarating." Fool La La encourages kids from 1 to 92 to let their imaginations take flight. Hailed by The New York Times for "his rapid-fire hands as they passed over his body in a blur of motion," he was also lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle, which declared, "Derique will be back... remember the name."

Internationally acclaimed Clown Prince Unique Derique's appearances have spanned the globe from South Africa to Scotland, Taipei, London, Paris, and Tokyo- and he has shared the stage with entertainers such as Bobby McFerrin, The Temptations, Laura Nyro, Jim Nabors, Tuck and Patti, Lou Rawls, and Sammy Davis, Jr. His television credits include appearances on It's Showtime at the Apollo, the Disney Channel, KQED's Spark, Univision's Sábado Gigante Internacional, and he has co-hosted KQED's Emmy-winning show Short Stories and Tall Tales.

Derique's clown training began at the age of 15 with Berkeley's Circus A La Mode, and later with San Francisco's Make*A*Circus and the famed Pickle Family Circus. This multi-talented artist's experience also includes serving as Program Director for Circus Arts Camp at Oakland's Children's Fairyland, 23 years as circus artist-in-residence with the Prescott Circus Theatre in West Oakland, and a long volunteer tenure as a performer with the Bread and Roses organization.

When not entertaining audiences as Unique Derique, Lance McGee is a Trauma-Informed Wellness Consultant and Mindfulness Coach providing support to Oakland middle-school educators, administrators, staff and students. His past work includes school-based counseling for the East Bay Agency for Children, as well as working in Richmond public schools with the Mindful Life Project. Additionally, he leads trainings and workshops on recognizing trauma-informed care practices as well as mindfulness for non-profit organizations, health clinics, colleges and educational systems throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Marsh is known as "a breeding ground for new performance." It was launched in 1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, and now annually hosts more than 600 performances of 175 shows across the company's two venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. A leading outlet for solo performers, The Marsh's specialty has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "solo performances that celebrate the power of storytelling at its simplest and purest." The East Bay Times named The Marsh one of Bay Area's best intimate theaters, calling it "one of the most thriving solo theaters in the nation. The live theatrical energy is simply irresistible."

Photo Credit: Eric Carmichael

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