2012 - Cotati Accordion Festival

Circus Finelli is San
Francisco’s all-women
clown troupe. They
perform at theatres
and music venues, as
well as private events.
Circus Finelli is a
multi-lingual troupe,
joking in several
languages. Their style
draws from the traditions
of European Circus, and American
Vaudeville. They present irreverent circus
comedy with danger and delight.
The story of Circus Finelli is as follows:
Four clowns from different parts of
the nation... and the world, converged at
the San Francisco Clown Conservatory in
2005 to form Circus Finelli. They named
themselves after beloved teacher and
new Circus Pioneer Judy Finelli, and set
off across the Atlantic to debut at Czech
clown Bolek Polivka’s theatre in Brno,
CZ. Since then they have been performing,
traveling, and aspiring to new heights
of the stupid and sublime through music
and mischief.
Verka Zaskodna is Circus Finelli’s
multi-lingual mastermind. Whether as
“Madame Vinaigrette”, the sultry European
mistress of Ceremonies, or “Muffin”
the hapless assistant, Verka can joke
with the audience in several languages,
all while juggling knives or balancing a
broom on her chin.
Molly Shannon is the world's leader
in comedy samba. She parodies the glitzy
and glamorous queens of the stage. She
has combined her backgrounds in clowning
and samba to create a unique style of
delightfully sassy comedic performance.
Luz Gaxiola is the musical maesto
of Circus Finelli. She fuses music and
comedy together in the tradition of Spike
48
Circus Finelli
Jones, presenting musical feats of dexterity
to delight and amaze. Her main
instrument is accordion, but she also has
a passion for trombone, tuba, theremin,
and slide whistle. She was elected to
play kazoo at her high-school graduation.
Along with music, she also enjoys
performing rolla bolla, hula hooping, and
puppetry.
Mahsa Matin is a living cartoon
character. Her comedy is reminiscent
of the golden age of silent films, with a
touch of breakdancing thrown in. Mahsa
is thoroughly musical, playing trombone,
trumpet, and various percussion contraptions
in performance. Her physicality
is playful and vibrant. She can often be
seen high in the sky performing on stilts,
or playing trumpet atop her eight-foot
unicycle.
Z Smith is a fearless physical comedian.
Her high-energy performances
are a display of stamina, artistry, and a
powerful imagination. On stilts or playing
ukulele, Z draws audiences into a Dr.
Suess-like world where physical possibilites
are stretched far beyond the everyday.
Z Smith is currently performing in
the Baltimore, Maryland area with her
“Pepito Show”. For information
and booking, please see
www.PepitoTheClown.com.
www.circusfinelli.com ▲