Get in the moood to moove your juggling props at The University of Vermont located in Burlington, Vermont. Burlington, the state's largest city, is situated along the eastern shore of the 136-mile fresh water Lake Champlain. The city enjoys magnificent views of the lake, the Adirondack Mountains to the west, and the Green Mountains to the east.

 

Located approximately 225 miles northwest of Boston, 300 miles north of New York City, and 90 miles south of Montreal, Canada, Burlington is easily accessible by car, train or airplane.

 

With an average summer temperature of 78 degrees, Burlington is one of the most popular vacation spots in New England. You can play over 170 holes of golf; hike up 4,300-foot Mount Mansfield; swim, sail, windsurf and canoe; bike, walk and skate on an 8.2-mile bike path; charter a boat, go horseback riding, try water skiing or play tennis; or just relax on the lakefront beach and watch the sun set.

 

 

Burlington is a cosmopolitan city with theatre performances, concerts, museums, craft shows, great shopping at over 200 stores and an active nightlife.

 

The 47th Annual International Juggling Festival is hosted by the International Jugglers Association in cooperation with The University of Vermont, the Burlington Convention Bureau and the City of Burlington.

 

Tom Murphy, an IJA member since 1979, is the festival spokesperson. Better known as "Murph, the Physical Comedian" he has toured with the groups Mountain Mime and Clown Shoes, as well as directing last summer's Ben & Jerry's Traveling Show. This past fall he made his film debut in a movie starring Patrick Dempsey and Timothy Bottoms called "The Stolen White Elephant." His newest endeavor is a very loosely based semi-autobiographical theater show called "Metamurphosis."

 

The festival coordinator is Ginny Rose. For general festival information call Richard Dingman, secretary/treasurer.

SPECIAL GUEST:  AVNER THE ECCENTRIC

Avner Eisenberg enjoyed a generic childhood in Atlanta. As a kid his passions were snakes and juggling. Applying the art of juggling to education, Avner attended four universities before earning a degree in theatre from the University of Washington in 1971. He studied mime in Paris with Jacques LeCoq and juggled in the streets of Paris to support himself.

 

On returning to the USA, Avner taught at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Comedy in California. He is probably best known for his endearing portrayal of the Jewel, the scene­stealing holy man in the film "The Jewel of the Nile." He has also been seen in the film "Brenda Starr" with Brooke Shields.

 

Avner's one-clown show, "Avner the Eccentric," was a hit of the 1984-85 Broadway season. In 1987 he co-starred in Lincoln Center's production of Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors" and returned to Broadway in "Ghetto" in 1989.

 

He is a featured performer at comedy, magic and theatre festivals worldwide, including The Edinburgh Festival, The Israel Festival and the Montreal International Comedy Festival.