* The May issue of Readers Digest included this joke in its "Laughter, the Best Medicine" section: A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. "What are those machetes doing in your car?" asks the cop. "I juggle them in my act." "Oh, yeah?" says the doubtful cop. "Lets see you do it." The juggler gets out and starts tossing and catching the knives. Another man driving by slows down to watch. "Wow," says the passer-by. "I'm glad I quit drinking. Look at the test they're giving now!" The chuckler was contributed by Natalie Kaplowitz.

 

* Juggling for health, wealth, and t­shirts... well, two out of three, anyway! In early March several members of the Fairfax Juggling Club performed at Springfield Mall for Northern Virginia's Second Festival of Health, sponsored by Alexandria Hospital, The Washington Post, and the American Medical Association. Pete Walker, Larry &: Paula Peterka, Greg "Otto" Forbes, Deviu Sperling, Barry Sperling, Randy Latimere, Dave Fritz, Katy Schmiesing, Jay Gundlach, Ken Burke and Mark Schiffner did a wonderful job of entertaining the multitudes. Their well-earned rewards were public recognition, free sandwiches and some lovely t-shirts.

 

* New York's Allan Jacobs appears in a national AT&T commercial briefly "juggling numbers" like rings.

 

* The Raspyni Brothers are contracted to produce their own twice-nightly show called "Laugh a Minute" at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. The show includes cameo appearances from young Canadian magician Jason Burn and a wacky comedy drummer.

 

* Former Moscow Circus clowns Andrei Soumiatine and Alexander Gousev are entertaining crowds with a highly technical comic act at Circus-Circus in Reno through December. Their act, constructed with help from Circus-Circus entertainment director Mark McGuier, includes slapstick takeaways and hat steals with three clubs, but they also execute take­aways of five clubs, pass six clubs up and down in a shoulder stand and conclude by passing eight clubs. They also kick a shoe up into the pattern from time to time for comic effect! The duo also won a gold medal in a recent circus competition in Sarasota that included more than 70 acts.

 

* Notes on jugglers in American circuses from other sources... David Gaona and Nicholas Zerbini, and Michael Zerbini performing with Bentley Brothers Circus... Armando Cristiani with Byron Bowman's Star Circus... James Earhardt with Circus Pages... Ramon and Golda with the Mohassan Grotto Circus... Justino Zoppe with Garden Brothers Circus... 13-year­old Jason Claudill with Carson & Barnes... Irvin Hall with the Famous Cole Indoor Variety Circus, doing comedy with boxes, clubs, tennis rackets, chickens and eggs... the Duarte Duo with Allen Brothers Circus... Timothy and Linnea Hernandez with Alain Zerbini's Big Top Flea Market circus in Tampa... three rings of juggling by Senor Carlos, Senor Lalo and Senor Raphael &: Alix with Circus Gatti. .. Former Moscow Circus performer Victor Dodonov does juggling and rola bola for the Yankee Doodle Circus... Jose Torres with the Royal American Circus... Pat Davison with the King Royal Circus... Dan Wiles juggled and unicycled at the national conference of l'Oreal Cosmetic Co. in Palm Desert, Calif... David Conner juggles and does rola bola and unicycling with Circo Garcia... Gregory Popovich juggling and presenting his house cat act with the Royal Hanneford Circus, and appearing in a three-ring juggling spectacular with .the Hernandez Duo and the Alexis Sisters... Frankie Galambo with the John Jordan International Circus... Casey Cainan with the Culpepper Circus...