Where in the world am I today?: Grand Turk aboard the Emerald Princess
Prologue: I first met Daniel Forlano at the 2004 Waterloo Busker’s Carnival. His was one of the few shows that I sat and watched from start to finish at that Festival. I made the effort because many of the other performers at the Festival had given me the impression that his was a show to see so I very specifically made the time to check it out. Really enjoyed the show and really like the stuff he did with his freestanding ladder… He had quite a slow deliberate pace that seemed in sharp contrast to the chaos of the street and the shows on either side of him, but the pacing totally worked and the show revealed itself very successfully in spite of the chaos that surrounded it. Didn’t get as much of a chance to chat with Daniel following the show as I would have liked, but such is often the case at these festivals. Attention gets distracted by the many shinny objects and interesting conversations to be had with fellow performers, oh, and it rained a lot that weekend and I think I was likely busy dealing with wet props for a chunk of my time… Still it was good to meet Daniel and we’ve been in touch many times since. He’s a stand-up guy I reckon!
STATS
Name: Daniel Forlano.
Birthday: August 8, 1975.
Place of Birth: Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Started Peforming/Working in the Industry: Summer 1996.
Discipline: Clowning, comedian.
Website: www.danielforlano.com
Video Link: http://www.danielforlano.com/shows-theatre.php
Venues Worked: Krystallpalast Variete (Germany), Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (Alberta), The Comedy Studio (Cambridge, MA), Wellington Fringe Theatre Festival (New Zealand), Cape Town Comedy Festival (South Africa), Moisture Festival (Seattle)
Hot 10 Questions:
- What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream and why? • Mocha – Because I like chocolate and I like the taste of coffee.
- Name one movie that would make it to your Top 10 all-time great films. • Gattaca.
- What was your favorite toy from childhood? • Lego.
- Who were your biggest inspirations when you got started? • Bill Irwin, Richard Pryor, Peter Sellers, Charlie Chaplin.
- From the world of animation what one character do you most identify with or see yourself in? • Muppets included? Yes? Cool! My answer is Beaker.
- Name something that scares you. • Altitude sickness.
- Apart from the entertainment industry, name one other job you’ve had. • Paper boy.
- What’s something you haven’t done yet that you’d like to try? • Deep water soloing.
- What’s your least favourite thing about being a performer? • Promotion.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? • I’ll save this answer for James Lipton.
The Nugget:
Pick one nugget of wisdom you’ve picked up from your career in Show Business to share with the World.
“Be absorbed in what you do and others will respond. What you practice is what you become. Practice now who you want to be.”
–Daniel Forlano
