Richard Renner – The Man, The Myth, The Klown

Actor, juggler, orangutan, poet, fool—Richard Renner answers to all of them, often in the same show. Whether he's juggling, riding a unicycle, walking a rope, or spinning an improvisation out of thin air, Richard performs with boundless energy and honed skill.After earning a theater degree from the University of Kansas in 1981, he spent years (and a small fortune) training with some of the world's finest teachers: French mime master Marcel Marceau, celebrated Russian clown Yuri Belov, and famed New Vaudevillian Avner the Eccentric. Following a stint with Kansas City's Mimewock Company, Richard set out as a company of one—though it didn't stay that way for long, as he discovered a whole cast of characters in his head waiting for their turn on stage.Since then, he has performed in nearly every U.S. state, the warmer parts of Canada, and the prettiest corners of Mexico. Laughter, it turns out, is a universal language, and Richard speaks it fluently to any audience. Along the way, he met so many like-minded performers that in 1988 he founded the Vodvill Entertainment Company to promote the variety arts in the Midwest. It's still going strong today, with a roster of more than 100 different acts. And if that wasn’t enough, he founded and produces the annual Lawrence Busker Festival - a celebration of street performers from around the world. It’s been going strong since 2008.