# Jeff Raz

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeff_Raz
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeff_Raz.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Raz
> Source revision: 1336324778
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American clown

**Jeff Raz** is an American [clown](/source/Clown),[1] actor, teacher, and director. He founded and served as director of the [Clown Conservatory](/source/Clown_Conservatory) in [San Francisco, California](/source/San_Francisco%2C_California),[2] the country's only remaining professional clown training program from 2000 to 2010. As a performer he has had leading roles with Vaudeville Nouveau, Make*A*Circus, [Pickle Family Circus](/source/Pickle_Family_Circus), and [Cirque du Soleil](/source/Cirque_du_Soleil).

## Background

Raz grew up in [Berkeley, California](/source/Berkeley%2C_California), in the 1970s.[1]

## Roles

A large man, Raz has a long running collaboration with five-foot-tall clown Diane Wasnak as "Pino and Razz".[1] The pair performed, among other places, as leads in the Pickle Family Circus.[3]

Raz toured in 2007 as the "Dead Clown", the lead in Cirque du Solei's production, [Corteo](/source/Corteo).[4] In 2009 he reprised this role in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka Japan [http://www.jeffraz.com/](http://www.jeffraz.com/)

Raz is part of the [new circus](/source/New_circus) movement—circuses without animals. He is an admirer of [Charlie Chaplin](/source/Charlie_Chaplin), [Wavy Gravy](/source/Wavy_Gravy), [Bill Irwin](/source/Bill_Irwin).

Raz performed in the [Flying Karamazov Brothers](/source/Flying_Karamazov_Brothers)' [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theater) production of *[The Comedy of Errors](/source/The_Comedy_of_Errors)*.[3][4]

In the summer of 2011, he played Aristophanes/Playwright in his play *The Road to Hades*, performed by the Shotgun Players of Berkeley, California.[5] He recently performed with California Revels.

## Other work

Raz has taught at the [Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College](/source/Ringling_Bros._and_Barnum_%26_Bailey_Clown_College) and the [San Francisco School of Circus Arts](/source/San_Francisco_School_of_Circus_Arts).[1] He wrote solo plays *Father-Land*, about a secular Jew's understanding of the [Holocaust](/source/Holocaust), and *Birth Mark*, about adoption.[1] He has written two books *The Secret Life of Clowns: A backstage tour of Cirque du Soleil and The Clown Conservatory* and *The Snow Clown: Cartwheels on Borders from Alaska to Nebraska.*

## Personal life

Raz describes himself as "very political".[1] He is married to Sherry Sherman, a psychologist. The couple has two children, Micah, and Joshua.[4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-ebay_1-5) Lisa Drostova (2001-12-19). ["It Takes a Clown"](http://www.eastbayexpress.com/eastbay/it-takes-a-clown/Content?oid=1066656). East Bay Express.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Sam McManis (2003-06-13). ["Caps and gowns for the clowns:Final exam for S.F.'s Clown Conservatory based on kids' laughter"](https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Caps-and-gowns-for-the-clowns-Final-exam-for-2610188.php). San Francisco Chronicle.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-par_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-par_3-1) Annette Bercut Lust (2002). [*From the Greek mimes to Marcel Marceau and beyond*](https://books.google.com/books?id=6TagVnhLDW0C&q=%22pino+and+raz%22&pg=RA1-PA212). Rowman & Littlefield. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8108-4593-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8108-4593-8).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-high_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-high_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-high_4-2) Michael Grossberg (2007-05-24). ["Cirque du Soleil clown takes highflying role seriously"](http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/weekender/stories/2007/05/24/9A_THEATER24_-_WKNDR.ART_ART_05-24-07_T22_376PNE6.html). Columbus Dispatch.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** *The Road to Hades* play-bill

## External links

- [\[1\]](https://www.secretlifeofclowns)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] - professional website

Authority control databases International VIAF National United States

This article about an American entertainer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:US-entertainer-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUS-entertainer-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:US-entertainer-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jeff Raz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Raz) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Raz?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.