This guy is a fantastic entertainer!

[Fitzwilly]

Willy Claflin telling
The George Washington Method for Blues Ukulele
Indiana History Center Basile Theater
Saturday, January 12, 2008
8 - 10 pm
Tickets $15/Advance or $18/Door
Call 317-232-1882 or visit, www.storytellingarts.org

Willy Claflin claims to have stumbled into historical documents which suggest a number of revelations about the father of Our Country: George Washington invented the kazoo, was an abstract artist working in neo-Cubish 3-D collage, and suffered from an odd pseudo-Tourett's affliction causing him to unexpectedly exclaim, "Red hot mama!"

Famous for his expertise at fracturing a fairytale, comedian Willy Claflin will have you laughing out loud at the surprising twists he takes on stories. With help from his side-kick, Maynard Moose, Claflin uses innocently demoralizing character descriptions and a vocabulary peppered with non-words to reel listeners into a plot completely gone astray. "Claflin's performances reflect an astute ear for the incongruous and a blithe love of the absurd. This is an irreverent folkie who kicks the stuffing out of museum pieces." The Boston Phoenix

Claflin grew up in New Hampshire and spent his introverted childhood day dreaming and wandering through the woods, listening to his father's bedtime stories, and worrying about the wolf under his bed. During high school he extroverted himself into a guitar-playing rock and roll singer, given to high jinks. He also learned hundreds of folk songs. Studying American and French Literature at Harvard University, Willy made time for performing music and comedy in the Boston-Cambridge folk music scene. He then spent a year abroad in Paris, then a post-graduate year in Scotland, where he joined the Edinburgh Folk Song Society and collected a cappella ballads.

Since 1982, Willy has continued to write and collect stories as he criss-crosses the country, Maine to Hawaii, as a storytelling performer and teacher. Recently, he was at the International Storytelling Festival in Cape Clear, Ireland as well as the featured storyteller for the National Story Night preceding the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

When he's not on the road, Willy can be found living in San Francisco with Jacqueline Darrigrand, his wife and business partner. Off-stage, Willy is best known for his work in helping to save endangered squeaking rubber animals.

Free parking is available at the Indiana History Center in its parking lot at the corner of West and New York Streets.

[Chance Marmalade]

Was hoping to find some of his stuff on YouTube. But to no avail! Sounds like a great performer. I'd love to catch his show.