2004-2005 Season: Exceptions to Gravity
STARRING Avner the Eccentric
AVNER THE ECCENTRIC (Performer) Avner Eisenberg enjoyed a generic childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. As a kid his passions were snakes and juggling. He wanted to be a doctor, but after a year as an honors chemistry and biology major his parents forced him into performing.
Applying the art of juggling to education, Avner attended four universities and, after he paid his parking tickets, earned a BA in theatre from the University of Washington in 1971. He studied mime in Paris with LeCoq, taking a year off in the middle of the two year course to tour as a puppeteer with Vagabond Marionettes. While street performing in Paris he was once arrested for buffoonery in public.
On returning to the United States Avner taught at Carlo Clementi’s Dell’Arte School of Physical Comedy in California. Avner is greatly indebted to these two men: "LeCoq who taught me everything I know, and Carlo who taught me the rest."
Avner is probably best known for his endearing portrayal of The Jewel, the scene-stealing holy man, in "The Jewel of the Nile," co-starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. He was also featured in the film "Brenda Starr" and has been seen on television on "Webster" and "Mathnet."
Avner’s one-man show, Avner the Eccentric, was a hit of the 1984-1985 Broadway season. In 1987 he co-starred in Lincoln Center’s production of Shakespeare’s "The Comedy of Errors," and returned to Broadway in 1989 in a principal role in "Ghetto." In regional theatre Avner has played Estragon in "Waiting For Godot," played the title role in R. Crumb in "Comix," and co-starred with his wife, Julie Goell, in the world premier of "Zoo of Tranquility."
Avner the Eccentric defies the barriers of language and culture and has toured extensively all over the US and abroad. Avner is often a featured performer at comedy, magic and theatre festivals, which in the last two years have included The Edinburgh Festival, where he was a finalist for the Perrier Award and won the New Faces of 1991 Award, the Israel Festival, the Montreal International Comedy Festival. He has also appeared at the London International Mime Festival, the Festival of American Mime, the New York Clown Theatre Festival, the Fool’s Festival, the New York Magic Symposium, the Hudson Clearwater Revival, and the International Movement Theatre Festival. Avner recently won a special jury award at The International Festival du Cirque in Monte Carlo.
Avner is regularly featured on television specials throughout the world. He has been seen on the "Paul Daniels" show and "Packing Them In" in Great Britain, on the "NTV 35th Anniversary Special" as well as numerous appearances on “NHK” in Japan, “Sebastian C’est Fou” in France, “Uno Dos Tres” and the “Juan Tamanz Special” in Spain, “Manes 13” in Chile, “Rhythm of the Night” in Argentina, “UNICEF Comedy Special” in Italy, the "1992 Montreal Comedy Festival" on Showtime, and many more.
Avner has developed silent theatre skills as a therapeutic tool and teaches workshops and master classes for students and professionals in theatre, health care, education and counseling. He lives on an island off the coast of Maine and would secretly rather be sailing.