A tribute to Judy

The legendary Judy Finelli passed away this September, breaking the hearts of circus artists around the world. I was lucky to know Judy personally. She was my teacher at the Clown Conservatory and directed me in one of her original shows. Judy was truly one of the kindest and most passionate people I have ever met. Judy had an amazing, often irreverent, sense of humor. She LOVED circus, and she believed clowns could save the world.

Judy was a great inspiration to countless people, including myself. Judy defied expectations of women throughout her life, excelling in male-dominated fields including being a world class juggler, founding a circus school, and being the artistic director of a major American circus.

A few years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Judy. She explained that in the 1970s she was seeing every circus she possibly could. She said she knew there was ART in circus, but it needed to be found. Judy became a major part of the New Circus movement which found the Art in Circus. People’s Circus Theatre is a direct descendent of the New Circus movement.

Judy was a great supporter of People’s Circus Theatre. She came to all of our shows, and she always gave me smart feedback. It meant the world to me when she sent me this note after attending our work-in-progress of The Unfinished Work of Camille Claudel:

“What a beautiful cast – the older performers and the younger ones! They look great and they are very much genuinely THERE!…It's about humanity and being a full human being for the audience. They are unafraid to tackle the complexities of human emotion, feminism, relationships and are completely unpretentious. I can't overstate the value of your vision. All concerned are not just ‘doing circus’ – they are doing ART!”

Thank you Judy. We will always love you and remember you.