Julie Douglas

Julie Douglas is a Bay Area actor, deviser, teacher and clown. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. Julie has performed here in the Bay Area with SF Shakes, Shotgun Players, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and more. She is also a core actor with the site-integrated theatre company We Players where she has performed in Ondine at Sutro Baths, Macbeth at Fort Point (2x), and Odyssey on Angel Island. Before getting her MFA and moving back to the Bay Julie lived and made theatre in Chicago as a company member of The Moving Dock Theatre Company and performing with various Chicago companies. She was previous a medical clown with Clown Zero and can be seen performing in clown cabarets around the Bay. Julie is overjoyed to join the Medical Clown Project, to be back in hospitals sharing her love of laughter and play.

Hannah Gaff (She/Her)
Former PROGRAM MANAGER & Healthcare Clown

Hannah is a theatre creator, therapeutic clown, movement director and teaching artist based in San Francisco. She was a 2022 Fulbright Scholar at the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Cairo and has taught physical theatre courses and performed around the world. In collaboration with non-profit organizations such as Clowns Without Borders, the Medical Clown Project and ClownCorps, Hannah performs in hospitals, on the street and in care centers locally and internationally, offering laughter relief to children and families who have experienced crisis. Compelled by the transformative power of play, she seeks to facilitate play spaces and collaborative performances that foster connection, shift perspectives and nurture a deeper understanding of our shared human experience. (hannahgaff.com)

Shara Tonn (She/They)
Former TEAM LEAD @ CPMC Van Ness Campus Pediatric Unit & AlmaViaSF

Shara Tonn is an improviser, actor, clown and teacher in the Bay Area. An alumna of the Stanford Improvisors and San Francisco Circus Center’s Clown Conservatory, Shara performs with Un-Scripted Theater Company,  Mona and Shara Do Improv, Bay Area Children’s Theater and Bay Area comedy shows. In 2017, she was invited to clown at the AEMI International Comedy Festival in Shanghai. When not traveling, she teaches improv at BATS Improv, Collective Capital, Un-Scripted Theater Company and Aragon High School. Shara joined the Medical Clown Project in August of 2017, and two of her many favorite parts of the job are passing out egg shakers and starting impromptu dance parties.

Andrew P. Quick (He/Him)
Former BOARD MEMBER

Andrew P. Quick is delighted to be partnering with the Medical Clown Project.  Recently, Andrew graduated from the San Francisco Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity where he studied medical clowning’s relationship with chaplaincy work.  Additionally, Mr. Quick brings heaven to earth through laughter throughout California with his juggling partner, Mr. Mustache, as part of Circus of Smiles.  When not working as a clown, Andrew serves as a pastor (formerly at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church in Daly City).  Andrew considers it a blessing to be in community with the Medical Clown Project’s talented group of fools.

Tyler Parks

Tyler loves to laugh and is thrilled to be spreading joy through live (and virtual) entertainment. He holds a Masters in Education from UC Santa Cruz and a rubber chicken from the Clown Conservatory in San Francisco. Tyler co-founded the internationally acclaimed physical comedy troupe Pi. Tyler is also the creator and director of Circus of Smiles. As Mr. Mustache he has performed family-friendly circus shows for tens of thousands of families in the US and as well as on tour through Asia, Central America, and South America.

Ross Travis

Ross Travis is an Actor/Creator, Bouffon, Physical Comedian and Circus Performer specializing in Chinese pole. He recently co-created and performed in Inversion: Circus Disobedience (2017) and Salvage (2016) with Kinetic Arts Productions. He has been the ringmaster and Chinese pole artist for Flynn Creek Circus for their 2016 and 2017 seasons. He has toured two seasons with Circus Bella, San Francisco’s premiere one ring circus and has worked with Sweet Can Circus, Velocity Circus, Earth Circus, Vau de Vire Society and Le Cirque Boheme. Ross has performed in multiple shows with Firefly Theatre and Circus in Edmonton, Canada, including Craniatrium, Panache and Panache: Part Deux. Ross has a performance company called Antic in a Drain which has been touring internationally with The Greatest Monkey Show On Earth; a primate circus extravaganza that takes a satirical bite out of animal/human agency. Antic in a Drain is currently devising and creating its latest work called Bucko, which will premiere at San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park in June 2017. Ross’ work has received numerous awards including the San Francisco Best of Fringe Award, Theatre Bay Area’s Titan Award and the Artistic Risk Award at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Ross is a graduate of the Professional Training Program at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, as well as the Professional Acrobatic Program at the San Francisco Circus Center.

Joan Howard (She/They)
Former TEAM LEAD @ CPMC Mission Bernal Campus Acute Care for the Elderly Unit

Joan is a clown, physical theatre maker, and builder dedicated to inciting delight and activating meaningful human connection through play. She is co-creator of the ensemble theater company Idiot String, and co-director of ClownCorps, a social clowning organization serving local and international communities through laughter relief.  Joan clowns regularly with Samuel Peaches Peripatetic Players (Idiot String’s itinerant theater troupe), in hospitals with the Medical Clown Project, and online and in the streets with ClownCorps.

Olivia Lehrman

Acrobat, comedienne, and Circus Arts instructor Olivia Hallie Lehrman enjoys creating original circus theatre pieces, both solo and ensemble. As a teacher, she has taught all ages, from Brooklyn to China to Haiti. Her pedagogy focuses on finding the most alive parts of each participant, and allowing that passion to clear out any obstacles in its way. Her work integrates physicality, communication, and relationships between partners. Swinging from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus flying trapezes to character work with Naropa University Masters students, she has trained within a tight community of friends in Colorado, California, and New York. Her most inspirational teachers, Giovanni Fusetti and Marshall Rosenberg, both see each student as a whole person with countless stories within them. Olivia has attended Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and Vassar College.

Molly Shannon

Molly Shannon is a clown and dancer, based in her native city of San Francisco. She is a graduate of the Clown Conservatory, and was a founding member of the clown quartet, Circus Finelli. With Circus Finelli, she performed throughout the US, presented in Europe, and toured Mexico. In more recent years, she has worked as one half of the vaudeville style clown duo, Duo Finelli. In addition to clowning, she is a principal dancer with Aquarela Samba, one of the Bay Area’s original Brazilian dance groups, where she specializes in the Rio de Janeiro style of samba no pé.

Michelle Musser

At the age of 21, Michelle auditioned for Ringing Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus on a dare. Three days later she boarded the Red Unit Ringling circus train and began the first of many tours of the United States. Michelle first met Jeff Raz in 2008 while at the Clown Conservatory where she was continuing her clown and circus skills education in San Francisco. Michelle has since toured with Culpepper and Merriweather Circus and performed for a season at Circus World Museum. Currently Michelle is working from her home base, San Francisco for the Medical Clown Project and Velocity Entertainment.

Amelia Van Brunt

Amelia Van Brunt is a professional and award-winning actor/creator, clown, character extraordinaire and founding Artistic Director of theatre company Bad, Bad Bunny. Amelia performs regularly around the San Francisco/Bay Area and specializes in complete physical transformation and ferocious play in her characters. Amelia studied at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater for the Professional Training Program and later returned to complete a master’s thesis on clown. She is a core company member of Cirque de Bohème and also a part of the beloved San Francisco-based clown/cartoon troupe Fou Fou Ha!, with whom she helped create and perform the smash hit show “WHOA-MAN!” which was extended and performed internationally. Amelia completed an artist residence at the San Francisco Circus Center where she developed a one-woman show, In the Blue of Evening, produced by and under Bad, Bad Bunny which tours internationally.

Diane Wasnak

In her life long career as a physical comedienne, Diane Wasnak toured for ten years as a clown and acrobat with San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, was featured in Cirque du Soleil’s “Mystere” and has performed internationally with various theatrical groups. Diane received her acrobatic training from LuYi, Master Trainer for the Pickle Family Circus and apprenticed with Master Mime, Tony Montanaro. Diane was MoCap stunt double for Jada Pinkett Smith in the “Matrix” games, and on stage Diane received major acclaim for her portrayal of “Puck” in Marin Shakespeare Company’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. In 2006, Diane and her dog, Bonzer, made their Broadway debut in “Busker Alley” starring Glenn Close and Jim Dale. Diane was also the first woman cast in Actor’s Theatre of Louisville’s production of “A Tuna Christmas”, in which she portrayed 11 characters. Her career spans three decades with many more credits in Stage, Film and Television.

Gulnora Zakirova, CPA
Former DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & FINANCE

Christina Kerby – Board Chair

Christina Kerby is a communications strategist with nearly 20 years of experience spanning public policy, government and health care. Most recently she has held communications director roles with Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente. With expertise in crisis communications and media relations, she has appeared on Anderson Cooper Full Circle and BBC World News and has been interviewed by national media outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time Magazine and others.

Christina draws heavily on her training in improvisation, theater arts and storytelling when training executives and developing communication strategies. She brings elements of health care clowning to her work in crisis communications and media relations and is known for using humor to reduce stress and defuse tense situations. She performs with the comedy show Mortified, and in her free time, she blogs and writes fiction.

With a joint passion for health care and communications, Christina joined the Medical Clown Project board of directors in 2018 and is a true believer in the link between human connection and health. Christina lives with her husband and two children in Alameda, California. She holds a Master of Communication Management from University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Latin from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dale Durham – Board Member (He/Him/His)

Avanthika Srini (She/Her/Hers)

“Avanthika” in Sanskrit means “Princess of Ujjain,” an ancient city that was the most prominent cultural and artistic hub of North India around 600 BCE. Perhaps this is why I’ve always felt destined to pursue a life in the arts! I was born in Chennai India, moved to Singapore when I was one, and then relocated to Bridgewater, New Jersey when I was 13. My mother is an Indian Classical dancer and so, growing up watching her perform and being immersed in the Indian classical arts was incredible. My love for acting began quite early on when I started doing plays in Singapore such as Ali Baba and the 1000 Thieves and a tv show called The Doll. When I entered undergrad at Princeton University, my passion for acting only grew deeper as I explored French theater and took scene study courses in Chekhov and Shakespeare.

Andrew P. Quick (He/Him)

Andrew P. Quick is delighted to be partnering with the Medical Clown Project as a clown and Board Member.  Recently, Andrew graduated from the San Francisco Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity where he studied medical clowning’s relationship with chaplaincy work.  Additionally, Mr. Quick brings heaven to earth through laughter throughout California with his juggling partner, Mr. Mustache, as part of Circus of Smiles.  When not working as a clown, Andrew serves as the pastor of Broadmoor Presbyterian Church in Daly City.  Andrew considers it a blessing to be in community with the Medical Clown Project’s talented group of fools.

Calvin Kai Ku – Emeritus & Founding Member (He/Him)

Calvin Kai Ku’s experience in Healthcare Clowning began in 2010 as one of the organization’s first roster clowns. With a BA in Theatre and over a decade of professional performing experience as a variety entertainer, his aim is to deepen the therapeutic modality of healthcare clowning engagement, as well as, develop the integrative partnership with each healthcare facility. As Artistic Director, Calvin continues to push the boundaries of how and where healthcare clowning can be foundational therapeutic engagement support, whether it’s specialized engagement training for healthcare professionals or developing Virtual Visits during the sheltering period for COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeff Raz – Board Chair Emeritus & Co-Founder (He/Him)

Jeff Raz co-founded the Medical Clown Project with Dr. Sherry Sherman in 2010. In his long career, he has starred in many plays and circuses, from Corteo with Cirque du Soleil to Comedy of Errors on Broadway, written 15 plays and directed dozens of circus and theater productions. His is also the founding director of The Clown Conservatory. His first book, The Secret Life of Clowns, was launched nationally at the Smithsonian in 2017; it was followed by The Snow Clown and now Love Death Circus. Along with his performing, directing and writing, Jeff is a communications consultant with the global firm Stand & Deliver.