Brenda Arellano (She/Her)
TEAM LEAD @ UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

Hannah Gaff (She/Her)
PROGRAM MANAGER

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)

Moshe Cohen (he/him)
TEAM LEAD @ San Francisco Campus For Jewish Living

For 38+ years, Moshe Cohen has engaged in the elusive art form called Clown seeking to bring more lightness and laughter into the world. That’s why he’s thrilled to be a part of Medical Clown Project. As a performer, he has toured his “Mr. YooWho” show in 50+ countries in every venue imaginable, such as the Barcelona Olympics, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Eclats de la Rue (Aurillac), and De Klein Komedie. He is a pioneer in the social clowning world, founding Clowns Without Borders-USA in 1995,  participating in over 30 projects, his last to Guatemala in 2019. When not performing, he can be found teaching both locally and internationally, offering both Clown workshops to performers and Lightfulness Trainings in cultural, spiritual, health-care and corporate environments.

Molly Charmstrong (She/Her)

Molly Charmstrong (she/her) is a Midwesterner with the heart of a California poppy. Her professional titles have included, but are not limited to: Theatre Performer, Nanny, Punk Musician, Elementary School Teacher, Bartender, Janitor, Grocer, Post-Partum Doula, Mother, and Brewer –  to name a few. Molly is now based out of Oakland after graduating with a BFA in original work from Cornish College of the Arts, attending Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and The National Shakespeare Conservatory. She has worked theatrically in Denmark, Haiti, Italy, Columbia, and all around the U.S. Molly is excited to be joining The Medical Clown Project and through medical clowning hopes to add “Ambassador of Joy” to her list of titles. 

In her free time Molly loves to make and eat good food, joke around with her partner and five year old kiddo and start but probably not finish new crafts of all sorts.

Shara Tonn (She/They)
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.

Josh Matthews – PROGRAM DIRECTOR (He/Him/They/Them)
TEAM LEAD @ Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center

Josh is Co-Artistic Director of Under the Table, having co-created and performed in seven Under the Table shows. Josh also performs with the immersive theatre company Third Rail Projects, including in Ghost Light at Lincoln Center and Then She Fell (New York Times Top 10 Pick). Josh directs too: he co-wrote and directed Bad Kid at Axis Theatre (New York Times Critic’s Pick) and directed the Chicago Neo-Futurist’s Production of Mike Mother (Time Out Critic’s Pick). Josh works as a hospital clown for the Medical Clown Project and a lead teaching artist for Prescott Circus Theatre.

Joan Howard (She/They)
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.

Doyle Ott (He/Him)
TEAM LEAD @ Rhoda Goldman Plaza

Doyle Ott is a performer, director, dramaturg and theatre and circus scholar. Career highlights include work with Make A Circus, Splash Circus Theatre, Prescott Circus, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Circus Center, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Foolsfury, Antenna Theatre, Golden Thread, and the San Francisco Playwright’s Foundation, where he served as dramaturg for Pulitzer Prize winner Jackie Sibblies Drury, and many other playwrights.

Calvin Kai Ku (He/Him)

Calvin Kai Ku began healthcare clowning at Medical Clown Project’s birth in 2010. Since then, he has continued therapeutic clowning across a variety of healthcare environments: Pediatric Units, Intensive Care Units, Emergency Departments, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Acute Care, Specialty Nursing, and Disaster Relief Zones. As a variety performer, he has performed in the prestigious WuQiao Circus Festival in China, Fortune 500 company events in the U.S. and Internationally, and for circus companies including Teatro Zinzanni and Circus Bella. Through the culmination of his many talents, Calvin Kai Ku combines his versatility with magic, music, circus, and theater with empathy and vulnerable human connections to improve the quality of patient centered care.

Andrew P. Quick (He/Him)

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 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.

Gulnora Zakirova, CPA – DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & FINANCE ()

Bio coming soon!

Josh Matthews – PROGRAM DIRECTOR (He/Him/They/Them)

BIO Above!

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)

Dr. Anne W. Smith – Board Member (She/Her)

Dr. Anne W. Smith has been a long time leader in arts administration in a variety of roles: advocate, arts professional, planning and organizational development consultant, professor, and arts educator connected to interests nationally and internationally. She was Arts Administration department Chair and arts professor at Golden Gate University and earlier in her career, a tenured secondary education teacher of English, Humanities, Drama and Speech. 

She holds a DPA (with a focus on public policy) from Golden Gate University, an MA in Humanities & Curriculum from Teacher’s College, Columbia University and a BA in English and Theatre from State University of New York (University at Albany). 

She has held leadership positions for California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, ODC Dance, Dance Spectrum Ballet, Book Club of California, San Francisco Center for the Book and San Francisco Circus Center.

A nonprofit governance expert, Anne was a founding member for the Medical Clown Project Board and is delighted to return to service in 2020. She is also a Trustee for Theatre Bay Area, Fountain Project Foundation, and Commonwealth Club of California. Arts Forum. 

She has been an volunteer Officer/Director for California Arts Advocates, San Francisco Girls Chorus, California Lawyers for the Arts, Chanticleer, Dance Bay Area, the California Association of Dance Companies, Institute for Non-Profit Management, University of San Francisco, IZZIES Awards committee and World Arts West.

Leslie Martinson (She/Her)

Leslie Martinson is a theatre director and administrator, with a deep interest in new plays and musicals. Her artistic home-base is TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where she was on staff for over 30 years, as Associate Artistic Director and Casting Director, directing productions including SUPERIOR DONUTS, THE PITMEN PAINTERS, PROOF and THE FOUR IMMIGRANTS:AN AMERICAN MUSICAL MANGA. She has also directed for SPARC Theatre and City Lights Theatre Company.  She is a Creative Director and Co-Founder of Fieldwork Creations, blending art with science by offering creative dissemination services for qualitative interview data.

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.