Charles MLK Award Speech
Interview on KUOW Radio
Charles on Kidstar
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More about Charles' Shows: Birthday_Party_Shows Library Performances Hospital Shows Elementary Schools Teen Show/Workshop

Charles has been performing for over 30 years. His award winning A&M video, CHARLES THE CLOWN, his book, CHARLES THE CLOWN'S GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S PARTIES, and his story audios have been used by libraries throughout the country. He has appeared on more than 75 radio and television programs, and performed in every conceivable location -- orphanages overseas, the Roxy Theatre on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, Disneyland, Bumbershoot, on stage at Knotts Berry Farm, on the set during television commercials keeping young actors relaxed and giggling, at special schools and summer camps engaging differently abled kids, regularly at the hospital bedsides of seriously ill children.

From the wealthiest estates to Native American reservations, for billionaires and at homeless shelters, Charles has entertained everywhere. Charles has performed on boats, a bus, a monorail, the list goes on and on. Kraft Foods photographed Charles The Clown in the middle of the Rose Bowl Parade, then used the picture for their point-of-purchase calendar. And there is more: thousands of preschools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, libraries, recreation centers, festivals, including a concert appearance at the U.S. Olympic Arts Festival, grand openings, corporate events, kids museums and science center...
Audiences from New York City to Los Angeles, from San Diego to the Canadian border, have all enjoyed his shows.


Charles on the Charlie Chaplin sound stage in Hollywood, taping his
awarding-winning A&M Records performance video, CHARLES THE CLOWN
For over twenty-five years the Starlight Starbright Foundation sent Charles to the bedsides of hospitalized children to provide a very special kind of medicine. KidStar Radio featured him in a documentary about humor and healing, heard nationally. Charles has even been invited to speak to student nurses about entertainment for children in hospitals.

In his graduate thesis, Laughter Therapy, Ruben Rivera, Jr., observed and described Charles’ hospital work at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle: “It was magical to observe the effects that Charles The Clown had on lifting the mood and changing the attitudes, if only for a few moments, of all the sick children, family members, and hospital members he came in contact with.”

Charles has appeared on more than 75 television shows.  Here he is on I Can Read, a syndicated educational series

Recently, Charles was profiled on the KUOW-FM series The Works … TCTV taped his concert-on-the-green in Lacey, Washington, where the library system that coordinated the program wrote to say, “the crowd absolutely loved him.” The Seattle P-I featured Charles’ magic workshops for teenagers in a story about programs for underprivileged youth, reporting that his show kept the audience “enthralled.”

Charles has been interviewed about children’s parties and performing by major newspapers and magazines, such as Parents, American Baby, Los Angeles Magazine, The LA Times, and newspapers throughout the country. His essays on children’s issues have been published in over 100 newspapers and magazines. Among them: LA Times, Chicago Tribune, The Oregonian, San Diego Union, Miami Herald, Denver Post, Washington Post and the Seattle PI. The Los Angeles Civic Center News devoted an entire issue to Charles' observations about children and television. He is listed in Contemporary Authors of America.

Charles was a consultant for and appeared in the video, Television and Video – Children at Risk, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and Washington State. The Starlight Starbright Foundation commissioned him to write A GUIDE TO ENTERTAINING CHILDREN IN THE HOSPITAL SETTING. Charles wrote the opening chapter for RAISING KIDS IN SEATTLE.

Charles has performed for people of all socioeconomic levels and diverse cultures, including deaf culture and differently abled children and adults. He tailors each show to the particular age group, theme and location. Many Hollywood celebrities, including the head of Disney Studios, have hired him to perform for their children. Charles has entertained the families of famous writers, Olympic athletes and even Seattle Mariner’s star, Jamie Moyer. Once, at a Paul Allen party, Seattle Mayor Norm Rice helped with an escape trick by tying a rope around Charles’ wrists. After Charles magically freed himself, Mayor Rice said, “that would be a good trick for a politician to learn.”

Charles at the Rose Bowl Parade for Nabisco - this photo was used on their point of purchase calendar.

When developing programs, Charles frequently consults with his wife, psychologist and early childhood specialist, Linda Kirschner Kraus, M.A. They have appeared together on several television and radio programs, and were interviewed about their book, CHARLES THE CLOWN’S GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S PARTIES by an up-and-coming television star – a young Oprah, hosting Hello Baltimore.

Understanding that very young children are often frightened by a person in a costume led Charles and Linda to create his signature routine of putting on his make up and costume in front of the audience. The show is filled with silly “mistakes” as Charles attempts to transform his persona. Hysterical commentary by Charles' puppet sidekicks, keep everyone rolling in the aisles.

Some shots from Charles' "Become-a-Clown" routine.

» Charles the Magician

"I just wanted to send a special 'thank you' your way for the wonderful entertainment
you provided during our company event. I received nothing but praise for Charles and his magic
and humor by the staff and management"
-- Tracy Wolfe, Vulcan Northwest
Close-up, stage shows, programs in your living room, cards, coins, escape tricks, rope tricks, mind reading, and more... Great sleight-of-hand magic, presented with style and humor .. lots of audience assistance. Charles The Magician has appeared on dozens of television programs, written about performance and invented tricks for leading trade publications. Charles has been featured in numerous newspapers, among them The Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News. The Seattle Times called him a BEST BET!