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Michelle Matlock

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111:, the show explores stereotypes of black women, and has toured the United States extensively. Despite the wide exposure she was "struggling" as an actress, and says she was not able to afford to pay to attend the circus, even though her clowning was a higher paying job in New York than acting. 114:
Matlock's connection with Cirque du Soleil began in 2004 when an employee of the circus saw her solo act and invited her to audition in Seattle. She was one of the four finalists out of fifty clowns auditioned but was rejected and told they were not sure how they could use her.
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from college in 1994 her taxicab was stuck in traffic behind a gay rights demonstration. She describes joining the march at the spur of the moment as a life-changing experience that convinced her to quit school and remain in New York. She soon won a scholarship to the
69:. She spent the next year studying and performing clowning, juggling, and stilt-walking on cruise ships, after her friend convinced her to take the job. Matlock worked on-and-off as a clown for the next five years with the 122:
Matlock plays a ladybug, the "aviation-challenged" romantic lead of the show. Once OVO was converted from the Grand Chapiteau into Arena format in 2015 however, Michelle left the tour.
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her show toured extensively throughout the United States at colleges and festivals, making her a celebrity in her field. Inspired by
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As an actress Matlock worked for several small regional theater companies. In 2001 she developed a solo show,
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and former "struggling actress", best known for playing the lead romantic role as the ladybug in
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one day after graduating from theater school, when she was spotted by a
205: 270: 74: 23: 170:"Cirque CEO says economic crisis not hurting shows" 32:, the twenty-fifth annual traveling production of 65:for a clowning program being developed by the 8: 95:. After the show was picked up in 2005 by 88:, in a program performing for hospitals. 252:. San Francisco Examiner. Archived from 84:'s "Circus Inferno" project, and at the 312:21st-century African-American actresses 131: 196: 194: 185:"Matlock: The Ladybug in Cirque's OVO" 149: 147: 145: 143: 141: 139: 137: 135: 7: 228: 226: 224: 222: 183:Linda Ayres-Frederick (2009-12-03). 156:"Michelle Matlock bugs out in 'Ovo'" 73:, the Daredevil Opera Company, the 14: 307:Actresses from Washington (state) 172:. The Canadian Press. 2009-04-07. 55:National Shakespeare Conservatory 273:- Mammy Project official website 250:"Cirque's latest egg-stravanza" 44:Matlock was born and raised in 1: 204:. Circus Amok. Archived from 107:as the first actress to play 154:Richard Dodds (2009-11-26). 233:Pat Donnelly (2009-04-17). 67:Royal Caribbean Cruise Line 22:is a professional American 328: 292:African-American actresses 248:Greg Archer (2009-11-24). 187:. San Francisco Bay Times. 235:"Embracing Cirque's bugs" 71:Bindlestiff Family Cirkus 302:American stage actresses 20:Michelle Nicole Matlock 59:Washington Square Park 97:Performance Space 122 202:"About the Company!" 158:. Bay Area Reporter. 271:themammyproject.com 237:. Montreal Gazette. 48:. While visiting 105:1893 World's Fair 93:The Mammy Project 319: 258: 257: 245: 239: 238: 230: 217: 216: 214: 213: 198: 189: 188: 180: 174: 173: 166: 160: 159: 151: 103:, hired for the 86:Big Apple Circus 46:Washington state 34:Cirque du Soleil 16:American actress 327: 326: 322: 321: 320: 318: 317: 316: 287:American clowns 277: 276: 267: 262: 261: 247: 246: 242: 232: 231: 220: 211: 209: 200: 199: 192: 182: 181: 177: 168: 167: 163: 153: 152: 133: 128: 42: 17: 12: 11: 5: 325: 323: 315: 314: 309: 304: 299: 294: 289: 279: 278: 275: 274: 266: 265:External links 263: 260: 259: 256:on 2011-06-16. 240: 218: 190: 175: 161: 130: 129: 127: 124: 80:circus troupe 78:social justice 41: 38: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 324: 313: 310: 308: 305: 303: 300: 298: 297:Living people 295: 293: 290: 288: 285: 284: 282: 272: 269: 268: 264: 255: 251: 244: 241: 236: 229: 227: 225: 223: 219: 208:on 2008-12-05 207: 203: 197: 195: 191: 186: 179: 176: 171: 165: 162: 157: 150: 148: 146: 144: 142: 140: 138: 136: 132: 125: 123: 121: 116: 112: 110: 106: 102: 98: 94: 89: 87: 83: 79: 76: 72: 68: 64: 60: 56: 51: 50:New York City 47: 39: 37: 35: 31: 30: 25: 21: 254:the original 243: 210:. Retrieved 206:the original 178: 164: 119: 117: 113: 92: 90: 63:talent scout 43: 27: 19: 18: 109:Aunt Jemima 101:Nancy Green 82:Circus Amok 281:Categories 212:2009-12-06 126:References 40:Biography 75:queer 24:clown 120:OVO 118:In 29:OVO 283:: 221:^ 193:^ 134:^ 36:. 215:.

Index

clown
OVO
Cirque du Soleil
Washington state
New York City
National Shakespeare Conservatory
Washington Square Park
talent scout
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
queer
social justice
Circus Amok
Big Apple Circus
Performance Space 122
Nancy Green
1893 World's Fair
Aunt Jemima








"Michelle Matlock bugs out in 'Ovo'"
"Cirque CEO says economic crisis not hurting shows"
"Matlock: The Ladybug in Cirque's OVO"

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