Pat Kenney
Contributing Writer
A silent film star, stuck in the wrong century, was out to prove just how funny silence could be. With a plethora of funny tricks and quirky stunts, he showed that ‘fool’ is the new ‘cool’.
Laughter was plentiful and the applause was thunderous, as Drew the Dramatic Fool took his customary bow and retreated off stage. The show might have been silent, but the audience could not hold in their amusement Wednesday night at the Fuller Arts Center. The professional klutz had the audience marveling at his stunts and laughing as he made the easiest of activities into hard and impossible tasks.
Drew Richardson, aka Drew the Dramatic Fool, has been entertaining for 25 years, has worked for many companies, and has performed on many stages, but the laughter and his smile have remained the same.
Richardson was a shy 8-year-old when he realized that he could express himself through his performances. At first, Richardson wanted to be a serious magician, but his audiences laughed at all his tricks and he just went with it. With family support and no clear backup plan, he decided that he wanted to perform for a living.
Richardson, who grew up in Athens, Ohio, attended Ohio University, where he studied theater and learned to never stop learning. His studies took him all the way to Paris, where he studied the art of entertainment from his teacher, Jacques Lecoq.
In typical silent film style, Richardson had the audience cracking up with his numerous acts, which included spinning plates, juggling knives, balancing on an exercise ball and hair styling, while comedic instrumental music played throughout the show.
Silent films have been extinct for almost a century, but you wouldn’t have known that while watching Richardson take you back through time with his act and forward through time with his encore, demonstrating that silent films are timeless and entertaining.
After 25 years in the silent film and acting business, Richardson is still amazed when the audience reacts to his stunts.
“Is that for me? There must be some mistake,” Richardson said about the audience’s laughter.
Richardson loves what he is doing and has no plans on stopping. He has found his dream job and enjoys every minute of it. As Drew the Dramatic Fool says, “I may be a fool, but I’m no idiot.”