The Get Marty: Community Bridges series is made possible with the support of UPMC.
A lot of people lost their jobs during the pandemic… restaurant and bar servers, travel employees, construction workers… and clowns. Yes, clowns.
O’Ryan McGowan-Arrowroot of Bloomfield is one of them. Just like for other performers, all of the indoor venues where he would normally clown around were shut down by the coronavirus lockdown.
Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for himself, O’Ryan the O’Mazing as he’s known, came up with another idea. He began performing a weekly online show, O’Mazing Monday, from his living room.
Arrowroot says he couldn’t not perform. “I became an artist because that was the only thing that makes sense. I became a clown because nothing makes sense,” he jokes.
But he also did the home show to bring smiles to people during a tough time. “I think I’m making a difference. [If anything] I wish I was reaching more people who really need that release.”
As he begins to get new in-person bookings, Arrowroot says he’ll eventually end O’Mazing Monday.
Check his Facebook page for alerts. To watch archived episodes, click here and search for O’Mazing Monday. Go to his website to book O’Ryan the O’Mazing for a show, a private party or a clowning class.
The Get Marty: Community Bridges project is produced with the generous support of UPMC. Life Changing Medicine.
