FRANK OLIVIER - OFFSTAGE

I tend to spend about 6 months each year touring.  For the longer trips my wife, Brenna, often comes along.  I spend most of my non-road time with Brenna, in our large live/work loft in Oakland, California where we live with our 2 cats and one white dove.  I practice nearly all the time, working on new tricks often non-stop for days on end.  In addition to practicing juggling and manipulation skills, I also practice magic tricks and can often be found in public showing strangers tricks, just for the fun of it.  Around our loft are juggling clubs and balls and playing cards scattered everywhere and several giant 'physioballs'. There's also a trapeze, and a bungee-trapeze hanging from the ceiling, and a swing in the kitchen, and giant pillows upstairs.

I enjoy freestyle dances that go on in the Bay area.  I also go to even more unusual dances called 'Contact Improvisation Dance Jams.'

On the spiritual side of things, I practice sufism, a rich tradition that includes many different kinds of practices.  I attend a  zikr circle (prayer group) a couple of times per month, as well as the beautiful and moving 'Dances of Universal Peace.'  These dances combine singing of sacred phrases from the world's religious traditions with simple circle dances.  My wife and I meditate and pray together most mornings, and often read poetry to one another.

Sundays I will sometimes go over to The San Francisco School of Circus Arts, where the local jugglers get together  and play.   I enjoy hanging out with other performers and sparking ideas around.  Currently I am working on a new theater show that I hope to put up by Jan 2001.

I enjoy playing folk, rock and ragtime guitar.  Brenna plays beautiful improvisational tunes on the piano that can just make you cry. Lately I've been spending too much time designing and playing with these web pages, but having fun doing it.  It turns out if you're not really good at it, it can take up a tremendous amount of time!