"Nina's clown is always on a collision course with circumstances beyond her control, that fortunately for us, provide loads of laughs."
~Jim R. Moore, Photographer of Eccentric and Variety Arts
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Nina stumbled into clowning while acting seriously and it was love at first pratfall
Nina Levine is an actor and clown who creates, performs, directs, writes about, and occasionally teaches clowning. Based in New York, she has appeared in numerous venues here and abroad. Nina's acts reflect her traditional theatrical background in combination with training in physical comedy and music. In addition to her body of solo work, she is a founding member of the award-winning clown trio Those In The Nose.
Her clown, who is easily lost, finds herself in verbal and non-verbal situations expressed through inventive gags, musical instruments, dance and silliness. Whether she is having a pie fight with herself, trying to quit smoking, fighting off a persistent bumblebee, accompanying herself in song by strumming her egg slicer, or meeting friends at the opera, the comical results are unexpected and hilarious.
Nina honed her clowning as a regular at the late great Surf Reality Theatre in New York City and has gone on to appear at many other New York venues including: Spontaneous Combustion, Dixon Place, The Kraine, The Brick, to name a few. Solo acts include: Tea For One (with her one-woman pie fight), Old MacDonald, My Man Pumpkin, Bumbled, You’re All Pigs*, Mistletoed*, Holly Jolly Christmas* (*the Holiday Stress Trilogy) and her full-length work Clock Cuckoo.
The Quitter (one clown's struggle to kick the habit) was originally commissioned by The New York Downtown Clown Revue. Newer versions have been seen at
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Open Variety and around NYC. The Quitter...Now with added flavor! appeared in the New York Clown Theatre Festival. There is The Quitter Meets Walter, and most recently seen: The Quitter Quits Again.
Nina founded Those In The Nose Clown Trio with her partners Evelyn Tuths and Holly McCracken. (See separate bio on this website) With Holly, Nina co-created and performed the clown water ballet Yespool. Other full-length clown show collaborations include Smoke & Fire, Clowning Around (a show for kids) at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre, Working Without Annette, Foolish Gymnastic Team and Fern & Ho.
Nina was nominated for a Golden Nose Award for “Best Clown Act” and “Best Clown Character” for Tea For One, though she was beaten out by her own trio Those In The Nose, who won “Best Clown Act” for their acclaimed
At the Opera. Nina was nominated for a Golden Nose “Best Clown Character” for her 3-part act
Holiday Stress Trilogy.
Nina occasionally teaches clowning to theatre professionals and non-professionals alike. She has conducted workshops at The Creative Center for Arts in Healthcare, The Screen Actors Guild, and in conjunction with her partners at The School of Visual Arts, CancerCare, Hunter College School of Social Work, and more.
Nina studied clowning with several master teachers that include: Philippe Gaulier, David Shiner, and Ami Hattab, improvisation with Keith Johnstone, and is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama.
Her clown, who is easily lost, finds herself in verbal and non-verbal situations expressed through inventive gags, musical instruments, dance and silliness. Whether she is having a pie fight with herself, trying to quit smoking, fighting off a persistent bumblebee, accompanying herself in song by strumming her egg slicer, or meeting friends at the opera, the comical results are unexpected and hilarious.
Nina honed her clowning as a regular at the late great Surf Reality Theatre in New York City and has gone on to appear at many other New York venues including: Spontaneous Combustion, Dixon Place, The Kraine, The Brick, to name a few. Solo acts include: Tea For One (with her one-woman pie fight), Old MacDonald, My Man Pumpkin, Bumbled, You’re All Pigs*, Mistletoed*, Holly Jolly Christmas* (*the Holiday Stress Trilogy) and her full-length work Clock Cuckoo.
The Quitter (one clown's struggle to kick the habit) was originally commissioned by The New York Downtown Clown Revue. Newer versions have been seen at
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Open Variety and around NYC. The Quitter...Now with added flavor! appeared in the New York Clown Theatre Festival. There is The Quitter Meets Walter, and most recently seen: The Quitter Quits Again.
Nina founded Those In The Nose Clown Trio with her partners Evelyn Tuths and Holly McCracken. (See separate bio on this website) With Holly, Nina co-created and performed the clown water ballet Yespool. Other full-length clown show collaborations include Smoke & Fire, Clowning Around (a show for kids) at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre, Working Without Annette, Foolish Gymnastic Team and Fern & Ho.
Nina was nominated for a Golden Nose Award for “Best Clown Act” and “Best Clown Character” for Tea For One, though she was beaten out by her own trio Those In The Nose, who won “Best Clown Act” for their acclaimed
At the Opera. Nina was nominated for a Golden Nose “Best Clown Character” for her 3-part act
Holiday Stress Trilogy.
Nina occasionally teaches clowning to theatre professionals and non-professionals alike. She has conducted workshops at The Creative Center for Arts in Healthcare, The Screen Actors Guild, and in conjunction with her partners at The School of Visual Arts, CancerCare, Hunter College School of Social Work, and more.
Nina studied clowning with several master teachers that include: Philippe Gaulier, David Shiner, and Ami Hattab, improvisation with Keith Johnstone, and is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama.
Comedy to me is all about the bumps and bruises and weird tics. ~Melissa McCarthy
I've got an hourglass figure, but it's later than you think. - Minnie Pearl
I've got an hourglass figure, but it's later than you think. - Minnie Pearl
