{image1}For Ann-Elizabeth Shapera jesters are serious business. As director of Street Theatre at Bristol Renaissance Faire, Shapera has more than a little experience herself in the role. So, it comes as no surprise, perhaps, that Shapera has been named Official Municipal Jester of the City of Milwaukee (more surprising is that Milwaukee has an official jester, no wisecracks, please!). To that title she adds, "The World's Only Really Super-Qualified Court Jester: Jane the Phoole!"
Jane the Phoole agreed to sit still for a minute and get serious with OnMilwaukee.com.
OMC: How did you get to become Milwaukee's official jester?
AES/JTP: I've played the Court Jester at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha for 12 years. Jim Owczarski, who is an alum of the cast of the Bristol Faire -- he's a comic genius who used to play the big villain at the show, Sir Edward Coke, the Queen's Attorney General -- now works with the Milwaukee Common Council -- connections are so vital! He and my husband Tom conspired without my knowledge to have this honor awarded to me. The plaque is awfully neato! It has a shiny gold seal and everything!
OMC: What qualifications do you bring to this most unique assignment?
AES/JTP: I will say anything to anyone, regardless of context or appropriateness. I have made everyone I've ever met laugh, including Swiss Guards at the Vatican, crying babies and Rosemary Clooney. I sing, play a bunch of instruments, dance, juggle and behave badly in grocery stores. And I am my own parade float.
OMC: Tell us a little about some of the things on your to-do list as Milwaukee's jester.
AES/JTP: I hope to make as many people laugh as possible, and tell truth to power. Those really are the Jester Goals. That's what we do -- comedy tells the truth, and jesters, who can't really advance politically at all, are relied on to tell the people in charge the truth all the time. It would also be fun to get to run in one of those sausage races at the baseball stadium. And, of course, one loves parades!
OMC: Do you get to wear the cool jester hat that's been co-opted by all those Deadheads and college kids at Dave Matthews Band concerts?
AES/JTP: My hat rules! I have fabulous hats. I don't go in for the back-of-a-playing-card cliche so much -- I make a jester hat based on a blend between an Elizabethan noble hat style and a jester's crown, bells and all.
OMC: Are jokers really wild?
AES/JTP: Oh my stars ... we certainly are!
Jane the Phoole's Web site, where you can buy an official lunch box, is phoole.com.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
