88 Friday, October 4, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Ringling Brothers' Scott Linker has a special affinity for the Jewish deaf. 111 1413.01014 Speeica to The Jewish 000,1 Nettis riginally Scott Linker took up sign language to help him- self with his pantomime. A student of visual humor, Linker hoped the expressiveness associated with sign- ing would help in his career as night club comedian. It didn't work out that way. Linker never cracked the New York comedy circuit, and he eventually began getting paid for being the clown he had always been. He forgot stand-up comedy, but not signing. By using the "langtage of the hands," Linker has been performing mitzvot across the country by entertaining hearing impaired adults and children at every oppor- . Originally from Louisville, Ky., Linker was raised- in a Conservative Jewish home- by, parents Hoirard and Bernice Linker.. He now calls his Jewishness "un-Orthodox." While his occupation may keep him from attending services regularly, he is active in his efforts to entertain the Jewish hearing impaired across the country. ' Now in his fifth year with "The Greatest Show on Earth," Linker is on the road 46 to 48 weeks a year. He will delight more than six rail- lion people this year in some of the country's largest arenas. But during his hectic tour, Linker and a team of six other clowns will also find the time to entertain hearing impaired individuals through free local per- tween the jokes which dotted his interview. "The circus and clowns can reach these people; TV and radio can't." The deaf have a longer attention span and make a better audience for a pantomimist, he added. "It's only natural for a performer to entertain for an audience," he said, downplay- ing his work with the handicapped. "And I think the deaf are one of the best audiences. Linker travels so much with the circus he says he has no home. "Bas- ically I am a Detroit resident this week, somewhei re else next week," he said. "I think the reason the traveling never gets to me is because we are welcomed in all 80 cities we play," he explained. He added that he hoped to be "clowning" for a number of years more. Asked how old he is, Linker, al- ways the 'clown, replied: "I cut my arm anyounted 31 rings." Des ite his three decades arid a John Carmody it is difficult to determine his formances, sometimes held at Jewish hearing impaired programs spon- year, real age. - Linker is able to hide' his Community Centers or synagogues sored by Jewish agencies so that as age — and identity --- under with programs for the deaf. large a Jewish deaf audience as and an orange- Harpo Yesterday, the clowns performed possible can be reached in the cities greasepaint Marx wig. However, the bachelor at. the Detroit Day School for the in which the circus performs. clown describes himself as "short, Deaf, delighting the students with "I Wok my Jewish education dark and handsome." their pantomime, greasepaint and largely for granted until I got older," Dressed as a mismatched usher, their ability to sign. Linker recalled during an interview Linker warms up the circus crowds Linker said that he regularly late last week. "As time has gone by roaming the seats prior to the furnishes Ringling Bros. and Bar- I realized how important our heri- by show. Once the show begins, the num & Bailey scheduling personnel tage is." 5-foot-5 Linker leads a thunderous with names and phone numbers of Last year Linker and his troupe, charge of 21 elephants around the performed at synagogues and Jewish arena. Community Centers in New York, Besides running with the Chicago and Los Angeles. This year pachyderms and playing with the e one-hour variety show that fee- audience, Linker is featured in a 1 1 7 1 9 4 res pantomime. and magifor` the slapstick Keystone Cop skit titled HEBREW JNI I ON COLLEGE af will play at Cong Shaare "Cherry Berry" which he helped LIBRARY — n6th in St. Louis and at JCCs in write. WALTER ROTHMAN, L IBR eveland and Boston. Watching Linker entertain the CINCINNATI OH 45220 "Five percent of all people are "children of all ages" prior to the nearing impaired," said Linker be- Continued on Page'70 , . .