Being a clown is a serious art form!

What is a clown? A person who wears baggy paints, dabs white, red and black grease paint on his face and wears a crazy hat or wig; who blows up balloons for children and chases other clowns between circus acts with a pail of confetti? He is all of these things. But a good clown is more than just a costume and a few gags.
Instructors from three universities in New York and a Ringling Brothers Clown College in Florida teach the many skills of a clown – juggling, acting, animal training, puppetry, magic, balloon sculpture, ventriloquism, bareback riding and more. And clowning around is considered a “serious” art form that has existed for centuries. A great clown has an inside twinkle and a bubbling spirit that catches an audience in his spell.
A clown’s costume clues his audience in on what to expect from him, all the while identifying him as a pretty silly fellow. Long ago, the clowns of the Hopi Indians of New Mexico smeared mud on their faces, put on foolish rabbit fur wigs and rode their horses backwards. In medieval times, court jesters wore bells on their clothes and donned hats with cloth donkey ears. They often carried with them an animal’s bladder inflated like a balloon.
During the 16th century, in plays held in the streets of Italy, audiences roared with laughter as a character named Harlequin tricked other characters who were chasing him by becoming “invisible.” Though Harlequin never left the stage, his white and black checkered costume, neck ruff and black mask helped audiences pretend that he actually could disappear. One of the characters chasing Harlequin was a red-haired, trusting country bumpkin named … are you ready? … Clown. In 1802 Joseph Grimaldi, a great actor and mime (or a person who copies gestures and actions without words) played Clown. Grimaldi began painting his face and wearing “way-out” clothes. And Grimaldi’s Clown stole the show from Harlequin. Though the father of clowns, Grimaldi acted in plays and never set foot in a circus.
Circus clowning began in London in the mid-eighteenth century, with “white-face” clowns becoming very popular in Europe. The “white-face” clown wore elegant clothes, a white face with red lips, and one eyebrow drawn down the side of his face in an enormous curve. Snooty and arrogant, the white-face got laughs as he muddled through his problems trying to look serious and proper.
In 1864 another type of clown burst onto the circus scene. The story goes a circus performer with the Circus Renz in Berlin was fired by the owner. Bored, he entertained friends backstage by dressing in ridiculous clothes and makeup. Suddenly the owner appeared. The performer dashed frantically out the stage door, only to find himself in the middle of the circus ring. As he stumbled foolishly and fell, the audience laughed and shouted “auguste,” which means “stupid booby” in German,. Thus the “auguste” clown was born. (And, with any luck, the poor fellow got his job back.)
Around 1900, auguste and white-face clowns worked as teams. If that seems strange, think of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny or Mork and Mindy. Elmer Fudd and Mindy are the serious white-face clowns, and Bugs Bunny and Mork are the silly auguste clowns. Most clowns in the United States today are augustes, though white-face clowns still perform in Europe.
The United States is the home of many outstanding clowns. Dan Rice, a famous clown around 1844, was an amusing storyteller and skilled with animals. A friend of Abraham Lincoln, Rice wore a striped costume with no makeup. Rice’s looks gave rise to the cartoon image of “Uncle Sam” that is still seen today.
Another important American clown of the 1930’s named Emmett Kelly dressed as a hobo. Kelly, never smiling, was quiet and subdued. But he wouldn’t give up. Two of his most famous acts were trying to sweep up the spotlight with a broom and wandering through the audience looking for something. Charlie Chaplin was another “sad little tramp” clown who worked on stage and in films, not in a circus. Kelly and Chaplin, along with cleaning lady, bag lady and others, are character clowns.
But you don’t have to wear a costume to be a clown. Have you seen the old-time films of the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy or W.C. Fields? Though these people wore no clown costumers, they are clowns nonetheless.
To discover if you have the special magic it takes to be a first-class clown, try the following. Make your movements big and simple and develop a special walk. (Remember Groucho Marx pacing back and forth all stooped over and with a cigar in his hand?) Next, react to your audience in an off-the-cuff manner, but never out of character. If the audience appears bored, angry or sad, you are doing something wrong. Learn to fall correctly. Break your fall by slapping your hands on the ground, which makes a frightful, bone-rattling noise. Practice taking a fake blow by throwing your head back and clapping your hands together below your waist where the audience won’t notice as much. The noise will convince them you’ve really been hit. For this, of course, you must trust your partner to not really slap you, but stop just short of your face.
You may want a special costume that fits your character and a silly hat or wig and shoes. Makeup is extremely important, for costumed clowns are recognized by their makeup, not their “real” faces. Now practice doing something with your costume. You could, for instance, use your shoe to comb your hair or as a pillow. Develop a theme song for your clown, write a biography for him. What does he want? How will he try to get it? The better you know your clown, the better clown you will be. It’s difficult, yes, but all a part of the amazing art of the clown.