How to be a Clown: Ringling Bros Edition

To get into our clowning unit, we saw a "How to be a Clown" video by the Ringling Brothers in class. They had created a video as a starting tutorial with tips and lessons from their actual school of clowning. It was like a real life textbook we were watching and learning from, which was more interactive than reading a text.

• Skills - One thing that the video emphasized was over exaggerating every movement. A clown has to make sure her actions are shown and everyone in the audience can clearly tell what is going on. Clown acts aren't like other theatre performances that the audience has to concentrate and interpret. Also, exaggerating a movement turns it comical. For example, slipping on something, but flailing your arms wildly and spinning to fanatically grab onto something makes the audience laugh that you are struggling so much with such a simple action. By stepping out of social norms, a clown is able to be laughed at and create entertainment for the audience.
• Costumes - What you were should resemble who you are. Another point that the Ringling Brothers in particular emphasized was that everyone has an inner clown that just needs to be drawn out. There are other clowns who disagree though, and say the clown character is created and is completely different than who you are. But I like the idea that I have an inner clown. Everyone has a quality that can be exaggerated to be clown like. Not all clowns are funny and silly; they can be sad, reflective, or even haughty. The clothing shouldn't just be oversized and mismatching, but should work with the actor and his/her body type. For example, a more pudgy clown can dress in polka dots that will accentuate the curve and exaggerate that into a comical aspect, just as the actions that are made. For a tall clown, he/she may dress in vertical stripes that will elongate the body's trait. Clown costumes also don't have a standard form to follow - I began to think of out-there, creative outfits I could create my mixing different colors, prints, and fabrics. Accessories can also add to a costume if used well. Just as I accessorize my outfits for school and plan to put certain items together, clown costumes are the same! Just with more vibrant, strong components. 
• Make Up - Wow... this was quite a process. I put on make up everyday in the morning, but this is make up to enhance my natural traits. Clown make up, on the other hand, creates a whole new face. The face is dressed up with different shapes and colors just as the body is; it's an extension of the costume. When this segment began, my mind raced to come up with an idea for my make up in our future performance. The make up is just so free; you can do anything. Depending on the type of clown one takes up though, some features would be different. Such as a red nose for an auguste clown, a white face for a classic clown, bright colors for a happy clown, teardrops or a frown for a sad clown. Even putting on the colors, I didn't know that the white had to be patted down just so and really packed in, or that you had to powder after each layer of colors. A point that the Ringling Brothers gave for this section though, was to keep the make up simple. When painting your face, a little bit can go a long way. There's no need to put sparkles or shapes and patterns everywhere. A slightly turned up lip, slightly more arched eyebrows, and red cheeks can go a long way.