A History Of Clown Schools
From Bozo to Ronald McDonald. From Emmett Kelly to Red Skelton, all the world loves a clown. If you like making adults and kids laugh as well as have what must be done, you could want to think of a fun job like being a clown. Where else could you go to work dressed in big baggy pants, big floppy shoes, a wig, colorful makeup as well as a red nose? What a great job the place you get to make people laugh all day! And you get to create your own clown character.
The very first thing you will want to do is to go to clown school. Yes, clown school. That is where you'll learn the skills you certainly will need, like makeup, juggling, magic, making balloon animals, improv, and mime. You certainly will find out about wigs and costumes too. You will find an abundance of books on the topic, like world renowned clown teacher Alan Clay's "Angels Can Fly - A Modern Clown User's Guide". Clay runs a clown school in New Zealand and has performed all over the world.
Clowning is like acting, you can only read so much in a book before you decide to have to just get out and do it. You'll need to generate your own clown personality. You may decide to use a funny voice or not. You could not even want to speak at all. You definitely will need to produce a perfect balance between being clumsy and graceful at the exact same time. Clowns walk and talk differently. They know how to make it seem like it's natural clumsiness when it's really under control. Put together a consistent group of traits that you may use which are unique to your clown personae. You will discover funny clowns and ones that will be more serious. Figure out which type suits you best.
Practice every chance you get with family. Get some experience working around kids at birthday parties. Practice interacting with a crowd. You will need to get used to taking big risks and doing things others could possibly be afraid to do. Watch some episodes of Red Skelton. Go watch other clowns in action. Talk to them and acquire their advice.
There are lots of different types of clowns. You could work with a regular circus or one like Cirque du Soleil. You'll find Shriner clowns and clowns that work in hospitals and for kid's birthday parties. Corporations hire clowns. And should you not get a regular Clown Events job, you'll have to get used to the hustle of always searching for work, as with every other artist.
There is more to being a clown than just making funny faces and wearing a costume. Additionally you have to have it in your heart to be a clown. But for anyone who hate being stuck in an office cubicle all day it sounds like the perfect fun job.