By laughing at clowns, people learn to laugh at themselves.
Clowning is an ancient art that amuses, distracts, comforts and even helps to heal onlookers, depending on the skill and depth of the practitioner and his performance. Professional clowns and clown competitions recognize four main types of clowns that differ in appearance and behavior: Whiteface, Auguste, Tramp and Character clowns. Clowns of all types perform at birthday parties, in hospitals and circuses, on street corners and in prisons.
Playfulness
Clowns derive their playfulness from children.
Roly Bain, who practices clown ministry, maintains that true clowning is founded upon both vulnerability and playfulness. In a society focused on success, a clown plays with failure. Though rich and ruthless people seem to hold all the cards in real life, the clown shuffles the deck and makes it possible for the powerless to upset the apple cart. In a world where people take themselves and their affairs too seriously, the clown sees everything with the optimism and irreverence of a child.
Storytelling and Mime
Clowns with mime skills can tell stories with their faces and gestures.
Clowns often tell stories about the human condition using mime: playing a part with gestures, facial expressions and actions, but usually without words. The stories can be fragmentary or complete, long or short, full of angst and embarrassment or even rage against injustice -- but always funny. They tell stories that everyone can identify with. Many acting schools teach mime techniques, and workshops are sometimes available at community centers and theater groups.
Improvisation
Clowns often improvise funny situations out of something an audience member says or does. If the clown is performing and a distraction arises, such as a crying baby, a traffic jam punctuated with loud horns or a group of rude people talking through her performance, she can incorporate these events into her act by using mimicry or burlesque. Classes and training workshops in improvisation are available in most communities, and they don't have to be geared to clowning to be effective.
Circus Skills
Juggling is a traditional skill that most clowns have mastered.
Circus skills broaden the repertoire of a professional clown and are essential for circus, party, hospital and street clowns. Skills such as juggling balls and clubs, magic tricks geared to comedy, spinning plates and balls, balloon twisting, balancing and tight rope walking are only some of the skills circus schools teach. Clowns in training can also pick up circus skills by attending informal clowning and juggling groups that meet to practice in local parks or recreation areas.
Rodeo Clowns
Various bull riding schools offer courses in rodeo clown training, including hοw tο entertain the crowd, distract bulls and apply clown makeup. Because rodeo clowns bear the heavy responsibility of keeping riders from being injured from enraged bulls, many of them are retired bull riders themselves and understand exactly what is needed.
Makeup and Costume
Hobo or tramp clowns are made up different from Whiteface clowns.
Training in makeup application and costume design are often available at circus and clown schools. Put together costumes by combining elements from thrift and costume stores, or call upon the services of a skilled seamstress or costume designer to provide the most professional results.
