How do each of you handle it when some one insist on knowing your real name?
I do home health physical therapy and have been doing it for 20 years, I love me job and I love clowning, often I will meet people as Saphire who recognize me and it is difficult to alway stay in character. I usually smile and just repeat I'm SaphireSue. I admit I'm terrible with faces and names and when doing clown rounds at the hospital, former patients, or family members will ask me if I used to come to their house, and if I feel its approp. I'll step out of charater, because they usually want to ask a therapy related question. Do any of you have a simular difficulty and how do you handle it? Part of me know a lot of clowns I've met would diapprove of this but I don't see how to avoid it, And I wouldn't want to be precieved as rude or uncaring [medical related] to the patient.

When you are working with people in a medical capacity you have to act as you think they would feel most comfortable. I see no trouble stepping out of character to answer questions of a personal nature for you or them.
When I am performing and an adult asks me my real name I usually will tell them if there are no children around, some people want to be on a more personal level with you, esspecially if you are in there home. They may also want your name to put it on a check, always a good thing.
If kids are around and they ask I can hand them my card with all my information on it and my name at the bottom.
If kids ask when I am in clown what my real name is I say my clown name and ask them what their real name is, as if they have just ask me something rediculous. This generally throws them off for a minute and they stop asking. :roll:
Looney Ballooney

With kids I tell them My real name is Throckmorton J. Whoopdedoo, but I prefer being called Scruffy. Adults, it depends of the circumstances. I prefer payment in Cash, but what can you do? My cards do not have my name on them,ust Scruffys. When people call and my answering machine picks up it tells who you have reached. I usually take it from there.

I do have my real name as well as my clown name on my business cards. I think it helps people to feel like it's more of a business that way and the question of who to write the check to or whatever is answered. Just a personal preference though.
Jubilee