Has any one read "The Clown Star" the auther has his own opinion on what a "real" clown is and I was wondering what every one else thought what do you think defines a clown is it personal expression or should you follow the rules set up by COAI or other groups or both I personally think being a clown has nothing to do with costumes or make up but is somthing that lives inside all of us and make up and costumes are just a way of expressing ourselves but thats just me What do you think :?:

Rules to be followed strickly as if set in stone? No,
I agree the biggest part of being a clown is what's inside.
But the "rules" I think of as being more of a guide.
Maggie Mae talked once about how she alway got critized for having a rainbow wig [not typical this a long delux curly I think] but had won several competitons,
Bubba Sikes told us when he first started he was given slack for having a pink wig and color cooridinated clothes. And who hasn't heard of Bubba?
The euro look is coming in but I bet a few years ago it would have been seen as uncool for a clown.

Some people think that all there is to clowning is dressing up and you're a clown, some really want to be clowns and don't realized it's an art form, you need to study, practice and perfect it just as if youwould if you played the violin in a synphony.
I've seen those who slap on halloween make up and go in to center to "cheer" people up, it's amazing the clients don't freak out as the make up is scary if not applied correctly,

Rules help to quide us, but are not set in stone, do what you think is right for you. One things for sure, if people like what you do, they'll want to see you reguardless of any dress code or make up rule etc. If they don't you want get any business.

I believe that being a clown is not related with the customes or even the makeup.
It is about mmmm what is the word.. ahhh yes, "the inside spirit".
The clown came to this world with that sense and that wonderful skill that makes him ablein a perfect way to "creat a true smile".
I believe that customes can never make or define a clown, but the clown can define the customes.

One of my professors once gave me some very good advice: "You can break one rule per paper, but it has to be for a very good reason, and explain why." She meant it was ok to deviate from the assignment as written as long as we could justify its relevance to the coursework, not that we should run off and start cheating or ignore the assignment.

I always thought that was a good idea... I think it's important to know the rules in any area and understand why they're in place, but if you can learn more by following your own path, you'll generally turn in a better assignment. I imagine it's similar with clowning; you should learn the rules and understand why they were set down to begin with, then you'll know what you're doing when you start improvising and doing your own thing.

Maybe you'll find that what worked when the rules were written doesn't work any more and you'll figure out a way to innovate, or maybe you'll fall flat on your face and realize that the rule was time-tested wisdom of generations of clowns. ;)

Anyway Jodakrs, I'm interested to know what "rules" you take issue with in particular; I'll see if I can find that book in the library, I'm curious now. :)

I dont mind any rules I was just wondering how every one else felt I do think that clowning is a form of free expresssion and you should do what you like but I also belive ther are long traditions in clowning that should be respected clowning is an art and should be treated that way but at the same time the goal is to make people happy the job of a clown is to distribute smiles :D so do that first and worry about everything else later

This is just me, but, here goes anyway...
There is a rule that I break regularly. The "dirty neck". COAI and the others are really adamant about every square inch of skin be covered in makeup. Yet, how can to tie balloons or paint faces with gloves on? Moral of the Story: I never wear flesh colored makeup. However, I do blend the "rouge" into my cheeks pretty far up. And I'm pretty fair skinned anyway. So you don't really notice.
Here are the rules I would never break.
Smoking in costume (I don't smoke so no problem)
drinking ink..o er achohol in upblic Er. public. ( I actually never drink)
Working Blue as Scruffy BTW, "Blue " in and old term. Essentially, it means dirty, crude, or crass oe irreverant.

Other rules such as eating in public or drinking in public. Those depend on the situaton. I'm a tramp. can't remember when the last good meal I had was. So, sometime I might do a bit with my extenible fork and spoon. However, I am a diabetic. I need to eat at regular times. So, I try to do this in my car, or if the venue has a safe room where we can take a break I'll do it there. Often, our clowning group will go to a restaurant after an event. I don't have a problem with this. usually by the time we get there things have pretty well died down anyway. Plus, I carry a pocket full of balloons so, I'm always at the ready. even when I'm hungry. :wink:
An old rule that has thankfully fallen by the wayside is that a clown should never speak in public. I feel that Bob bell, and his copatriates, ended that forever. A clown needs to be able to speak. on the old Magical Land of Allakazam TV show,, Rebo; AKA Bev Bergeron, never spoke. At public appearances, he had to.So they devised Rebo's magical talking box. With this, Rebo could speak. Mime has it's place. But so does talking. Any performer who thinks that clowns shouldn't talk has never tried to keep forty kids at a birthday party entertained for an hour.
Anyway, rules have there place. I feel that the ones that I keep are essential to keeping the clowns "Squeaky clean" image. Others may disagree. and I'm cool with that.But, These are the ones that are the most important to me.

I have David's book "Clown Star"...it's okay I have been clowning for 19 years and didn't find any new ideas there.
I don't see any book as a clown bible, I have fallen in love with theater clowns lately...
The book I love, read cover to cover and the 50 clown exercises are brilliant! I took a work shop with Jeff Raz from the SF Clown Conservatory and some of these exercise I have used and found very effective.
The nice thing is Alan has this book on line free if you like to set at your computer and read its almost 600 pages so I bought a copy to take with me and quick reference. Its called "Angers can Fly" . It is a Modern Clown training guide, a novel that follows 10 clown street performers sharing real life experience and has clown bio's so it is like 3 books wrapped as one.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AngelsCanFly/
Alan Clay's latest book on clown, Angels can Fly, which will be published in May 2005, promises a mix of fiction following the adventures of ten clown characters, some personal clown anecdotes, a total of 50 practical clown exercises, and some theory on the nature of modern clown.


Sign up on this list, to receive a free eBook copy of Angels can Fly in the MS Reader format.
Jewls

I think a clown should be someone whocares & wants to make people laff & feel better but will leave the person be if the person is not ready to laff & feel better. Also i think a good clown is someone that things the work is more imporint then the money they are getting. a clown friend of mine bunked with guys in collage that dressed up as clowns for money only & had no care for the people they entertained "lip stick clowns" he calls them

I think rules in general are good, as guidelines for new and up and coming clowns. But rules should in no way be set in stone.
Like Scruffy was saying about the dirty neck, and the wearing gloves. I am totally against having to wear gloves if you are doing balloons or facepainting, etc. It is REAL hard to get the job done without tying your glove into the balloon, which is funny till the kid runs off with your glove.
The flesh showing is another issue with me. I have started to leave my ears with no make up, and my neck partially uncovered closer to my top as well. I find that my wig covers my ears anyway, and my neckpiece covers the skin of my neck. The thing i like about this, is that when I get a kid who is scared of a clown, and MOM and DAD arent taking the hint to kinda back away........ it leaves me the option of showing the kid im just a normal guy after all....

And before I start catching flack for this practice, I know you should never break character. But I have had success with this, and made a couple of new "friends" out of the deal. Oh and 90% of the time this calms the kid down and makes them less afraid of clowns and they DONT REMEMBER WHY THEY ARENT afraid any more.

I wear Gloves but always take them off to Face Paint & do balloons. I slso never paint my ears or necki only wear grease paint to my beard witch i cover as well leaveing my ears & neck unpainted

As far as gloves goes, I think it's more relaxed on that subject unless trying out for competition. Most August clowns I see don't wear gloves at all any more, most white face still do, but I take mine of for face painting balloons and magic, I have to feel with my hands, can't do it through gloves. Kids are smart, they know that nose isn't real or that your hair isn't really purple, blue etc. My wig covers my ear so I only do my neck to the turtle neck collar, they do have hoods but to me they feel restictive, didn't like them. Had a kid ask me today if I could take my nose off, told him I could but then I couldn't get it back on so I wasn't going to take it off. He was fine with that.