clown question: do you alter your voice when you're in clown?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Originally Posted by magicgeorge

Is here a non-speaking clown? Most of the clowns I know don't say anything!

I think you've run into a guild of Mimes. LOL...

Some Minsitry clowns I know don't talk... One lady actually called me out at an event saying "Ministry Clowns don't say anything"... I told her that I use verbal ministry and music in my performances... How can I do that and not talk?...

[Kwayzee the Clown]

Kwayzee's voice varies a lot but usually sounds like a higher pitch cross between the teenage fast food worker in the Simpson's and Bubbles from trailer park boys(you guys below the border may be unfamiliar with the trailer park boys, Google it very funny, but a lot of cursing you have been warned).

[Snugglesnort]

I am leaning towards not actually saying anything. That is not to say I want to be a silent mime. What I really love are mumbling non-sense speaking characters like Mr Bean, and Houshe ma Houshe, and Beaker and Animal.

Today I finally found the music instrument market in Seoul, and a guy in one of the shops I checked out, was playing uke and had a really fantastic reed in in his mouth that sounded like a loud kazoo. He told me he had made it out of used camera film and cut it too shape.

I want to make one now and I think it would work great for me in clowning.

[Smacky]

Yes, I change both my voice and manner of speaking -- not just the words, but the tone range (I guess this is the right term) I use is MUCH wider than normal.

[Fitzwilly]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dazzle

I think you've run into a guild of Mimes. LOL...

Some Minsitry clowns I know don't talk... One lady actually called me out at an event saying "Ministry Clowns don't say anything"... I told her that I use verbal ministry and music in my performances... How can I do that and not talk?...

Flloyd Shaffer, by some considered the father of ministry clowning advocated silent clowning and therefore many people have followed in his footsteps and there there is the crowd that forever follows the first set of rules they learn and then they simply stop learning.

[Waldo]

Proper etiquette has never been my forte, but I use both speaking and mime as fits the occasion. If I am telling a Gospel story with a balloon, then speaking is called for in that case. However, I might be doing a party and have a mime bit as one of my acts and don't speak for that bit.

[in Harmony with Jesus]

Originally Posted by tim

My advice: don't worry too much about anyone recognizing you. You're a clown, so you are just playing and having fun in costume, that's all. The key is not being unrecognizable. Don't hide behind the costume and makeup. Instead, focus on what you CAN do. Offer a persona which is attractive and unique. If you accomplish this, then it won't really matter if someone recognizes who you are beneath the "clown." For the clown will overcome, and be united with you.

The Sunday we had Pastor Appreciation the clowns made an appearance & did a special skit at the beginning of the service. When we finished, Pokey & I went back to the 3 & 4 yr old children's church class for a visit. Keep in mind that we teach them on a regular basis as Jennifer & Jon Jon but the clowns have never been to visit on a Sunday morning. That was fun!! Our best friends have twin girls that just turned 4 so they were in there. That made it a little more interesting because they know us so well - in & out of clown. Pokey & Harmony are generally easliy recognized as Jonathan & Jennifer but what made it even more obvious was because Karas & Faith (the twins) were with us the night Harmony was "born". They saw the whole transformation & were amazed - they had just turned 3 at that time. When we walked in the door of the class Faith yells out "Jennifer & Jon Jon!!" We played it off & said "I'm not Jennifer. I'm Harmony & this is Pokey!!" A little while later Faith looked at Pokey & politely said "well, eventually you'll have to turn back into to Jennifer & Jon Jon & put on regular clothes..." Then at the dinner their dad walked up & said something to us & used my real name. Faith looked at him & said "Daddy... that's not Jennifer. That's Harmony! And his name is Pokey" and just grinned at all of us!!

Oh the mind of a 4 yr old that is too smart for her own good!

[tim]

Your story reminds me of a party I did for a good friend's son. It didn't matter what *I* may have wanted to be called. That day I was unambiguously "Uncle Tim" to everyone in the house, thanks to him.