I could really use your help ASAP. Thanks

[Darsee]

Well............ I thought I was funny. But I went with another clown to
do a show. She said. Just have fun and interact with the kids.
This was my first time by the way.
I sort of froze. I walked around and talked to the kids and made
a few jokes. Afterwards my clown mentor said I need to bring it
up a few levels. I get another chance on Friday. Does anyone
have advice for me? When I daydream
about clowning I am funny and I just love it but I have to admit
it looks much easier than it is. Do you know of any props I can
use to interact more with the kids. Any advice would be appreciated.

[ashes]

Welcome, Darsee!

Wow. Well, I don't have an over-the-top personality as Ashes.

High Energy is fun, but Ashes is a down-and-out tramp, so it
doesn't fit the personality. If I were an Auguste, well then that
would be different. What I am saying, is that not every clown is
just bounce-off-the-wall-high-energy. Your clown personality is
an extension of yourself, not of someone else.

It will get easier as you get more experience, also.

Ask your mentor to give you some specific ideas, or to help you
"step it up." That's what they are there for.

You didn't say what type of clown you are, nor what type of venue
you were at, or what you are going to do on Friday. I don't know
if you have a place to keep props handy, other than your pockets.

Get some simple magic tricks that you can keep in your pockets.
Thumb tips and small silks. Small changing bag.
I used to do a few simple coin vanishes, but with gloves on they are
really hard to do.

If you have a magic or costume shop close by, browse there and ask
the proprietor about simple tricks and such. Just be careful -- they
are there to sell you stuff, and it might be stuff you really don't need.

Good props are a breakaway wand, a wand made from a storm door
spring (painted black with white medical tape on the tips), a set of
nesting wands. Things that squeak or make odd noises. Big Oversized
scissors, toothbrush or comb.

How about the needle through balloon? You could "hypnotize" the
balloon and have it feel no pain, etc.

Mouth coils really pack small but play big!

Don't put too much of your show or abilities into magic and props.
BE a clown.

Learn some funny handshakes.

Pick a kid and start mimicing them. I've even had kids start to
mimic me (that's a hoot!).

Trip over something and apologize to it.

Ask a child his/her name. A little later, ask them their name again.
Say "Good! I thought you had forgotten."

These days we clown in groups, so we interact amongst ourselves
as well as with kids. We hand out stickers a lot. Since we are Life and Fire Safety clowns, we ask a lot of home fire drill, or swimming safety type questions and give stickers as a reward for knowing the right answer.

The most important thing in my book is to interact with all the kids.
Pay attention to them.

One good book I have in my library is "Kidbiz" by David Ginn.
Another is "Be A Clown" by Turk Pippin.

Scruffy has a list of other books, too.

Others will come in with additional ideas, so check back soon!

Ashes

[ashes]

Another good idea is a funny musical instrument - tiny
piano or a squeezebox or small violin. For one of my
characters I am working on a routine with a musical saw.

I also have a pitch pipe -- one of those things you blow
in to tune a musical instrument by.

Tell the crowd you are going to lead a song, then blow
into the pitch pipe to set the key, then sing way off-key
in your best clowny voice...

Whatever you use, just be sure you can play a simple
melody on it -- happy birthday, or twinkle twinkle little star.

Even if you just have a squeaker you could squeak it
between lines of happy birthday --

Happy Birthday To You (squeak, squeak)
Etc.

Squeakers are fun - make your arm squeak when you bend
your elbow. Or your knee when you bend it, etc.

Ashes

[saphireSue]

It's can be real scary that first time,
Remember you're in clown, its OK to BE THE BIGGEST FOOL, SILLYIST , CRAZIST, WACKYIST PERSON. Gonna sound like psyco babble but give your self permission to act crazy and forget about any one watching.

Ask your mentor to give you suggestions

Ashes gave you lots of suggestions, go slow and you'll get there

"HAVE FUNNNNN"

[Darsee]

Thanks a bunch, Ashes and Sapphire.

I will give it a whirl. You are right every clown is not made from the
same mold. Thats so true.

Friday we are doing balloons, face painting and walk around
silly stuff for a company picnic. Mostly for the children of
the employees.
I love your ideas but to be perfectly honest I am just afraid I am
not going to be funny. People have a fear of snakes, spiders and
dying and I have a fear of not being funny. Oh great!!!
When I am with friends I can be so silly. They tell me to act my
age. I say......Nahhhhhhhh. Never. Thanks again.

[Scruffy]

[quote="Darsee" to be perfectly honest I am just afraid I am
not going to be funny.....Oh great!!!
When I am with friends I can be so silly. They tell me to act my
age. I say......Nahhhhhhhh. Never. Thanks again.[/quote]

Don't act your age. Act like one of the kids. It does get easier,Darcee. I know your scrunched for time so here's a couple of things to try.

Shake hands with them when you meet them. As you are shaking their hand, bounce up and down to the rythmn of the shake.Another good shake is the pump.As you shake, lower yourself down to a low squat. Then say something like, Hey! How about a little help? Then,have them "Pump" you back up to a standing position.
You might try checking out our joke section. Kids love silly jokes. Here's a fresh one from my son Giggles.
" what do you get when you cross a shoe with a vegetable?....Shoecumbers."
Every Newbie clown deals with this. Being a clown is different from anything else. Look at it this way a comic does funny things. A clown does ordinary things in funny ways, be it sign your name, read a book. Back to front. "I just like to know how it's going to end." Or, try to open a can os soda. IE, Twist it, gnaw on it flip it up side down and try to twist the bottom off, Sit down and ponder it for a while.... Look at it close up, look at it from a distance, maybe take out a tape measure and check the height, the diameter, look at the tab, size it up..... then start pushing it, in other words, do everything BUT open the can.
I hope this will help you get idea. One thing you might try is to go to blooockbuster and look for old silent classic movies, like Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, The Marx brothers, Even Old Classic cartoons. And don't be afraid to take notes! Ashes mentioned I would have a couple of books for you to read. They are.

Clown for Circus and Stage byMark Solzenberg.
How To Be A Clown by Turk Pipkin
Creative clowning By Bruce Fife and Tony Blanco
How to be a Compleat Clown by Toby Sanders.

These are excellent resources for to to read. I know time is short, any one of these will have a few ideas you can glean for your use. I was in your shoes too. It's a scary, fun, and wonderful place to be. You're going to be just fine!

BTW, likely you can find any of these books in any decent size Library.
Good luck, were here to help you!
Scruffy

[Darsee]

I loved your joke and I will use it........Thanks a lot everyone

[GiGi]

Scruffy was talking about squeakers. I usually have one in my glove so when I shake the kids hand they squeak. You can squeak their nose or ear or your nose for that matter. I didn't buy actual squeakers. I bought a few 88 cent dog toys at Walmart and took the squeakers out.

GiGi

[Walmoe1]

Originally Posted by Darsee

Well............ I thought I was funny. But I went with another clown to
do a show. She said. Just have fun and interact with the kids.
This was my first time by the way.
I sort of froze. I walked around and talked to the kids and made
a few jokes. Afterwards my clown mentor said I need to bring it
up a few levels. I get another chance on Friday. Does anyone
have advice for me? When I daydream
about clowning I am funny and I just love it but I have to admit
it looks much easier than it is. Do you know of any props I can
use to interact more with the kids. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi Darsee, I dont know how experienced you are (I'm quite amatuer my self) but it sounds like you did the right thing in interacting, that seems like an art itself. and don't feel too bad, even when I'm " on a roll" I've frozen too - just fight hard to thaw out.

[Darsee]

Once again thanks for all your terrific advice.

I did a lot better on Friday. I think it will take time

to feel natural being in a clown costume and being funny

silly, etc. There were times when I was interacting with a kid

I just blanked out and said, soooooooo your how old again?

But at least I felt more accomplished this time around.

Thanks again. Darsee