Clowning Around with Props

[Chance Marmalade]

One of the things I've heard that's great for developing clown material is taking a bunch of unrelated props and just improvising with them. So I thought I would list some props (that I have at hand) and offer them up to other clowns to come up with skits about. This would be an immense help to me for ideas but also a lot of fun!

So for this challenge you have:

A small suitcase
A stuffed Fawzy Bear dressed in a top hat and tails
A small casio keyboard
Plain red Balloon (inflated or not your choice)
Soda Can
and
Juggling Plate with Stick

Use all or one of these props for your own cyber improvisation!

This is an improvisation I did.

Arriving on stage I set all the objects down. I flipped open the suitcase and propped it up with the can. I placed the small keyboard towards the inside front of the suitcase (the suitcase is smaller than the keyboard so it rests along the suitcases ledge) and then sat Fawzy in front of it. Instant grand piano and player!

I turn on the casio and have it play something short and pre-recorded and begin spinning the plate on the stick. When the music stops I take up fawzy, get the plate spinning and balance it on his nose while I play the piano with my free hand.

I didn't use the balloon.

So this is sort of a fun clown puzzle, what would you do with these props!? And to keep the game going list several new props for us to improvise with!

[OkiDoki]

A bit off topic. When I read these props I directly thought about this video from a very good ventriloquist.

"Senor Wences" via YouTube

And yep your completely on the right track with just starting to improvise with diferent props to develop clown material. Keep going.

[The_Princess_of_Bozonia]

If it were a Fozzie Bear puppet, I would have him pester me to hold the balloon. I'd decline but finally give in, then pretend the balloon was lifting him up over my head because he's too small to hold a balloon. The puppet would be scared, I'd make a big show of trying to pull my arm down and fail. I'd urge the puppet to let go of the balloon, but it would refuse, saying it was afraid to fall. I'd promise to catch it, then the puppet would say (in a disgusted voice) "after all I went through to get this balloon?" Finally I'd have a child help pull my arm down and give them the balloon. (And the puppet would promise to catch the child if the balloon lifted him up.)

[tim]

Entering with my small case, I happen upon the piano keyboard. Curios, I stop. I decide to sit and noodle. But I'm not very good. Sigh. I pick up my suitcase, draw it near as I sit there, open it and fish around. Ah, a can of pop. I pull it out, open it (fizz), and take a sip. Refreshed, I reach back in again. What's this? A bear? Oh, no, actually, it's not Fozzy afterall. It's Rowlf. Hi Rowlf. What's wrong. He points to the suitcase. I look in. Reach into it and produce a red heart balloon. Ahhhhhhh. POP! Ohhhhhhhhhh. What's that Rowlf? She broke your heart? Yeah, I know the feeling. Well.... want to console yourself with something to eat? (pull out the plate). Not hungry, eh? I know, it's the same old story. (pulls out the stick). World keeps spinning round and round (spin the plate), as you and I face the hearbreak over and over again. Rowlf starts playing his piano. Why do we put ourselves through it Rowlf? (We then head into the duo, "I hope that something better comes along".)

[Chance Marmalade]

LOL! Love your ideas guys! And I have wished Fozzy was a puppet a couple of times! I could adapt him a bit into being one. Though he is only about a foot and a half tall and his mouth is a bit small. It would be difficult to see from far away. But he is such a great Fozzy dressed completely in vaudeville style with a crooked top hat! On a side note I got him at a thrift store for 2 bucks!

[OkiDoki]

Lets give it a shot as well.
Come up with the suitcase put the case on the ground or table so its highest, with the bear snuggled in under my jacket. Tell the audience I brought a friend with me. Ask if they want to see him. Get him out of my jacket and introduce him. Want to put him on the suitcase to sit, but it refuses. A little struggle, ask the bear what's the problem, he says it's to high. Look at the hight of the suitcase myself being puzzled how to solve the problem and finally turn the case on the lower side. Repeat and turn the case so the lid is up. Put the bear on top and open the suitcase to get something out. The bear slowly slides of without me noticing searching in the suitcase (will the audience react?) Finnaly the bear falls of with a schreek and lays unconsious on the floor. I try to reanimate, when this wont work I open the suitcase desperatly looking for something that could work. Take the balloon blow it up and let the air out again (make it fart and look at the audience like who is farting) in the face of the bear. Try it again but now the balloon fly's away Take the plate and use it as fan harder and harder but it doesn't work. Take the keyboard that is bigger and use it as a fan. Take the whole suitcase to us as a fan. See the soda open it and try it by giving a zip to the bear, a bigger zip etc. to the point you empty the hole soda over the bear. Take the stick look puzzled at it with a face how can I use this to bring the bear back to consiuos. Pur carefully with the stick in the bear, coming to the conclusion he's dead and cry out loud. Take the piano and play a song often played by funerals. In holland it's the song "waarheen gaat de weg" for Amerika I don't know. When finished put everything back in the suitcase. Take the plate and balance it on the stick. The bear say's: " I bet you can't balance the on your chin. Balance the spinning plate on my chin and then realise the bear is alive again. Hug him put him back in my jacket and go happily ever after of.

[misspriss]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

One of the things I've heard that's great for developing clown material is taking a bunch of unrelated props and just improvising with them. So I thought I would list some props (that I have at hand) and offer them up to other clowns to come up with skits about. This would be an immense help to me for ideas but also a lot of fun!

So for this challenge you have:

A small suitcase
A stuffed Fawzy Bear dressed in a top hat and tails
A small casio keyboard
Plain red Balloon (inflated or not your choice)
Soda Can
and
Juggling Plate with Stick

Use all or one of these props for your own cyber improvisation!

This is an improvisation I did.

Arriving on stage I set all the objects down. I flipped open the suitcase and propped it up with the can. I placed the small keyboard towards the inside front of the suitcase (the suitcase is smaller than the keyboard so it rests along the suitcases ledge) and then sat Fawzy in front of it. Instant grand piano and player!

I turn on the casio and have it play something short and pre-recorded and begin spinning the plate on the stick. When the music stops I take up fawzy, get the plate spinning and balance it on his nose while I play the piano with my free hand.

I didn't use the balloon.

So this is sort of a fun clown puzzle, what would you do with these props!? And to keep the game going list several new props for us to improvise with!

I took a small case and on the outside labeled it - Case of the Grumpies. Kinda beat up this case is with band-aids stuck on.
I use this case in the beginning of my magic show as a warm -up. Some kids start out with smiles some don't . We don't want anything to ruin the magic show so maybe we better "shake off the grumpies" We all stand and shake and shake and shake. Then, upon finishing the shake, I say " Oh My Gosh, boys and girls, we were shaking so hard we shook off some grumpies and there right over there! (Directing to the adults.) Maybe if I open up my case of the grumpies we can catch them and they won't try to ruin the party. So all exagerated and everything finally the case is opened to reveal, all kinds of glued spiders, dark pom-poms with eyeballs, and bats on strings. Sounds scary but it's not, you can tell it's all fake. Been using for years, Can't stop, don't know how to stop. Someone help me put a new twist on the case of the grumpies!

The balloon is your Hilly blow dryer. Blow into the balloon, hold it closed with your fingers, then point at your hair. Repeat as necessary!

Put a little Yoda in a can. He is now your "Yoda Can"