Become a Circus Clown
Being a circus clown can be a great career. Most of the time you can go to school to learn more than you need to know about the circus. While at these schools, you are learning to "entertain" and it is not done by theatrical drama classes. You must take classes for children, if a clown is what you wish to produce out of a job after you complete your courses.
Steps
- Note that most circuses do not recommend you use college or acting schools as a path to working in a circus. Talent is what counts. School came into the picture to create a better image for the circus life. The circus is built up of talent and skill, guts and glory.
- Find a circus that is local, or near you. Sometimes, if you're in good, you alone will impress them. School may not be necessary, unless you believe in yourself you cannot perfect a certain act you have been wishing to perfect, school may be a good idea.
- Check the internet. It never hurts to keep checking over the internet. Look and find the advantages and disadvantages of different circuses, share a web log, people may come and go and tell about their personal experiences, which can only benefit you. If you visit circuses often, speak with the performers as much as possible, get knowledge. That is the best place to start.
- Look at other circus clowns and comedians for inspiration. Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, the Marx Bros and Charlie Chaplin all have the personalities of clowns.
- Choose a type. In the circus, clowns will generally act in groups or function in threesomes or more, you choose your role as either a white-face clown (the "top banana") or the august clown which is also the red clown, or the character clown, which is portrayed as the hobo clown or tramp, getting the short end of the stick. Character clowns have personalities all their own, Auguste clowns are goof balls who are constantly doing dumb things, and the white-face clown is the Grand Poobah, the leader if you will, and his acts lead off on to the august and character clowns.
Tips
- Go Shopping. Buy more stuff. Forget the sale rack and go for it. School may be an option, but it is not a must, not for the circus. After all, circuses are traditional, and nobody who worked in the circus had some fancy degree in talent. You cannot buy talent or skill.
Warnings
- You have to watch out when wearing those hilarious long shoes with the bulbous toes. You can really hurt yourself if you don't know what you're doing.
Things You'll Need
- Circus to learn from
- DVDs of clowns, comedians
- Skits to practice
- Clown equipment
- Tricks
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