Clown School

I have always loved clowns. They just make me happy and I love nothing more than dressing up and playing a character so when the opportunity came to attend a one week clown school program I decided to take on the challenge and sign up for it. I have always played dramatic characters but comedy was something new to me.

I was really nervous when I started out. I tend to be a very shy person so putting myself out there and not being afraid to look dumb took a lot of courage. I know I am funny with words but being funny in actions alone was a new feat entirely. Being a clown is more than just putting on silly makeup and jiggling; it involves a lot of physical movement, perfectly timed actions, and using action and reaction in improvisation. It was actually a lot harder than it looks! I am usually really good at using sarcasm but I had to learn how to portray it in just my actions.

There was a definite learning curve but the instructors were great at helping us all learn. We started each day with warm ups to stretch our bodies and then played games that worked on our teamwork and quick thinking skills. Each day we learned new techniques and gags to strengthen our range of clown knowledge. What challenged me most was how integral it was to rely on instinct rather than knowledge. In everyday life I am much more of a logical thinker but once my instructor talked it over with me I realized that is what makes clowning so funny. Going with your instincts and not taking things literally is what makes audiences laugh! For example, if a giant rock hits a cartoon, he doesn’t get broken bones, he flattens like an accordion and makes an accordion sound as he walks away. After realizing this, I was able to start relying on whatever came to my mind first instead of trying to think through everything. I became a lot more comfortable after that and that is when I really started to shine through in our clown classes. I was able to let loose and that’s when I started to get a lot of laughs in return for my actions.

I also learned that clowning involves a lot of teamwork. When clowning in a group you always have to give your partners something to work with to make them look good. It is all about action and reaction so when each person contributes, the scenes really flow and that is when we were the funniest.

I loved my clown school experience because we were given the freedom to come up with our own scenarios and test them out in front of our class. This helped me really let my imagination flow and come up with some good material. My favorite thing we learned was how to juggle scarves and how to balance sticks on different body parts. They were super fun skills to learn and they taught me how to remain clam, stay focused, and to really be in the moment.

My love for clowns has only grown through this class and I think I have discovered my niche! It makes me feel comfortable in my own skin and getting to let go is a great feeling. The best part of the whole class though was being able to do it with my friends and one of my Zeta sisters. We got to learn together, play off each others ideas, and support each other and that is what made it worthwhile.

Alex Zepeda, PC Spring ‘13