Like I have mentioned before I have no performing arts background in anything. No dance, singing, playing a musical instrument, acting, mime, improv, stand up, poi, diablo, juggling, balloons, puppets, stilts, magic, fire eating, etc.
What is an aspiring clown to do? Well take some kind of acting class of course! This is like common knowledge clown advice.
So I did. I thought I save a few bucks by going to the community college and take a theater class. I told myself I would not chicken out like last time, and to actually stick with the class no matter how much I hated it.
It didn’t work out for me. I was more frustrated than anything. Although I did learn a bunch of fancy acting terms/jargon.
After I thought about it did my clown really need that much coaxing out? One day I was writing a story about my clown; nothing uncommon for me there I’m always writing about something. It made me realize that my clown character is as much alive on paper as she is through my development of her. Not that I wrote a predefined personalty and profile for her like age, birthplace, and other things. I realized that writing, acting and clowning are all a bit similar all 3 of these things need a huge vivid imagination. Like a clown a writer needs a writer’s mind and heart. Perhaps I have a writer heart and a clown heart and they beat together.
The one thing that appeals to me about developing a clown character is that when you are acting you are portraying a character somebody else thought up. The clown is an extension of yourself. It’s my own character that I came up with. She can do or be anything I dream up for her.
After being so frustrated with my theater class the only thing it did make me realize I have no other choice I have to go to Moosecamp. Now I’m going to have to scrimp and save every penny to go. Aside from hoping to win a sizable lottery jackpot.
I read something somebody wrote about clowning and they said that a clown can be one of 3 things; funny, skillful, or photogenic. Or a combination of them. I would hope I have the first skill listed or want to. I do understand that not everybody’s brand of humor is going to be liked or universal. I would love to be a photogenic clown! Since I’m not very photogenic in my pedestrian life. And since appearance is highly valued in the real and clown world I’m not gonna fight it too much anymore.