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Live And Learn And Clown

Becoming More
Professional

For many years, for Ringling Brothers

people tended to make a B&B (and so much more!)

separation between an talk about the respect we

amateur or hobby clown need to have for our craft,

and a professional clown for our audience, and for

according to whether ourselves as clowns. We

they earned their living need to be focusing on

from their entertaining. If what we can do currently

they earned their income and constantly looking

as a clown fulltime, then for ways to improve our

they were considered clown skills a step at a

professional where time. When you say “I

someone who used their can’t do balloons” or “I’m

clown skills for nursing not good at performing

home visits or to do shows skits”, you are doing a

with their local clown disservice to the art of

alley was not considered Janet “Jelly Bean” Tucker clowning by broadcasting
as professional but more your limitations. Instead

like a hobby clown. We had the additional defining say “I’m learning to do

terms “caring clown” or “ministry clown” or “circus balloons” or “My goal is to learn more about stage

clown” to denote levels of professionalism, but presence and skits”. That says that you respect

everyone’s recent experience with the economic the skills and variety of arts that make a better

shutdown of the pandemic put a new light on all of entertainer, and you have a goal to become better in
the entertainment arts. Many clowns entertaining on some area. It doesn’t mean that you will be a great
a full-time basis found themselves totally out of work award-winning balloon artist, but it recognizes that
and had to get other jobs to make financial ends meet. the skills of ballooning are seen by the general public
Hospitals and nursing home clowns had no venues, as entertainment from a clown.

but then, neither did circus clowns as group events A professional develops a good relationship with
were canceled. Many people in the entertainment arts his audience. I remember seeing Roy Brown, the

found new ways to bring smiles and earn funds, such famous Cooky the Clown from Bozo’s Circus, the
as yard art balloon sculptures for special occasions. weekend he was inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame

Some took advantage of newer technology to do online in Wisconsin. He was quite elderly by then and no

programming. longer appearing on TV, and he drove up to the hall

Now that the economy is beginning to open up, it’s in the back seat of a car with an oxygen tank beside
a good time to look at the definition of “professional him and looking very old and frail. Then he stepped
clown”. Professionalism is a matter of attitude and out of the car and several children ran up and said
focus and passion and education. A professional takes “Cooky”. He came to life, literally dropped years off
the art and craft of clowning very seriously and tries his age, smiled and hugged the children and instantly
to learn more about entertaining in order to improve transformed into the entertainer we all knew and
his skill level as a clown. Many clowns during the loved. He later was asked if he was tired signing
pandemic took advantage of time to learn a new skill autographs, and his reply was that he would never be
or make a new character or upgrade their wardrobe too tired to appreciate his audience.

for when the opportunities again came to entertain. A professional clown has learned that every

I once heard Steve “T. J. Tatters” Smith, instructor audience is made up of individuals and is different.

14 MAGAZINE