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ALegacy them are very pleasant memories, while others are
quite the opposite. But from the unpleasant experi-
Luis Orlando Casiano Torres ences, one learns from them, and will help me grow
as a professional and most of all, as a human.
There are a lot of anecdotes that I will al-
ways remember like it was yesterday. Es-
pecially the conventions I participated in
different states in the United States,
as well as London, Scotland, Toronto
and Winnipeg, Canada, Malaysia,
and Thailand.
If there is any organization that I have South Port, England 1995
been very loyal to in 31 years of my life, it is
the World Clown Association (WCA). This is In this convention, the WCA
an organization that I love very dearly hired a Trip Agency that would
and it has been a family to me for all of
these years. oversee flight and hotel stays
during the convention. Sadly, this
Who would have thought that when I agency discriminated against me,
started as a clown in 1989 and participated just because I am Puerto Rican.
in the WCA in 1990, it would be something I used an interpreter to help the
which would inspire lots of future clowns. I communication, but they answered
acknowledge my winnings in the Classic White Face back in such an awful manner. They
category: 29 years winning first place, 1 year winning sent my flight details in my personal
second place, and 1 year winning third place. These email, and they were delivered a
triumphs are significant in my life and besides that, day before the flight was supposed
the admiration that I receive from my peers, during to happen. In addition to lack of
these moments is something that surprises me to responsibility, the agent charged me
this day. It is very wonderful to see how my fellow triple the amount of what the hotel
clown peers can show support towards one another, a would have cost. I thought since the money
feeling that has made me happy to be related to such went to the safe box of the WCA, I did not act upon the
an organization. fault. The WCA was then informed of my situation,
and they were sorry for what happened and then
My story begins in the time when I was a Latin established that each member of the organization
American Director during three separate occasions: would be responsible for their own flight details and
1997-2000, 2002-2004 and 2008-2012. In this position, their hotel reservations.
I was presented with an opportunity to promote
WCA as a guest in, not only my country Puerto Glasgow, Scotland 1999
Rico, but in Mexico, Dominican Republic and
in five consecutive years, Costa Rica. For this convention, I designed a classic
dress alluding Queen Elizabeth,
where I was naive to the
Additionally, the WCA gave conflicts between the English
me the opportunity to offer
workshops in conventions and Scottish. I thank God
such as: Make up and Cos-
tume of White Face, Clowning that I won, and my dress was
in Hospitals, How to do Comedy,
How to do Parades and How to praised, but I did not dare to
prepare yourself to compete in the
All-Around Clown. In all the years, put the dress back on during
participating in conventions, two of
those years were interrupted by all of the convention.
the COVID Pandemic.
Toronto, Canada 2000
In these 31 years, which is
In this competition, I remember,
a lot, there are different an- my dress was huge, and I had trouble
transporting it from the airport to the
ecdotes that I can tell. Most of hotel. A bus driver had offered to take my
dress to the hotel, since it did not fit in any
taxi. After the convention, we had to send it to the
military airport of Puerto Rico because it also did
not fit in any airplane.
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