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ized I needed to eat items that didn’t need to touch ent walking movement wearing clown shoes, would
my lips. I’d break granola bars with my hands, and affect the muscles and tendons in my hips specifi-
toss the smaller pieces into my
mouth, etc. I drank with a straw cally. Generally, when I clown, I do short
or poured my drink into my programs on
mouth without touching my stage or greet-
lips. ing while
standing in
5. Powder! I would powder my
make-up and NOT wet it down. the same lo-
Honestly, within 20 minutes, cation. On a
my natural oils (and sweat) weekend when
needed that little bit of extra I’m wearing
powder. Between shows, I those shoes for
would touch up my make-up twenty hours,
if needed and I would always my body react-
powder again! ed differently.
Now I know that
6. Our show I need to be phys-
schedule in- ically ready. I’ll start wearing
cluded two my clown shoes around the
shows on Fri- house a couple weeks before
day, three on this, next time, so my muscles
Saturday and will be better prepared.
two on Sun-
day. On Satur- 7. Conserve your energy. Re-
days, I would lax when you can… It’s an
be in make-up exciting exhilarating time
and costume for being with a circus show,
more than eight but they are long days and
hours. Though I want to give my final audience the
I have comfort- same type of energy as I give the first audience of the
able professional day.
clown shoes, I had
not considered the
fact that the extra weight of the shoe, plus the differ-

BONUS THOUGHTS

1. Stay out of the way of other performers.
2. Be predictable. Other artists need to be able to rely on you and not have to guess what you’re

going to do or where you’re going to be.
3. Never touch or move other performers gear without permission.
4. Keep your performance stuff close to the back entrance. A clown’s role is often to “fill in the

gaps” and you never know when you may be needed in the spur of a moment.
5. Clown for those that are there and want to laugh along. Don’t focus on the others.
6. Know the music cues so you know when to be in place.
7. Reset props and costuming immediately, not just before entering stage.
8. There’s more business than show to show business. It takes work before eventually getting to

the fun stuff.

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