Tuesday, November 16, 2010

"Staying In Character"

On occassion I see a clown in a car speeding down the freeway. It's a pretty funny site.

When I was starting out at Clown College, we had it beaten into our heads we were never to appear without our full costume, wigs, hats, gloves in public. It's not always practical in the world outside the circus but I think the notion is really important.

Basically, I try as much as possible to keep smiling, even when I'm driving. It's just a practice, being aware when I leave my house, I'm being looked at, even if no one is "looking". I live in San Francisco and have to park on the street, so there are always cars coming down my street, people coming and going from their houses, people walking dogs, shopping, they don't "look" at me but I put on my smile and stay in character.

The notion that because no one is "looking" at you you don't have to put on a show, is wildly false. I can promise you, if you are driving down the freeway, going to your car, getting your show supplies out of your car for your show, getting gas, going through a drive through; You will be talked about a few minutes later..."Guess what I just saw...a clown! Driving a car!"

My friend Jay was promoting a magic show, this is way back. He was the guest on a wake up Bay Area Show. They would do news, then cut back to the on location reporter who would talk to Jay and he would do a magic trick. Sometimes they just cut back and the reporter would say, "We're here with Magician Jay Alexander, who's doing his show at the On Broadway Friday night...the current time is 7:04 and it's 63 degrees downtown" A bunch of us were in the background and we'd make noise.

So, I was dressed in my juggling outfit, not as a clown. Lime green high wasted pants, suspenders, a bright yellow hat, a bright red shirt, a bright blue tie. Like a rainbow threw up.

I had parked and was walking to the place they were shooting, I think we all met at 6:30 in the morning. Not a lot of people going to work yet. My wife called me later saying, someone was going to work and they saw this guy in lime green pants and they couldn't believe it... She said, I think I know who that was. People may not say hello but they see you. They really do.

Now dealing with children. Start your show 30 seconds before you drive up. Do your clown walk to the trunk of your car. If I see kids, I will start dropping things, bam the kids are laughing already, they are pre warmed up. Imagine that, I don't have to spend the first couple of minutes showing them I can be approached.

Plus it's just fun to make someone's day. "There was a clown on highway 280...."

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