"Setting Up Your Room"

As clowns, we are expected to perform anywhere and everywhere. Beautiful stages with spotlights to the corner of a kitchen. From a 3 ring circus to a hospital room full of equipment.

With children, there can be no distractions behind you. Sizing up a room, I set myself up, back to a wall or fireplace, kids in front. In birthday party situations, I get put in front of buffets, tubs with drinks, b b q's, televisions playing the 49rs game, the front door.

Sometimes things are less than ideal, I get in bad spots but I just go with it, do my best. Otherwise, I take a bit of control, ask a nearby television to be turned off (men yelling about bad calls in a football games is not what I want near me), move a large chair, so I can get in the corner of a living room, ask folks that are eating that I need their spot.

You have to make these decisions in a split second, no talking yourself out of them. Asking someone that has a plate of food with their kids in their lap, is borderline rude but the bigger picture is making the show work.

There is an important psychological factor in play with lots of the things I try and set up. If I can put the audience in the more open section of a room, there is a feeling of freedom. If I were in that open section and a group of kids were squished against the wall, they get the feeling of being trapped. Literally their backs against the wall.

Room arrangement is one of the biggest factors why I have little problem with the frightened child. That feeling of freedom means the timid child can watch comfortably feeling they can leave if they need. The worst situation, a child that is not sure of you, squished with a bunch of other kids, no place to go. No win.

The timid child will join in rapidly when they have the freedom to watch for two or three minutes. Pretty soon, they are the volunteers in the show to the amazement of the parents.

Most people have the same set up of their house; fireplace, coffee table, couch. Move the coffee table out of the way, if possible, no kids on the couch. The coffee table puts a literal barier in the way. It's like a castle moat. It makes your job of relating to the kids very difficult. Either move the coffee table or have someone move the coffee table. People will do it or help you, they understand on a gut level what you are doing. Take a look at the "reading area" of a kindergarten or preschool, you will never ever find anything but an open area. The teacher with their back to a bookshelf or wall.

Kids on couches is unavoidable but can be a distraction. They will start crawling on the arms, the top, bouncing, fighting for the throw pillows. It's generally easier in my set up to get them on the floor, backs leaning on the couch. If they start crawling up the couch mid show, I'll get the kids wiggling and reseat them. (no one would know what I was doing here, it's usually wrapped in a joke about doing a 70s dance about shaking your bootie. After they've shaken their bootie, they sit back down on the floor)