Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"Changing Clown Make Up..."

Here is a thing clowns go through every few years...the changing of your look.

I imagine all performers go through this, maybe not Cher, I don't know, I wouldn't want to do that many sit ups.

When I was in the circus I started as an all white face clown, yellow wig, white gloves. In fact the first thing to go, the white gloves, that was pure practicality, it was really hard to do much in slippery white gloves.

I was a white face clown because in my head, that's what a clown looked like. Not a giant realization, if you asked me to draw a tree, I would draw a tree trunk with a round head of leaves, with apples on it...tree. At that time, if I drew a clown it would be a clown with a white face.

I grew and developed. after about 6 or 7 years, I became a European looking clown, to what I look like now.

I still wear the same amount of make up, it's just the base is closer to my skin tone, giving my skin a smooth doll look. The make up is more naturalistic, emphasizing my facial movements. High cheekbones, so I rouge there, big eyebrows, I color them in nearly black. My eyes are a bit small, so I use mascara and a line underneath to make them bigger.

It's still grotesque (and that is not the common use-age, grotesque meaning exaggerated) but it has a more human quality.

I've been fighting for years the notion to go make up less. It's interesting, because the people I think about, talk about here have no make up or very little. Pee Wee Herman, Stephen Colbert.

It's a big transition for me. I like being a traditional clown, I like being recognized from across the room.

My persona is going in another direction. Not sure where but likely toward Ernest (you know, hey Vern! That guy). I'm sort of thinking a crazy high school or middle school teacher. Don't know, I've started talking with other performers, thinking out where I'm going to go. It's a process.

I'll keep my Boswick persona but in the future he's going to be for kid's parties. I'm switching to an all stage performer, that's the goal!

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