Clowning With a Language Barrier...

Sherry:

Was just asked to go to Honduras to clown in April!!!.....its a little different venue....street ministry so I'm twisting up critters & trying out props on folks I work with (out of makeup) but they always recognize my clown when I do it.

I want to address a couple of things in Sherry's question.  

Remember props are not clowning.  What would you do if you forgot your balloon bag?  Or the airline lost your bag?  Could you still clown?

Your clown is a physical character.  You are being recognized out of make up as a clown because of your physicality, good for you.  Now that you recognize this, you have a lot of power, power to make people laugh.  

Balloons are the icing kids are coming to see you, not the balloon.  You are the one causing the laughter and joy.  

With non English speakers, trust your clown.  Clowns go beyond language.  Be bigger, with your clown, go further than you would in the US.  

What is a clown supposed to do?  What do you know about a balloon?

Let's brainstorm...Clowns are funny, silly.  Clowns fall down.  Clowns juggle.  Clowns are nice. Clowns are cute.  Clowns make you happy.  

What can you do with that?  Say hola, but shake someones' foot instead of hand.  Kiss grandmas hand in greeting making big kiss noise.  Put a whoopee cushion down on a chair and slowly sit on it.  Put your hand in your pocket, then realize it's stuck and try to get your hand out of your pocket.  

What do you know about balloons?  Everyone knows you blow them up.  They grow.  Balloons pop.  If you don't tie a balloon it flies around the room.  If a balloon touches something sharp it will pop.  

After you blow up the balloon, tie it wrong then chase the flying balloon around. Tie a balloon, then sit on it.  If you don't tie a balloon too full, it can take a lot of pressure.  Sit and roll off the balloon or have a child try and sit on a balloon.  Accidentally pop a balloon then cry big tears.  

Clowns play with assumptions.  A chair is for sitting, we fall off it.  Soup is for eating, we try and have soup and a clam squirts water at us.  A spotlight shows us onstage then gets smaller and smaller or makes us chase it.  We tie a balloon wrong then chase it.  

Learn a few Spanish words and use them incorrectly.  You will get lots of laughter calling your head a zapata and your feet cabesa.  

I'm jealous.  You are going to have a blast (pun).