Doing More With The Balloon...

I was doing a gig the other day I saw a ferry princess do a bunch of comedy with a balloon. 

It's Christmas time so she was calling her balloon a reindeer.  It wasn't that great a balloon but I was very impressed with the comedy she was doing.  

Go back to the basics of the balloon.  Why is it so magical?  

  -people don't see them very often

  -they are brightly colored

  -they are long and skinny, this is just strange looking. 

  -a balloon goes quickly from a long skinny balloon to a dog nearly instantly.  That's magic

  -they stretch really far

  -they pop

  -if you don't tie them they fly all around the room

  -if you throw them they sort of float

When you are making kids laugh it's often imagination.  What I liked about the Ferry Princess, she took a balloon and called it a reindeer by taking out her pump and laying it across the nozzle like the balloon were the ears of the reindeer.  I was very impressed. 

Here is a little hint with improv.  What the Ferry Princess did, she told the kid what she was going to be makign up front.  This allows so much more.  I'm making a reindeer...

  -oh sorry it's still an egg (if you roll up the balloon a little) it's funny because it makes you think about an egg... a mammal. It reveals the balloon. 

  -blow up the balloon let it fly.  "I guess it heard Santa call and went flying that way"

  -snap it as you stretch.  "That's Santa telling the reindeer to hurry Christmas is here"  or Ouch it thinks I'm stealing presents..."

- make the farting noise. "Excuse me, eggnog does that to me"

-get the balloon stuck on your finger.  "It's biting, it's biting"  or "it thinks my finger is a carrot, get it off get it off"  

Jokes work within your character.  Fart jokes work for me because of the type of character I am, if you are a gentle character you can try and talk to the balloon and tell the balloon to be nice to the children.  If you're silly, there are many ways of accidentally

letting the balloon fly around the room. It's funny if it takes you by surprise. 

Let me know if you need to brainstorm.  

It Takes Chutzpah to Be A Clown!

I got a call from a fellah that wanted to do a surprise at his restaurant for one of his bartender's birthdays.

These calls come in from time to time, someone has a "fear" of clowns (see nearly every other post on here to see how I feel about that).  They think it will be funny to scare a co-worker.

I tried to pawn it off on some other performers. I wasn't available the time he needed.  One guy, I've been taking classes with didn't want to do it, which surprised me, I'm a say "yes" to everything guy.  Always shocks me when people turn stuff down.  I wasn't available for the time he wanted.  The idea of saying no, baffles me.

I asked another person, who thought it was a hoot but she had a teaching conflict.  That's my kind of clown.

This guy...we'll call him Ben...because that's his name.  Was adamant.  He wanted me, he was emailing and calling.

He rearranged the schedule to have me do the gag on Monday late afternoon.

You're asking ...The gag?

Go into a bar, as a traditional clown. order a drink, don't interact much with the bartender, just you had a really bad bad day.

I agreed and spent that day with a nervous stomach.  I'm always nervous...

I went in as angry clown.  I brought a clown nose my dog had gotten to.  It was a little chewed up around the edges and the string was broken.  I knew I could use it blaming the kids

I said, "I know this looks weird but this is the worst day of my life, I want a Jameson."  while she's pouring, I say, "let me have a beer too."

She was so nice.  She kept asking is everything ok.  I let out little bits of how tired I am of trying to take care of spoiled kids.  I've wasted my life.  I'm moving to Portland, where it's cheaper to live.  (that's what people always say in San Francisco).  She said she had taught preschool. (I told you she was nice)

I sipped my whiskey, I took balloon animals out of my pocket and broke them one at a time.  I took my business card and tore them up.

A slow burn.  She wanted a balloon animal, I gave her one.  saying, "I promise this is the last balloon I'm ever making. "

I made fun of the dishwasher, I made fun of the other people at the bar.  I was a dick.  I called the dishwasher a hobbit because he was short.

Then I walked out without paying.  (this is what the owner wanted).  But she didn't chase me.  Damn. I was standing outside the restaurant, waiting for her to chase me.

I walked back in, she was so nice.  "Do you want another?  Here's the bill."  I said, "you're going to make me pay after the day, I've had?"  She didn't know what to do.  I said, "do I have to tip too?  I gave you a balloon."  She said.  "you don't have to tip"

I handed her a $20 bill that had something written from the owner.  She said "oh my God!"  everyone poured out from the kitchen, laughing.  It was like a TV show.  It was great.

The best part for me.  She asked if I really worked with kids?

And that's clowning.  It's pointing out absurdity and going with it.

Clowns are extreme versions of ourselves.  This is the best example of that.  Extreme versions are absurd.

Yes, I was nervous and the thought of drinking whiskey while in make up is against what I do (generally).  But it worked.

It was a gag but I felt like an artist.

Pacing...

Question from Mariposa Blessings.

She wrote about long hours of face painting and how to keep yourself healthy.

I'll have to start with my answer, I don't think there's an answer.

The problem is us.  Me, you, all of us.  We are not capable of knowing our limits.  Someone says, 5 hours of strolling magic/balloons/juggling/face painting/games, we say yes.  They say, oh, can you work an extra two hours.   We say yes.

I have a poverty mentality, I am so not sure where my next paycheck is coming from, I'll say yes to anything.  That's not a bad thing.  I've ended up in crazy situations because I am willing to do anything, anywhere, for any price.  That's how I ended up in the Philippines and on commercials.  I just do.

Here's the reality though.  It's really hard on my body.

If you are willing to hear advice this goes to me as well.  Pace yourself.  If you are hired for 6 hours, take breaks.  When you entertain, your brain is working at 6x speed.  Take 10 minutes an hour to get a snack.  Don't look at your phone during the break. Water not sugar drinks.

If you take a long job, divide it up.  I doubt a client will go for this but you should only work in 3 hour sessions.  After years of doing this, I think 3 is max.  You can be funny energetic and make everyone happy in three hours.  After that  you get a dull look on your face.  A plastered smile.

The rest is just talking to the air.  Eat well, go the gym, get lots of rest.  Like any of us are going to do that.

I know I won't follow any of these words, I'm just too scared of not getting work.

I do a full body costume character for a company.  They fly me around to do it.  It's very flattering to be the guy they trust.  I am at a convention in two weeks.  I end up doing 14 hour stretches for three days in the fur. It's completely stupid.  But I'm good at it and it's a bunch of money.

My best advice, just pace yourself.  Take breaks, don't drink soda, when you feel your smile is fake.  Take a break.

Teaching Clowns to Clown

I find teaching clowning incredibly scary.  Performing is my safety area, it's where I'm comfortable.

When I teach, I have to be very present, pay lots of attention and gently coach or push people to find character or to find comedy within themselves.

It's easy to say the wrong thing, to shut someone down, to hurt them. I never want that I want them to find character, movement and find comedy.

I am going to be teaching clowning at SOTA. That's School of the Arts.  It's a performing arts high school in San Francisco, like the high school Fame in New York.  I've subbed there a number of times for my old clown partner Brady.  Brady is moving into another teaching position at the school and got me the job as the next heir apparent.

The students spend about 3 or 4 hours every day working on performing.  They do Shakespeare and scene study and movement and dance and monologues and African Haitian dance and improvisation and clowning.

There are some downsides to teaching in a place like this.  You get interrupted a lot.  It is a high school, so someone always has to go to the bathroom or a note is coming in because someone left their backpack somewhere and it's in the office.  Or there's a dentist appointment.

The classes are too short.  I think they are 50 minutes.  They come in really worked up, so it takes a while to start class.  The classes are a bit large for what I do as well.  Ideally, I'd have 12.  6 groups of 2, 4 groups of 3.  I have no control over such things.

On the other hand, to be able to work on clowning is so cool.  To use your body as communication, to make people laugh with a look.  To teach someone a proper slap and fall and watch the execute it.  Just nifty.

Internally, I don't think very highly of my own skills.  In fact, I'm in constant fear of being found out as the fraud I know myself to be.  When I demonstrate in classes, I get ooos and aaahs of "you're so good".  It's weird because I mostly feel like anyone at all can do what I do.

Administration sucks with a capital SUCKS at this school.  I'm not good with authority, I will sabotage every time if left to my own devices.   I can tell they just posture.  So, I'll turn in my lesson plans and do what the students need most, that will likely take us off my lesson plan.  They pay little attention to our class so we'll be fine.

By happenstance, I've been invited to teach at a local clown club tomorow.  That's fun as well.  They will be a lot harder to teach.  Adults, especially in a clown club have preconceived notions of clowns.  Lots of cute stuff that has very little to do with clowning.

But I'm nervous and excited about this as well.  The times I've worked with clown clubs, I'm surprised at how little they know of the greats of the history.  I bring up my hero Bill Irwin, I get blank stares.  We'll have fun.  I like to create clowns inside out, so it will be neat to see how they do.

Now, if only this stuff paid a little better....

Mimes Are Awesome...

I am unapologetic about how much I love mimes.

Mimes got a bad rap a few years ago.  I'm not sure why.  How often do you actually see a mime?  I study mime, love mime and I only see a mime every couple of years.

Every once and a while I get hired as a strolling mime.  I get so nervous.  I get nervous about my skill level, will people try and hurt me, do people really hate mimes.  Will they hate me?

I did a fancy cocktail party a few days ago. Just so fun.

Mime is such a pretty character.  It's also non-threatening.  It's a quiet character and people just want to hug you and take pictures.  It's fun with the silence to make people laugh.

I've studied mime.  Not for years but I love the classes when I get to do them.  It compliments my art form hugely.  Mime is just the pure study of the body on stage.  Incredibly geeky.  It's not about the rope and box.  Mime is about the space you take when you are on stage.  This applies to actors, clowns, musicians, stand up comedians.  Any body on a stage.

When I go out as a mime, I get really nervous because I won't have all my verbal stuff available to me.  I really don't need it.  I am just a funny guy.  I have a lot of gags available to me.  I have facial expressions, I have body mechanics.  I'm also good at make-up.  My costumes look good and I'm just cute.

It's a challenge but a good one.

For cocktail parties it's just a wonderful character roaming around making people smile.  More corporate events should have a mime while people are mingling.

Camera...what camera?

A camera catches a moment.  As a clown, I think of the camera catching one frame of a comic strip. A clown is a comic character, so any frame should be a little funny.

There is always a camera trained on you, whether you know it or not.  I use the word camera metaphorically.  I hate seeing any costume character, balloon maker, Elmo, Santa thinking no one is looking standing around looking dull.  They might as well be picking their nose for how pedestrian they look.

When you are in costume it's so obvious when you drop character. In regular clothes, who cares. When you are a clown stay in a pose, whether there is a camera on you or not.  Someone is always watching.

Just assume there is.

Because, I'm watching, I always am.  If I'm at an event and I'm not working, I watch the performers and I notice.  So does everyone else.  From across the room people see you.

As Santa, there are times no one is in line or sitting on my lap.  When no one is around.  I sit high on my chair and wave to kids walking by.   If I'm making balloons and no one is around, I make balloons for no one and keep myself busy and in character.  From a distance it's fun to watch.

Being a children's entertainer is tiring work.  It's very hard to stay in character, it takes a lot of energy but that's what you signed up for.  You can relax when you get home.

In the meantime, there is an iphone about to snap a picture of you and you don't even know it.  So pose.

Recreating the Clown...

I would apologize for not posting in um...eight months but you've got two hundred other posts to read!

It's been a long time since I recreated my character.  I'm way over due.  I haven't done it, because I'm comfortable and it costs a lot of money to buy new costumes.

When I first thought of being a clown, I loved the baggy pants Bill Irwin type clown.  Then I went to Clown College and became a pretty traditional white face clown.  While I did the white face, I messed around with Auguste and the baggy pants guy.

I went to a character clown.  It was a bit sloppy for me.  I like very clean looking clowns.

then to my current look.  I have jodpur pants (riding pants), tuxedo style shirt and a tuxedo jacket without sleeves.  A vest with scalloped tails.  And a top hat.

I've done this look for at least 15 years.  For the  past few years I've been getting tired.

For the past 6 months I was a character on the vaudeville stage of a replica Speakeasy here in San Francisco.  I created a fast talking comedy magician.  The baggy pants vaudevillian I've been fascinated with for years.

What's so much easier this time, the internet.  The last time I changed I worked with a costumer, designs, shopping for fabric.  I'm not great at all this.  But I worked it and spent a fortune but I have a unique look.

I've spent so much time looking at old vaudeville and burlesque clips lately that I'm going that direction.

My costuming starts with the hat.  I've been thinking a lot about the bowler.  I like the bowler it's just silly.  I can also do a lot more hat tricks out of the gate with this hat than I can with the top hat.  It's shorter so it rolls down my arm better.  I'm debating the color.

I've found a lot of nice clothes online in the style of the late 1800s.  I'm matching things up.  I like the look and I like that I can buy off the rack and create a unique look.

I'm going to transition into the shows that I love, the large shows.  The schools, the stages, the libraries.  I'm learning some new material, especially hat manipulation.

Did I mention no make up?  No nose?  I've given in.  I'm always a clown but the world has spoken, I need to lose the clown nose so I can grab more gigs.

Easy Easy Juggling....

There is an expectations about clowns.  Juggling, silly, fall down, play with balloons, sad, happy, don't talk, talk in a squeaky voice, are only men, are fat, are skinny, etc.  You can name a bunch, the clown is an iconic character.  People know a lot about clowns without thinking about it. 

People expect juggling of clowns.  You don't have to but if enough people mention it or request it.  My thought, give it to them.  You don't have to be a great juggler to juggle.  

I started clowning with the skill of juggling.  I get as much applause and laughter from my scarf juggling as my fancy club juggling.  

The downside of scarf juggling...can't do it outdoors.  Oh well.  

Scarves are tactile.  Children like the feel of them.  Juggling scarves come in neon colors. I have have  two boys help me, in this routine.  I take a green, I give one boy an orange scarf, then pull out the next boys favorite color...PINK!   It's fun and gets a good laugh, if you choose the right child.  Usually a 6 year old boy. 

The kids throw a scarf in the air, catch it and pose.  I show them, then make a big deal about how to pose, correcting them again and again.  We do the same gag with the colors for two scarves (I take green, one orange and their favorite...pink!).  I have the boys throw them up, catch them, spin, dance like ballerinas and pose.  They are now jugglers with two.  I call them jugglers, so they are to the audience.   

When I get to three.  I say, "I'll show you how easy it is".  Then I throw up scarves and just try to keep them in the air, one at a time.  The kids laugh, it's super clowny and it's certainly juggling.  You can do juggling patterns but the wider, the more you have to run, the better and funnier. 

I get behind the children with their scarves, they throw theirs up with mine and we try to keep them in the air.  I have extras in my pockets, that I can throw up.  It's very visual and looks like the children are in a washing machine.  

Ta da a juggling routine.  And you can honestly say you have juggling in your show.  

Now that you're an expert with scarf juggling here are other things to play with.  If you throw a scarf straight up, you can blow it up in the air.  You could do a scarf juggling routine to music with every pink one floating up, ending with it landing on your face like a bride's vail.  

You can trail a scarf on the ground like a snake, then when it flies up, it scares you.  If you hold the scarf 2/3 from the top you can make it look around at you and the crowd. 

You could end the scarf routine by catching the scarves in a change bag.  reach in and find them all tied together when you reach into the bag.  Or you catch 3 in the change bag after juggling, reach in and pull out scarf after scarf after scarf, they are very light so you could probably easily pull out 15.  

I used to do a recycling routine in my show with those awful plastic shopping bags from my house.  Plastic grocery bags float the same as scarves.  I tried to keep as many as I could in the air, but I couldn't.  Just like the planet I couldn't handle too much garbage.  Easy message for children.  And I was able to use the thousand grocery bags from my cupboard at home.  

Need ideas?  Ask in comments below.  

Please Give Give Give

I found this project really interesting.

The nice thing about the internet, you can archive specialized arts.  I know of some of the people that are interviewed here but not well.  I am inspired by other people's work.

Here's a cool project.  I just gave.  I encourage you to give so they can make more videos.

Click here!

Click to give

Should I wear Clown Gloves?

Sherry Wrote:

I have run across some clowns who say that gloves are essential & to cover as much of your arms, hands, basically skin, etc. to make ur appearance look more animated or cartoony....
What's your take on this?

This is the "what is a clown?" question.  

Sherry told me some time ago, some kids called her a clown and she was dressed just like her own beautiful self.  She was very excited

So, you're already a clown.  

How do you want to present yourself?

I can't wear gloves because I'm a juggler and I do a lot of magic.  It's tough to juggle with gloves on unless I put grips of some sort on them. Which seems silly.  

On the other hand, I would never ever let children see me without gloves as Santa.  Do you believe your clown character is a magic character that lives in the circus and eats cotton candy every afternoon? 

Or, like me, is your clown an extension of your own person, a reflection of the world?

How far do you want to take your character?  

I'm a working clown.  I have to cut corners, wigs and gloves don't work for me because they are in the way.  

Some places I don't cut corners.  I keep my own hair weirdly long and wiry.  If I weren't a clown, I'd probably cut my hair very short, to lessen the look of my balding.  I don't ever wear short sleeves because I have hairy arms and that doesn't work for me.  I wear full base make up at all times, it would be easier to wear less and none on my neck for sure.  

I love the look of a full clown.  I'm a Ringling Clown after all.  In the circus, we never wore gloves unless it was for publicity.  

If your primary work is parades, make up competitions, then you should go all the way.  My first clown mentor, (who was cut 

Children's parties, events making balloons.  I would skip gloves.  For photos, wear gloves.  

People make a lot of "rules" about clowning.  My opinion...be the best clown you can, sometimes you have to give up looks for laughter.  I go with laughter 10 out of 10 times.  

What Clown Shoes To Buy...

 What I would like to know is what to consider when buying real leather clown shoes & why it might pay to invest in them instead of the plastic throwaways that are just used for party costumes. Would you mind talking about walking around in shoes that are at least 3-4" longer than regular shoes, paradeability & long charity hours, if weather or style has any effect, pros/cons. 

I'm happy Sherry is asking questions.  She makes doing this blog so much easier!  

Here's the thing about professional handmade clown shoes, they are very comfortable.  Clown shoes are made by professional shoe makers, it's a very old fashioned skill and it takes years to learn.  

When you order a clown shoe, you make choices on colors and styles.  It's pretty cool, every clown shoe is unique, it's made for you.  

I work a lot and replace my shoes about every 5 years, that's a lot of wear.  I stand all day in them, I walk in them...I can't drive with them on or State Farm wouldn't cover me...After a long day, my feet hurt more than tennis shoes but way less than dress shoes I'd wear to a wedding. 

Clown shoes are one the most important investments you will make; when the package arrives, it will make you so happy.  

Every time someone says "look at the clown's shoes"  it will make you happy, you will feel like "a real clown"  

The shoes I'm wearing now are from Spears.  I am very happy with the quality and how well they are holding up. I happily endorse them.  

My clown shoes were about $300.  A big investment but the only thing I have to worry about is keeping them polished, they are great shoes.  Every few years, I have to get new soles.  (I take them to church for that).  

There are other shoe makers that are very good.  You can ask around, this is my experience. http://www.spearshoes.com/

(This photo was taken by a librarian in Monterey, California.  It says it all!)

You can get clown shoes on Ebay that are good but they are not custom made.  But they are very decent shoes.  The quality is good, they are just made in generic sizes, s, m, l.  They are around $100 or less.  I've seen them and thought they were very good.  if that's your budget, these shoes do very well although not as comfortable.  You will need a shoe insert.  

If you have foot problems, let the shoe maker know.  This is their job, they can make the shoes more comfortable for you.  

The pros.... You get to be a real clown, have shoes you're proud of, shoes custom designed for your character, comfortable, long wearing, something that makes you "stand" out. 

Cons... A lot of money. 

I have no question.  Go for it, this will be the best present you can buy yourself. 

Types of Make-Up

Sherry Wrote:

Hi Boswick! What can u advise about make-up? How can u keep it from cracking out around the mouth & eyes? I'm talking about theatrical grease based make-up that requires powder to set. Is there better types of makeup that wears as well as grease makeup? I have an Auguste clown & soon a lite Auguste character clown...wanna write about the difference btwn the two? It would probably help in my developing one from the other....Thx!!


I've used a lot of make-up in my life.  I've been in make-up nearly half the days of my adult life.  

When my older son was young and my wife was getting ready for work one day, he said "what are you doing?  women don't wear make-up".  

I don't use water based make up.  I was trained with grease paint.  The few times I've tried water based make up, I just sweat it off.  

Make-up brands are a personal choice.  I use Krylon.  Not for a strong reason but the Krylon company happens to be headquartered in San Francisco, so I just run into the store for supplies.  

I don't like the clown white that Krylon makes, too thin for my taste.  I like the Mehron. It's the consistency of cream cheese, very thick but that's what I like.  I don't use clown white much anymore. 

I'm not a water based make up fan.  I like the richer look of the oil based make ups.  I can also splash water on my make up, after powdering to make it shine.  It lasts all day.  It's tougher to take off but that doesn't bother me that much.  I use the special stuff from Krylon that makes the oil based make up water soluble, then I wash it off in the shower.  I used to just use baby oil and wash it with baby shampoo.  

The cracking around your eyes probably comes from a skin reaction to the brand you are using.  I would first try switching brands.  

The light Auguste is using a light make up as a base. You don't have to wear the orange or pinkish base as an Auguste clown.  You can wear a base make up close to your skin tone.  

I like the smoothness of this look.  I hate it when I see men not wear a base, it just looks half done and sloppy to me.  I don't want to see the shaving area.  Even if you do a tramp, I think it should be covered and added in as a stylized look.  I think women should also wear a base.  Women's faces have a smoother skin tone but still, it's a nicer style to have the whole look even.  

I think using the skin tone closer to your own natural skin is a gentler clown.  I think it's a little nicer for the children to come close to you.  The more orange base looks stronger from a distance but is not as soft up close.  

Clown make-up is very personal.  Clown make-up is not about hiding, it's about emphasizing features.  

Ho ho ho, being Santa...

Being Santa, is peforming, performer lite.  

I have seen far too many bad Santas. Not as in the movie but just bad performers as Santa.  And it's just so easy.  

Santa is like playing Monopoly. Basically the game was written many years ago.  Everyone knows the rules.  

Stay in character.  This is such a duh.  People will try and try to make comments to draw you out.  Respond with a big ho ho ho.  If someone says, boy you must be hot in there, respond with a big ho ho ho, I'm used to much colder weather in the North Pole.  

So easy.  

Walk like Santa. If you must run, how would a really old fat man run, probably very slowly.  Don't walk like yourself.  Walk slowly, Santa is in no rush, except Christmas Eve, he always  has time for everyone, that means moving very slowly and being open to hugs everywhere you go.  

Asking children what they want?  Easy.  Just listen.  Kids want legos, dolls, trucks, stuffed animals.  Easy to make those promises.  Parents and Grandparents always know.  

If they ask for an ipad, a puppy, a kitten.  I say, elves use hammers to make things, the elves keep breaking the screens, how about something else?  A puppy?  Elves can't make living things, they can only make toys and clothes.  You can throw in God but I don't see a need, it just complicates things, just an explanation and a what else would you like?

Just follow the simple Santa logic.  It's all there for you.  

There's no wonder so many people play Santa, it's like doing stand up comedy for your company.  All the inside jokes are done, you can just do the punchlines and get a laugh.  Santa is a big shortcut as a performer.  But bad Santas forget the basics.  Say yes, stay in character, maintain your physicality.  

If you want to play Santa, just use all the shortcuts.  Where are the reindeer?  Why they're on the roof, but very shy, you might not see them but you can hear them.  What kind of cookie do you like?  I like a good oatmeal cookie with raisins.  Just have an answer ready.  

You have a finite number of questions and you can repeat the same answers over and over with a ho ho ho.  People say the same things.  

And smile, even though it's hard to see under the beard smile.  You can see it in the eyes.  Santa is a physical character.  Smiling changes your physical presence. 

Crying kids, yup.  Have the mom hold them and take a family picture.  

Drunk people.  Yup, take a picture and act like they are kids.  You love everyone, even the ones that smell like a brewery.  

Santa is a big happy character.  It will backfire if you get negative (you're never tired, you always love children, you love Mrs. Claus, you are never distracted by flirty women).  

Stay positive.  Say yes, say yes, say yes.  Would you take a picture? yes.  Will you bring me a doll? yes.  I would like a Porche.  What color?  

Have fun.  Ho ho ho.  

Putting Together Your Show...

When I first started way back, before the cell phone and the internet...

I went to the library and looked for magic books, clown books, children's performing books.  I was looking for books on how to structure a show.  I didn't find any, I went through trial and error.  I work on this blog, as a gift to someone starting out now.

If you're putting together a show, I'll address some basics in this post.  Hopefully this will bring up questions for you.  Feel free to ask me any and all questions.

First off, go see shows.  In the back of your mind, while your watching, observe, enjoy the show your watching, but observe.

Go see a play, go see a magic show at the library, go see the circus.

All shows, grab an audience to start.  Come in with a bang.  If you're a tramp clown and move slowly, a bang might be 6 minutes of finding a chair to sit down.  A bang is attention getter. All shows also end with a bang.

Again, a bang might be sad or shocking as in death of a salesman but there is a real ending.  A magician produces a tiger, then says thank you for coming and takes a bow.  Those are your bookends to the show.

Do some sort of audience warm up.  In stand up comedy, this is "how's everyone doing tonight?"  In the theatre the lights go dark, the curtain opens.  In children's shows, you might have the children clap as loud as they can.

The warm up is just establishing who your character is and establishing expectations.  When the comedian says, "how's everyone doing tonight?"  it says, hello to the audience.  it says, I'm a different comedian than the guy that was out here a second ago, it also says, this is who I am.

If you're a bumbling clown, bumble. If you're a slow moving clown, slowly sit in a chair.  If you are a slap and fall clown, try and sit on a chair and miss. Get your story written.  We humans can write a whole story about someone in the blink of an eye.  We see Santa and have a long narrative about elves and presents, fireplaces, Santa in Hawaii December 26th etc etc.  A clown can have that same story just by coming in and falling off a chair.

If you do birthday party clowning, you probably want to do magic.  Spend some time just staring at the magic trick you like.  Let it wash over you.  If it's the coloring book, just be a child with a new coloring book.  How would that make you feel?  Excited?  Let that emotion guide the magic approach.

What words come to you?  "I got a new coloring book today"  or "wanna see what I got for my birthday?"  My opinion, say what's there.  A coloring book is a very familiar item to a child, acknowledge what it is.

You should probably have about 5 tricks in your show.  Realize that even a pick a card card trick has some build to it and takes a couple of minutes.  When you do magic for children, there will be wrong directions, asking about colors, getting colors wrong, dropping things.  Magic with children is a funny journey.  5 magic tricks might be a 20 minute show.

When you approach children to be volunteers, make sure you do it from a distance and ask the group as a whole.  It's easy to freak a child out if you bee line to them and say come here!  Let the children guide you.

If you do facepainting or balloons.  It's best to do these things after the show.  If you make balloon animals before your party, kids will play with the balloons, make noise and ask for more balloons while you're trying to pull the rabbit out of your hat.

If you start with balloons, you become the give away person, it's tough to overcome.

As you begin the process of designing your show, try to discover the tricks along with the children.  Children don't look at the magic coloring book as a magic trick, they see it as a coloring book.  Acknowledge that you have a coloring book.  If you are doing hipity hop rabbits, have the children hop like rabbits, name the colors of the rabbits, ask what rabbits eat.  Pretend, discover with them.

Leave the "magic" with magicians.  It's likely, as a clown, you are silly, be silly, be outrageous approach the show in these ways.

As always ask questions below!  

Staying Vulnerable

Here is the brilliance of taking classes/workshops.  It takes you down a notch or a peg, you get knocked down the stairs.  Yet, you don't have to go through this in front of an audience. 

To be an artist means you must be moving forward, take on new challenges.  My contention, if you don't put yourself at risk of failure, you are not an artist.  

Picasso, would challenge himself to explore newer forms of art.  Art is plenty hard to create, he dumped what he knew, to push his own boundaries.  

I took a physical comedy workshop yesterday.  I had way more experience than just about everyone there.  Many had been taking similar courses for a long time, they were better at certain exercises.  

I didn't do well on one exercise, I consider it a fail for what I saw in myself.  

I try to stay very present as a performer, in this case I didn't and couldn't.  I was caught using my clown tricks.  Using tricks does not make me a better performer. 

It's very hard not to create a little shell around you doing what I do for a living.  I have so many tricks to get people laughing, I have so many tricks to create clowning.  But they are only tricks, I'm not vulnerable and present.  That's a boring or stagnant performer. 

When you watch a movie or a TV show, if the acting isn't very good or you watch a comedian that isn't working for you or a singer that is just not quite there, it's because they aren't present and vulnerable.  They are using tricks, we, the audience, sense it.  

You can have a million tricks but they are just tricks, they keep you separate from your character, separate from your audience.  

This is why you take classes, there will always be an exercise you can't do or need to work on.  It feels crappy but you know you can always get better.  

It comes down to be more and more present.  If you rely on critiquing your own work, you'll end up thinking you're pretty wonderful.  To become more present, you need to fail every once and a while.  

The path to greatness is to continually challenge yourself.  Keep taking classes, take a risk.  

Got Questions? I've Got Answers!

You may notice I had a gap last month and the month before.

Going through a mid-clown life crisis.  Wondering if clowning is the best use of my time anymore.

I'd like to become a guru.  I would like to become Yoda and live on a mountain top of cotton candy.  I need to get some respect in my life!

So HELLO out there.  I'm sitting here waiting to answer your questions.   I want nothing in return (right now.  Like Rumpelstiltskin, I may ask for your first born or a review).  

I look at what's being read on my blog.  People like the balloon articles.  Go ahead, tell me your routine, I will try and pump up your routine with jokes or clean up the routine.

Questions about comedy.  Please ask.  When I'm not writing this blog, performing or staring at Jon Stewart.  I write jokes.  I also listen to comedy constantly.

Kids hitting your big old clown shoes?  Go ahead ask me how I can help.

I'm available, funny and free.

Post your questions in the comment box below.  

Wow, a Balloon!

I've been thinking a lot about balloons.

My brother told me I should just make a video of me making balloons.  No clowning, just blowing up balloons.  My niece and nephew were much younger then but what he was saying, they love balloons, they never tire of seeing a balloon.

I think of Curious George floating away with a balloon, one of my very early favorite stories.  The 21 balloons, I loved that book so much in 4th grade I read to my children.  The movie UP.  Shrek has one of the funniest scenes of all time when Shrek blows up a frog and Fiona blows up a snake and makes it into a balloon dog.  The image of a balloon seller in Central Park.

We love balloons.

I'm around balloons so much, I could care less about them.  I'm around other clowns that forget what an incredibly special thing a balloon is.  We talk a lot about, cutting off a balloon line.  If we make a very cool balloon, will it get us in trouble when the line gets out the door?  What are the best brands? How do we deal with angry parents?  

We seem to have lost that bit of magic.  I've been thinking a lot about balloons, about Curious George Floating over New York.  About Fiona blowing up a snake and making it into a balloon animal.

If you want to get to the basics of clowning, think balloon.  Just one simple red balloon.  Maybe yellow, your choice.

What can you do?  It's happiness, love, peace, surprise, joy all in one round hunk of latex.

I'm thinking the very essence of clown is hidden right there.  Everyone knows you can blow up a balloon, give it to a child, make it float, use it to decorate, over inflate it and make it pop, forget to tie it and let it fly around a room, make it sound like a fart, let it inflate you, fill it with helium and lose it in the rafter, fill it with water and throw it.  Every 5 year old knows exactly what a balloon will do.

All these things from a child's toy.  A toy every person knows how to play with.  That little magical toy that costs a nickel, can fool you.  It can fool me, while I'm blowing it up and endlessly, endlessly fascinate us.

That's clowning.  So so simple.  So So magical

Wow, a Balloon!

You Can Make Anything Funny...

I was asked a question on my last post about a pom pom routine.

I wanted to write about the pom pom trick because I get huge laughs and gasps of amazement.  I've seen the trick done where it's a complete bore.  This has nothing to do with the fact that I know how it's done, it's character.  The person doing it has no character or they've copied someone else's routine without their own character motivation.

The pom pom is simple.  4 colored pom poms.  You pull any one and another will follow, very very simple.  That's all the trick is, pull one color another follows.

Are you amazed?  Are you a smart alec that knows you're fooling everyone?  Do you want a child to look like a hero and have them do it and fool you?  Are you a show off?

These are character choices.  My choice as Boswick The Clown, I am fooled by the trick, I can't figure out why it's working.

I make a strong clear choice.

Just because I do the trick this way, does not mean it will work for you.  It might work for you if you make that character choice.

I've always used this particular trick when I work on character.  I love the many ways people find to use it.  One woman I worked with discovered with two pom poms hanging down, it looked like a little man walking.  I loved it, I had never seen it that way before.  I never saw it as a little puppet.

Another woman, kept trying to do it and saying whoops each time it did something she didn't expect.  This always stuck in my memory as one of the most endearing tricks I've ever seen.  She was so vulnerable and cute trying to figure it out, it was a joy to see her create this.  

Take the character question and apply it to any of your routines, they will be stronger and funnier.  I apply this basic character to how I enter a room and how I eat, if I'm offered food.  When I eat, I LOVE the food and make yummy sounds.  Kids laugh like crazy, and I get a free meal.   I enter a room, very proud of myself, set my trunk down to take a ta da that I'm there, then forget to get my trunk.  I have to go back and get it.  Then I have to take a ta da again, and forget my hat etc etc etc.  I try to find extreme choices, this is the comedy of a clown.

I just make choices as a character.  Boswick the Clown shows off but gets frustrated by the most simple task, sitting in a chair, eating, putting a hat on.

Want help with your routine or character?

My email is david@boswick.net

One More Time...KIDS ARE NOT AFRAID OF CLOWNS!

I got an email the other day asking if I would share a story another blog posted about children and how they are scared of clowns.

I responded, no thanks, with some explanation.

It's just frustrating. Kids are not afraid of clowns. Kids are afraid of bad performers. No one likes bad performers, it's why it's called bombing and not pillow fighting.

I see this over and over all the theories from people that don't know anything about clowning. Here's an idea, maybe before you write something, you could do a slight bit of research and talk to a few professionals???

I think the writer that contacted me had good intentions, they seemed to like clowns, but ended up discussing all the usual about make up. BS. I don't swear, but BS. so that's the closest I'll come but this makes me want to swear.

In my community, there are cultures, yes entire cultures that absolutely love clowns. From little little ones to the grandpas. The Latino community loves clowns. There are a bunch of working clowns in The San Francisco Bay Area that are native Spanish speakers and make their living in this market. When I go into stores in the Mission District of San Francisco, item after item uses a clown on their box to promote their product. I see culture after culture and guess what, people are people, children love clowns, that's why clowns exist.

It's this insesant background conversation. In Mexico, everyone loves clowns. In America we talk and talk and talk about the fear until it becomes real for people. If 3 year olds in Peru, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvidor love clowns, 3 year olds in America love clowns as well. It's the parents telling kids here, don't worry about him...or that's just a man dressed up...or don't be afraid. Um...you think saying to a little child, don't be afraid, might think their's something to be afraid of? duh everyone!

Ok, so it is what it is. This is the life I've chosen, fighting the system. What I can do though, is insist on excellence. Put out a clear character and children will respond. Put out a false character, that's a copy of a copy of a copy and the clown character is muddy and odd. Focus on character. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, ask me for help. If you don't want to do that, take a class, take an acting class, take improvisation.

"Kids are afraid of clowns" Tell that to the 10,000 plus children I saw last year, most of them hugging my legs begging me to never leave.

The quiet moments on stage...

My job is to rile kids. I get them to a fever pitch of laughter, then leave them in the hands of their parents, completely mad with laughter and cake.

I balance on a thin point as a children’s performer, I can get kids laughing so hard, they fall over the edge and get completely out of control. I’m playing with fire, it does happen.

As a performer, I think I have to keep everything at a fever pitch but that’s tiring for an audience, it’s tiring for me. Think of Raider’s of the Lost Ark. They have great action sequences then moments of quiet and calm. The giant ball rolling, the natives chasing, getting to the plane, then safe and calm. The next scene Indiana is teaching a college course.

Children have the most fun laughing screaming and generally going nuts. Making kids go nuts is not too hard, it’s the order of your show and the calm between bits that takes a lot of thought and what makes a show a show.

I love story tellers. A story teller, is closer to being a musician than an actor. When you watch a story teller work, when they go into story telling mode; Everyone sits, jaws slack, eyes diffused, very similar to an audience listening to an orchestra.

Within my show, I go into the story teller “voice” and calm the children down. It happens fast, I mean really fast. I have the kids bouncing off the ceiling and suddenly I say, “Long long ago, I used to work for a circus...a tiny itty bitty little circus...called Ringling Brothers Circus...” It’s a joke but establishes where the story is going. The children stop in their tracks and stare at me quietly. It’s by far the biggest magic trick I do within my show. The complete control at that moment is amazing.

I’m not an expert at story telling, in fact of all the arts, story telling frightens me the most, I feel completely emotionally exposed. I can’t really explain what happens but when I tell a story, it takes over and pulls me along. The few stories I use in my show pull me and pull the audience.

I’ve taken some small workshops in story telling, it’s an amazing craft, it’s certainly no wonder it’s been done since the caveman days.

Performers look for “honest” moments within a show. It’s the moment a musician completely lets go while playing or singing, the moment an actor can’t tell where the character ends and their own personality begins, the moment in a movie that sweeps you away and you forget you are in a movie theatre with 200 people.

My “honest” moments are within the quiet moments in my show. When I get swept up in my own story. It’s really no wonder this moment captivates the children, it’s the moment of me being on my own tight rope, I don’t know if my next step is failure or safety.

If you find these moments, the audience is in the palm of your hand. At the moment you realize you have them in your palm...the honest moment is gone.