I drove back to Denton the night of the 17th in preparation for the following day. May's Herbalife LDW was on the 18th, so I spent the whole day with my Team learning how to advance my business. And although after the program I felt inspired and all fired up and ready to get a move on, this summer just didn't seem to be one meant for my company's growth...
Not only did I improve on my improvisational skills, but I had the chance to meet some of the most amazing people in the world! Most people think that Clowns are either scary, crazy, or just plain weird- but that is totally wrong! Ok, maybe Clowns are crazy and weird, but what I really learned is that Clowns are the epitome of losers! Again, weird, I know, but it's true! Clowns are meant to represent the "loser," the one person that's always getting messed with, but on the other hand, they're always happy! No matter what is thrown at them, the Clown stands smiling and proud! And above all else, it is the Clown's job to make others laugh.
Clown School was held at my University during the Maymester and although there were a handful of us Theatre students, most of the attendees were older and had already been working in the Clown world professionally. It was a bit intimidating to be working with these professionals, but at the same time very helpful. Everyone was so sweet and just wanted to help us succeed! Being partnered with some of the biggest characters made me want to step up my game every time!
The Clown School was taught by Tiffany Riley and Dick Monday, founders of the NY Goofs. They were amazing to work with and so fun to watch! Tiffany and Dick visit UNT every semester to teach a day of Movement class with Dr.Wilson, which is how they started the idea of doing a Clown School at UNT. They make astounding teachers: they're patient, insightful, understanding, and fun! They're also the kind of teachers that when they see you struggling, they help by giving a nudge rather than holding your hand or dropping you clean off the cliff (which was great since I hate either of the other extremes). As I said, they were a lot of fun to watch, and maybe it's because they've been partners for more than 15years, or maybe the fact that they're married and know each other very well, but I would love to one day see a professional performance of theirs!
Another great part of Clown School was getting to know these amazing people! In Movement class, I learned how wearing a mask helps open up a person, since they feel more protected; however, when you're wearing Clown makeup, there's nothing hiding you. Your Clown you is supposed to represent the real you. Getting to see my friends open up and how crazy they really are, and watching a person stand comfortable in their own skin is so great.
Throughout the week, we spent 8hours straight developing our Clown Characters through improvisations, movement, clowning, circus skills, classic routines, slapstick, and eccentric dance. And after the long hours of crazy clownin' around, we spent the final hour each day working on Clown Makeup. Sadly, I didn't do too well on this subject... I wish we could have had more time to develop our faces, but there is always next year!
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| Me & Ron (Gramps) at the Bookstore |
One of the most amazing parts of this whole experience, was meeting everyone. Most of the Clown students were older men and women from different places in life- each with families and careers that have nothing to do with the Clown world. And yet, they love clowning so much, they make time outside of their busy schedules to attend classes or visit hospitals where they make kids happy. I loved having conversations with them all and realizing that their clown personalities were just a reflection of their real self- they were never hiding themselves and "embarrassed" seemed to be a foreign word. They really made me want to be able to open up myself to the world more. I know I already try everyday to be "the perfect me," but ever since Clown School, I've realized that I shouldn't be afraid of what people think of me.
My absolute favorite exercise Dick had us do was our walk. At the end of the week, after we'd all gotten to know each other a bit, each of us was told to simply walk in front of the class and stand there. Scan our fellow classmates and to take it in. After all, the number one fear of Americans is public talking- being judged by others- but it was a Clown's job, and an Actor's job to be able to withstand it. And so, each of us did our walk, and it was amazing to see how everyone reacted differently to being virtually naked in front of an audience. Some people had to be asked to repeat their walk, to open up more or to shed their layers more. There were also some who just walked in silence and got a nice stamp of approval from Dick. And, of course, there were those that cried out of nerves or fear, those were the hardest to watch.
As for me, well, I wish I could explain it better, but I really didn't feel anything. I wanna say that it was because I'm already naturally fearless when in front of people, and honestly do my best not to care what people think of me, but when I did my walk, I just... walked... I stood at the front and stared at everyone, pretty sure I was smiling. But when my eyes reached Dick's, who had this odd yet funny smile as he nodded approvingly, I just started to laugh. And although I tried to hold it in on my second scan of the room, when I heard my friend snickering as well, I couldn't hold it in anymore! I apologized for breaking, but Dick seemed extremely pleased! He said that he loved that I broke down in laughter, that it seemed that my "smile and nature had a powerful and calming effect" on everyone in the room. I didn't completely understand, but when I asked my teacher, he said he wasn't surprised. He said that he's known since he first met me in Freshmen seminar 2years previously that I was crazy and unafraid of audiences. Haha, I've never really thought that I was, but it was great to hear it from others!
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| Spit-Takes!! |
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| Water Games! |
More than anything, the day when we went outside for class was my absolute favorite!!!! We had all been hoping that we would be able to throw pies in our faces, and we did! Not only that, we learned water tricks used in clowning. From the different kinds of spit takes, to bucket throws! And finally, we got to throw pies at each other! Of course, before starting, we had to learn how to do everything safely, and properly, since we were working in partners and groups. We also learned a simple pie throwing skit. Overall, the messiest and best day ever!!
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| PIES IN THE FACE!! |
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| This Stuff Got EVERYWHERE! |
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| Having a Blast with Shaving Cream Pies! |
After all the fun and games were complete, we had our final exam on Friday. But when in Clown School, nothing's as simple as taking a written exam or anything! Our Final exam was a grande performance for our friends and family! We had to be in complete Clown uniform and makeup, and everyone was assigned either a gag, skit, or slapstick that they felt they excelled at that week. We even got official certificates that claimed that we had graduated from Clown School!
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| Making New Friends! |
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| And Bonding with the Old Ones! |
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| Clownin' Around! |
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| Making Memories! |
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| The UNT Clown Crew! |
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| Clown School Class of 2013 Graduates!! |
It was one final hour of crazy and fun clowning, till everyone was supposed to leave for their separate lives. Except that no one wanted to leave this new reality! So, we decided to go for pizza instead!
Out of everyone that attended our final meal together, I was the only UNT student, but I loved listening to everyone's conversations about their real lives, and what they were doing in the Clown world back home. Michael, a sweet old man from New York told me that he loved watching me grow throughout the week and that he loved seeing how I reacted to everything, that it reminded him of a little kid! And then I was offered a possible clowning job! A couple that attended the class owned a troupe in the DFW area and claimed that they could never find people to play either an elf or a leprechaun when the season called for it, so they asked if I would be interested when the time came! And, of course I said, YES!! How exciting! To think my height would be the guaranteed factor in getting a job!
I can't believe that a few months ago I was hesitant on spending to attend something as crazy as "Clown School," but honestly, this may have been one of the greatest experiences of my life so far- at least for my acting career it is! I learned so much from the classes and the people. I didn't want to say goodbye to anyone, but I guess that's what Facebook is for, huh..? Besides learning how to open myself up without feeling embarrassed, I think the most important thing that I learned was that it's always ok to fail. Just as the Clown is the epitome of the "loser," it's ok to fall and stumble in everyday life, as long as you are able to get back up and smile after the fact!
I'm sorry for this being such a long post! Clown School was just one the best event of the summer, and I wanted to be sure to express how much it touched me to be able to be apart of something so amazing.
Sincerely Yours,
Lisette
ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭
