HowlRound Theatre Commons: New York City, 2021. Isolated, over-snacked, and starved for a creative community, I joined a virtual playwriting group. I was writing an existential dark comedy (as one does during a pandemic-induced lockdown) and thought, this play has clowns. Where do I find those?
5 comments:
Wow we are clearly starting off very strong here with this absolutely ridiculous title. I love it. Upon reading further, this fun title absolutely captures the joy present in this article about clowning, an art form that is a lot about joy and expression. I love how they dove in depth into what it actually means to be a clown because I feel like it’s a very misunderstood form of art. The image of exiting lockdown and one of your first interactions with other people being in a clown gym is such a fun idea. I had no idea that a place like this existed but I absolutely adore the fact that clown gyms are a thing. I think that they are doing something so cool by offering people a place to learn, continue to grow, and just have a place to engage with eachother through clowning. I know they shut down for a while, but i’m glad they’re starting things up again and I hope they continue to offer this clown gym.
I was attracted by this title, and as I scrolled through the article, the naming of the steps was too interesting for me to keep on reading. I love how this article is about clowning, and it actually sounds hilarious in its own sense. I feel like this article is acting as a guide while also entertaining readers and helping them feel the energy of clowning. From the introduction to the Clown Gym, I can tell a strong sense of collaboration vibe coming out, and the language and structure of this article clearly serve this vibe. I really enjoyed the part where they defined ‘clown’ in different ways, so I see different perspectives in defining and understanding clowning. In my memory, clowns are always at birthday parties for holiday fairs, and they’re a prototypical character in lots of artistic comedies. Playing with a lot of people who share similar humor and passion for clowning sounds like tons of fun.
I’ve been seeing a lot of clown content online and I just find it very inspiring. Last semester, someone was doing a project where people would do clown makeup on themself and this person would take their picture. I went with a friend to do this and had so much fun. It was a very interesting outlet for my creativity and also a very different way to think about expressing yourself. I’ve also been interested in drag and the overlap between not only the makeup but the purposes of drag and clowning. Ever since I did my clown makeup I've been wanting to do it again, and get all dressed up and go have some fun. I think that the embodiment of play and expression that comes with clowning is what is so intriguing about it and how much it exist to be joyful both for the performers and the audience.
I love clowning so much. My knowledge of clowns started about where author Michael Amendola described as the assumptions people have at that word. I knew of the birthday clowns that dressed in loud outfits and makeup and made balloon animals. I remember getting pulled into this idea of becoming a new character - an over the top and hilarious character - through makeup. More recently, I was talking to a student on campus that was doing a personal project on clown makeup. She was studying how people changed in clown makeup and how it could be used as a facet to explore ones personality without societal constraints. This is about where my foundation of clown makeup melted into the improvisation side of clowning that is discussed in this article. These conversations opened me up to not only exploring how my physical form could change, but how my societal form could be pushed and pulled to interact with an audience. I definitely want to explore this type of improvisation myself in the future.
Clowning is a considerable part of the entertainment industry and I am ecstatic to see that it is making a comeback. Improv is the cousin to clowning but without the pure audience interaction at all times. I loved this article's dedication to portraying clowning as an art because it is. Being able to bring joy to other peoples lives while placing yourself in a vulnerable situation that would terrify most people is astounding. Clowning has no rules, just people and the joy being shared throughout the community. Julia's dedication to diverse teachers and expanding the community to include as many people as possible is unfounded and deserves the highest respect. Clowning is all about physical comedy and having a variety of people present in the room only extends the jokes thought possible. Overall I hope to see clowning continue to thrive and build as the community continues to grow and morph into its final form.
Post a Comment