Character clowns

Character clowns are performers who develop and portray memorable clown personas beyond generic masks and makeup. They craft distinct appearances, backstories, talents, and comedic behaviors that allow dynamic clown roles suited to a range of skits and scenarios. Mastery of physical comedy, improvisation, and engaging audience interaction brings these fictional clowns to life as identifiable icons over sustained careers.

Origins and History

Clowns have enacted eccentric personas and stereotypes, tracing back to court jesters and theatrical fools. But clowning only emerged as a refined professional craft in the 1800s circus. With widespread traveling shows came opportunities for individual clowns to create ongoing roles based on popular tropes. Signature looks involving customized costumes, wigs, and makeup enhanced recognition over multiple performances. Notable pioneers of character clown acts include:

• Joseph Grimaldi  – English clown in early 1800s who popularized the sad hobo clown with whiteface, colorful clothes, and exaggerated heartbroken expressions.

• Otto Griebling  – Precursor to the tramp or hobo clown archetype in the latter 1800s. Wore oversized, tattered clothes and embodied hapless misfortunes through clumsy slapstick routines.

• Emmett Kelly  – Legendary depression-era tramp clown, created in the 1930s based on downtrodden migrants he encountered riding railroads. The signature costume involved faded ragged clothing and an iconic hat to convey lonely, wandering whimsy.

These influential clowns established recurring character roles that subsequent performers later iterated on, rather than generic unnamed figures. Custom looks and developed comedic personas allowed audiences to connect with their continuing stories across self-contained acts and years of shows.

Becoming the Character Clown

Mastering a signature clown character requires meticulous refinement beyond applying makeup and putting on a costume. Performers carefully craft backstories, speaking styles, signature bits, talents, and habits that define the clown’s personality for authentic embodiment across dynamic situations:

• Appearance – Distinct visual design involving customized wig, detailed facial shapes, identifiable accessories and props, tailored costumes, and consistent color motifs.

• Persona– Unique behaviors, mannerisms, attitudes, interests, and ways of interacting that make the clown a memorable comedy archetype.

• Talents – Whether through magic, music, dance, acrobatics, or other specialty skills that become associated trademark abilities.

• Reactions – Signature responses to conflict, stress, surprises, mistakes and triumphs that generate reliable audience reactions.

Through full immersion over years refining a clown role, performers can improvise entire multi-act shows spontaneously as their established character. This mastery to quickly invoke a recognizable and hilarious clown figure remains central to the comedy craft today.

Notable Character Clowns

• Lou Jacobs  – Performer behind squeaky-voiced clown clan leader Louie from 1932 to late 1980s. His miniature automobile entrances became an iconic signature.

• Clarabell the Clown  – Played by several performers but most famously Bob Keeshan of Captain Kangaroo fame. He was the silent klutzy partner of other clowns, notable for wacky costumes and horn honking.