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Early Female Clowns
by Bruce Charlie Johnson The stereotype many people have is that women have not been a part of clown history until recently. The opposite is the truth. Periods of history where there were no female clowns are rare. Dorian Mimes The first documented professional entertainers are the comic (clown) characters of the Dorian Mimes who started…
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The Comedy of Victor Borge
By Bruce “Charlie” Johnson Victor Borge passed away December 23, 2000. If he was a clown or not depends upon whether you use an exclusive or inclusive style definition of clowning. It is a matter of personal opinion. I personally think he was a masterful clown who used a naturalistic appearance. In any case, clowns…
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Presenting a Critique to Variety Artists
By Bruce “Charlie” Johnson There is a lot of information here. I decided to include all of it because instruction on presenting a critique is not readily available in variety arts. I was graduated by California State University – Long Beach with a BA in Technical Theater. I took several makeup classes taught by Bill…
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Receiving a Critique of Your Act
I was graduated by California State University – Long Beach with a BA in Technical Theater. I took several classes taught by Herb Camburn. I had three classes taught by Bill Smith. Herb, Bill, and the other technical theater instructors stressed learning how to receive critiques of our work and how to present a critique…
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The Power of Thank You
An expression of thanks is an important tool to use for success. Confirming Receipt At the very least, a thank you for something you have been sent in the mail is confirmation that you have received it. Museums must be selective about what they accept simply because of space limitations. I have donated some things…
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History and Philosophy
“To have any movement forward, you have to have a philosophy of clowning. To have a philosophy of clowning, you have to have a history of clowning.” – Victor Vladimirov, Director of the Moscow State College of Circus and Variety Arts, speaking at the 1993 World Clown Congress in Harnosand, Sweden. “To have a valid…
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Keep Cool and Carry On
Early in my career I had to learn to deal with high temperatures during performances. There are three reasons for learning to deal with the heat. First, an entertainer passing out from heat exhaustion or sunstroke is not funny. Second, you cannot give your best performance if you are not in good physical condition. Third,…
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Skill In Comedy
Comedy Techniques for Variety Artists Excerpt In my juggling act, I would hold a spinning plate in my right hand at the height of my waist. I extended my left arm straight up over my head. Then I flipped the plate up and caught it in my left hand. Then I would pick up a…
