A Day in the Life of a Circus Clown

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Circus Clown by Corol Goskin Photogrophy by JohrnF. Klein

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Copyright @ f988 by Ttoll Associates, Mahwah, New Jersey. All rights reser'ti/ed.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner ryhatsoever without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. 10987664321 Theauthorandpublisher wishto thankthestafrof AllanC. Hill EntertainmentCorp.,especi8lly Allar C. Hill, trYedJohn,andJefireyScott;MikeRidenour, JimRidenour, andtheper{omersandstafiofGrestAmerican Circus, Special thsnks to Charleg Neubauer of Sa,resota, Floride. Photograph on page 5 by Fled John, courteey ofAllan C. Hill Entertainment Corp.

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Mike Ridenour is a clown in a traveling circus. Every morning he wakes up in a new town. During the night, the circus travels in a caravan, or long line of trucks and trailers. The trucks arrive at an empty field at dawn. By midday, the circus will spring to life onceagain.

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As the sun rises, workers called "roustabouts" raise the Big Top. The tent will covertwo-thirds the area of a footballfield. First, tent stakesare driven into the groundandtent polesare laid out. Then the tent is unrolled from a specialtruck, calleda "spoolwagon." 4

The roustaboutsspreadthe canvasover the metal polesthat will supportthe roof. They anchorthe sidesof the tent to the woodentent stakes.Later, whenthe heavytent polesare raised,the tent will go up with them. To do this, very specialequipment will be needed-elephants! 5

The elephantsare harnessedto the poles.They pull, and up goesthe tent! Circustents havebeen raised this way for generations.When it rains, elephantsare alsousedto pull trucks andtrailers out of the mud. So manycircusvehiclesget stuck that traveling circuses are often called "mudshows." 6

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Mike has free time while the tent goes up. He practicesan acrobaticroutine with Chepi, a sevenyear-old clown. Most clowns learn their trade from older clowns. Mike's first teacher was his father. Now Chepi, whose parents are bareback riders in the circus, learns clowning from Mike. It's a circus tradition. I

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Mike washes in cold water from a huge water truck. He naps in the shadeof another truck. Circus life is not always comfortable! The circus is like a town on wheels.The performersride, wash, eat and sleep in the eighteen-wheelersthat have replacedthe circus wagonsof the old days. 8

Being a clown is not all clowning. Mike must care for his costumesand props. He grooms his clown wig and practiceson a miniature trumpet he sometimes uses in his act. Some days he works on his juggling or stilt-walking. His act is always changing as he masters new skills.

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An hour beforeshowtime,Mike applieshis makeup, or "puts on his face."First he coatshis face with white greasepaint. He smilesand frowns to study the creasesand hollowshis facial muscles make.Then he outlinesspaceswherehe will wipe the white greasepaint away. 10

Mike fills in the spaceswith flesh color. There are several classic clown types: the neat whiteface, the unshaven tramp, and the colorful Auguste. Mike is an Auguste-type clown. An Auguste clown has a flesh-toned face and wears bright, baggy clothes. The jokes are always played on him.

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A clown'sfaceis as personalas his signature. Mike adds the detailing that makeshis face his own. He paints his cheeks cherry red and adds touches of black to his eyes and mouth. Soonhe will assume his clown personality, a goofy character named Omar Gosh.

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Mike fills an old sock with baby powder and powders his face. "Don't you wonder what happensto all of those socksyou lose?"he asks. "They travel all over the world. Clowns have them!" Finally, to "fix" his face, Mike blots the excesspowder for a smooth finish.

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Mike dressesin the costumehe has picked for the day. He always wears baggy pants, suspenders, and a loud shirt. He finds someof his costumesin second-handstores. His giant-sized clown shoes come from a mail-order company.Mike wears out two pairs every season.

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As Mike adds the finishing touches, he says, "When most kids think of a clown, they think of great big shoes and a red nose." Omar Gosh always has both. He puts on a bright false nose, a silly little hat, a big smile, andPrestol Say "hello" to Omar Gosh!

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It's showtime! The audiencestreams toward the entranceto the Big Top. They must walk alongthe "midway"-v broad avenuelined with rides and concessionstands. The air smells of circus animals, peanuts, and cotton candy. Inside the Big Top, the musicstarts, and peoplebuzzwithexcitement. 16

The ringmaster blows his whistle and introduces the first act. "Ladies and Gentlemen,Boys and Girls," he announces."Presenting-that juggling genius, Jose Torres!" It's the ringmaster's job to make sure each act is ready on time, and to see that the show flows smoothly.

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Animal acts are the heart of the circus, and animal trainers are highly respected. The audienceoohs and aahs as acrobats ride trick ponies, elephants dance, and fearless trainers work with ferocious jungle cats. But if animalsare the heart of the circus, clownsare its soul.

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The clowns do an old routine called "Queen Bee." "Hey, Coco,"says Omar Gosh,"glve me something sweet!" Coco replies, "How about some honey?" Omar exclaims, "Oh, I love honey!" Then Coco buzzes around the ring, saying, "I'm the worker bee, collectinghoneyfor the queenbee!"

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Cocosays, "When you say 'Let it fly!' I'll give you the honey."But when Omar isn't looking, Cocosecretly fills his mouth with water. Omar says, "Yum, honey!Let it fly!" The crowd explodeswith laughter as the "honey" splashesin Omar'sface!

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Omar decidesto play the same trick on Little Dave. "I'll be the worker bee," he says. But he trips and loseshis "honey."While Omargets a refill, Little Dave sneaksa mouthful too. When Little Dave doesn'tsay anything,Omarswallows his "honey" and cries, "You're supposedto say, 'Let it fly!"' 2l \

Little Dave "lets it fly" and Omar Goshgets showered again. The crowd roars. Omar is used to being the one who always "gets it." It's his traditional role. "Making people laugh is what being a clown is all about," he says. And he always gets a laugh.

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After changinginto a dry costume,Omar sells coloring books in the stands. It is an important part of his job with the circus becauseit allows him to get closer to the audience.He can joke with the children, shake their hands, and autograph their souvenir books.

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Between shows, Omar works on the midway. To help advertise the circus, he gives an interview to a disc jockey from a local radio station. Then he greets the children on the train ride, who are thrilled to meet a real clown. Promoting good public relations is a seriousresponsibility for a circus clown.

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While some acts are performing under the Big Top, others are getting ready behindthe scenes. The elephanttrainer rehearseswith his elephants, and a bareback rider climbs into a furry gorilla suit. They must be ready to enter the ring when their acts. the ringmasterannounces

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Omar stops to talk with the other clowns on the midway.As a youngsterpasses,Cocoholdsout his hand and says, "Give me five!" The excited boy slapsCoco'shand with glee, then hurries down the midway. The last show is about to begin, so Omar headsfor the Big Top. *n'?

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The clowns run into the center ring. Little Dave announces,"Tonight I will perform my world famous egg-juggling routine. When I count to three, I'm going to throw this egg into the air and catch it in my back pocket! One . . . two . ." Omar looksup, then runs. But Little Dave doesn'tthrow the egg.

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hasto count!"insistsLittle Dave."One "Eueryone . . . two . . . wait a minute! That lady still isn't counting!"Again and againhe delays.Finally,the wholeaudienceyells,"THREE!" and Little Dave throws the egg into the air. The crowd screams with delightasthe egglandsright on Little Dave's head! 28

As Mike and the other clowns get ready for the grand finale, Chepi helps out with a routine everyone loves. The circus ring has become a boxing ring, and the star performer is a boxing kangaroo! Chepi rings a bell to signal the end of eachround.

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At night the midway is a magical place. It seems to glow with a light of its own. Children are up past their bedtimes. Full of popcorn and cotton candy,they clutch their souvenirballoons.Tonight they will dream of bareback riders, dancing elephants, and smiling clowns.

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Behind the scenes,Omar Goshand Coco share a quiet moment before the finale. Even though the show is almost over, circusclownsmust alwaysbe ready to perform. If there is an accidentin the Big Top or if someoneis late, the ringmaster will "send in the clowns."

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Omar leads the circus finale. The performers march around the ring waving flags. A giant flag unfurls behind the clowns, and the circus comesto a close. Tonight, Omar Gosh will remove his makeupand fall asleep.Tomorrow,Mike Ridenour will wake up in a new town-and the circus tent will rise again.

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