Softcover

ISBN 10: 1402707991 ISBN 13: 9781402707995

Publisher: Sterling, 2003

If you love to clown around, it's time to get serious about it...serious fun that is. Being a clown means more than merely putting on silly makeup and jumping around: it's a wonderful form of self-expression that brings joy to yourself and to others. Take a look at the world's best jesters and expand your understanding of comedy. Here are the (literal) tricks of the trade: ideas for using cartoon-like imagery, choosing a distinctive costume, finding a comic rhythm, and mastering physical skills that will make people roll in the aisles. Project the right raucous attitude, work in duets, and develop an irresistibly humorous "clown walk." Even say hello in a way that gets your audience giggling. Actual routines unfold in a series of photos and descriptions, with tips on selling them. From the "levitation gag" to "wire walking," to developing your own act, it's the perfect clown school.

From the Back Cover:

Use movement, makeup and costume, satire, and a character you've developed to make people laugh. In other words, "Clown around!" Whether you want to perform at parties, on film, or at a circus, you'll learn how to touch something deep inside your audience. While performing as a clown is fun, it's also a serious art form. With these professional routines, tips, and advice, you'll become a master, leaving any crowd in stitches.

About the Author:

About the Author
Mark Stolzenberg has appeared in the feature films Her Alibi with Tom Selleck and Luggage of the Gods as well as on TV in ABC's "All M Children", CBS' "Dellaventura", and "Breakfast in Bed," which aired on HBO, SHOWTIME, and CINEMAX. He has toured as a clown with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, co-written and starred in the stage show Pierrot & Pirouette, which ran Off-Broadway, and written the feature length screenplay A Clown in New York and the book How to be A Mime. Most recently Mr. Stolzenberg has completed a new feature film script and written, produced, and starred in a short film. He teaches "Acting for Film and Television" at The New School in New York City.