During the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy, as th

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CLOWNS AND MIMES

• by and Don L. F. Nilsen
• and Alleen Pace Nilsen

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Not Scary
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Scary
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COMMEDIA DELLARTE

• During the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy, as
  the world-famous commedia dellarte was
  developing, three basic clowns began to evolve
  The Harlequin, the Auguste, and the character
  clown.

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THE HARLEQUIN AND SLAPSTICK

• In the latter half of the 16th century, the
  Arlecchino (Harlequin) clown started out as a
  foolish servant and then developed into a more
  sophisticated, acrobatic prankster.
• He carried a large stick that was split so that
  abrupt movements would make the separated parts
  hit against each other with a loud noise.
• This was the development of slapstick comedy.

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• Harlequin clowns had elegant, patched costumes
  with symmetrical patterns and a black domino mask
  covering half of their faces.
• Todays Harlequin clowns (including mimes) still
  wear precise, neatly detailed makeup, and a
  sophisticated demeanor of being in charge.
• Their aura of control is sometimes heightened by
  the contrast of having a fool companion.

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MARIANN MARTINS WILD THING
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MIMES

• An obvious advantage of mime and pantomime is
  that it transcends language barriers.
• Because of this, Charlie Chaplin was the first
  movie star recognized and appreciated around the
  world.

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• Another advantage of mime is that it works in
  arenas that are too large or too noisy for people
  to hear well.
• This is why circus clowns and the mascots for
  athletic teams rely for their humor on
  exaggerated body movements.

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• Emmett Kelly, the famous Ringling Brothers clown,
  was so skilled in pantomiming the role of Weary
  Willie that he was allowed to remain in the
  circus arena through the entire performances.
• His most famous act was to sweep a circle of
  light thrown by a spotlight into a smaller and
  smaller circle, and then to chase it under a rug
  or into a dustbin.

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• Harpo Marx was one of the worlds most beloved
  pantomimists.
• Harpo was a mute with unruly hair who could
  communicate with others only by means of honks,
  whistles, and pantomime.

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• He wore a fright wig and an overcoat with
  enormous inside pockets from which he pulled such
  objects as an ice-cream cone, a cup of coffee,
  and various pieces of hardware, including a
  blowtorch.
• Somewhere in every movie, he pulled a face called
  a Gookie, in which he puffed out his cheeks and
  crossed his widened eyes.

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• Harpos best known pantomime scene is in the
  movie Duck Soup. Groucho chases Harpo, who
  accidentally breaks a floor-length mirror.
• When Groucho looks in the empty frame, Harpo is
  standing on the other side and deftly reflects
  back every one of Grouchos intricate moves.

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• Marcel Marceau had a clown-tramp character named
  Bip.
• Bip had tight-fitting high-waisted pants, a dark
  jersey designed to set off his whitened face, and
  to serve as a backdrop to his expressive hand
  movements. This was a modern interpretation of
  the French Pierrot.

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• It is ironic that in Mel Brookss 1976 Silent
  Movie, it was Marcel Marceau who said the only
  spoken line.

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PIERROT

• The fool companion of the Harlequin was the
  Pierrot.
• Pierrot was a French clown with a bald head, a
  flour-whitened face, and an always-gullible
  demeanor.
• Pierrot was the straight man for the Harlequin.

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THE CHARACTER CLOWN

• At the turn of the century, character clowns were
  becoming very popular.
• They had such identifiable personalities as
  tramps, scarecrows, grandmothers, out-of-work
  gentlemen, etc.

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• Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and the Three
  Stooges were all character clowns.
• Emmett Kellys Weary Willie, and Red Skeltons
  Freddie the Freeloader were both influenced by
  Chaplins Little Tramp.
• Jerry Lewis and Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) were
  also character clowns.

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CLOWN TABOOS

• While in character, clowns should never be seen
  doing normal things like shopping or eating
  meals.
• They should also never appear in public partially
  out of costume.

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• One Halloween in Paulsboro, New Jersey, a police
  officer dressed up as a clown managed to arrest
  12 individuals, most of whom were wanted for
  routine traffic offenses.
• He explained that instead of getting the usual
  He isnt home response, the clown costume got
  the policeman into the homes to make the arrest.
• The real clowns of the world protested.

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• The clowns of the world also protested when Bob
  Dole referred to President Clinton as Bozo.
• Larry Harmon, the creator the Bozo Television
  Program, was not amused to have the name of
  Bozo used as an insult.

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CLOWNS AS SPORTS MASCOTS

• The newest commercial role for clowns is that of
  team mascots.
• Some of the most famous include
• Paws for the Detroit Tigers
• Billy for the Florida Marlins
• the Chicken for the San Diego Padres

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• Because of the size of sports arenas and fields,
  these clowns are much like early circus clowns in
  wearing oversized, one-of-a-kind costumes.
• They also practice exaggerated pantomimes, do
  acrobatics, and use huge props.
• Philly Phanatic rides around on his dune buggy.
• The Phoenix Suns Gorilla makes baskets by jumping
  from a trampoline.

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• Like Circus Clowns, these sports mascots fill in
  dead time, provide photo opportunities, give
  young children someone to relate to, and work as
  genuine clowns at community events where they
  represent the team.
• And they are even able to compete as cheer
  leaders.

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Clowns in Action
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CLOWN WEB SITES

• AXTELL PUPPETS
• http//www.axtellpuppets.net/
• CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF THERAPEUTIC CLOWNS
• http//www.therapeuticclowns.ca/index.html
• HOSPITAL CLOWN NEWSLETTER (SHOBI DOBI)
  http//WWW.hospitalclown.com/Past20Issues/Vol201
  -6FinalNew.htm
• JESTHEALTH (PATTY WOOTEN)
• http//www.jesthealth.com
• DAVID LANGDON
• http//www.therapeuticclowns.ca/programs/winnipeg_
  childlife.html

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• LAUGHTER REMEDY (PAUL MCGHEE)
• www.LaughterRemedy.com http//www.LaughterRemedy.
  com
• LAUGHTER WORKS (KAY CASKEY AND LAURIE YOUNG)
  www.LaughWays.com
• THERAPEUTIC CLOWNS
• http//www.therapeuticclowns.ca/resources.html
• VENT HAVEN VENTRILOQUIST CONVENTION
• http//www.venthaven.com/
• WORLD LAUGHTER TOUR (STEVE WILSON)
  http//www.worldlaughtertour.com/

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• References (2000-2013)
• Cornwell, Lori M. The Role of the Clown in
  Shakespears Theatre. Early Modern Literary
  Studies Schlolarly Papers, (12 March, 2009)
  http//extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/iemls/shaksper/files/R
  OLE20CLOWN.txt
• Hornback, Robert B. The Fool in Quarto and
  Folio King Lear. English Literary Renaissance
  34.3 (2004) 306-338.
• Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen.
  Encyclopedia of 20th Century American Humor.
  Westport, CT Greenwood, 2000.
• Plester, Barbara, and Mark Orams. Send in the
  Clowns The Role of the Joker in Three New
  Zealand IT Companies. HUMOR 21.3 (2008)
  253-282.