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Clown College Was Serious Business

by xxzombiesxx

It's been said that a person has a better chance of getting into
Harvard than the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown
College. This fact highlights the extensive admission process and
the seriousness of learning to be a clown. The clown college only
accepts about 50 applicants per year from a field of thousands of
would-be students.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College was opened
in 1968. It was originally located in Venice, Florida and later
moved to Sarasota, Florida. Irvin Feld had the idea to start this
college. He was the owner of the circus and understood the
importance of having a ready supply of performers. He saw the
need to train people in the ancient art of clowning.

In 1984, Feld's son, Kenneth, took over the management of the
school, but closed it in 1997 because the needs of the circus had
changed. The college wasn't profitable and many of the graduates
were privately teaching others the skills. There was even a video
produced that taught the same techniques used in the school's
classrooms. Although the circus no longer has a "pool" of clown
graduates to hire, they regularly hold open auditions for their
circus performances.

Clown college was a unique program for many years, from 1968 to
1997. To apply, an extensive personality profile needed to be
submitted to give the school's directors a clear understanding of
the prospective student's psychology and motivation. Most notable
was the free tuition offered, but this did come with a few
stipulations. The graduates had to agree to a one-year contract
with "The Greatest Show on Earth". Any student not offered this
contract would be required to work in some other capacity within
the organization.

The classes at the college included courses like make-up
application, juggling, pantomime and acrobatics. The students
studied movies of classic performers like Buster Keaton and
Charlie Chaplin. The humor and action of cartoon characters like
Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny was also analyzed and applied.

In a way, the entire college experience was really a chance for
the circus to spot, select and train new talent. The teachers
were told to note students who were able to perform in certain
capacities with an eye to filling positions at a future date with
the circus.

The clowns were required to create routines that would be seen
in the large arenas. They honed their movements so they could be
seen from any seat in the audience. Props and sight gags were
especially created to fit the needs of the Ringling shows.

Clown college was an excellent way to train a new generation in
the old arts of performing. A degree from this school not only
benefited the student, but also audiences everywhere.

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