2015-02-Calliope_mar_apr lo

For Members of Clowns of America International 

March / April 2015 

Volume 32 • Number 2 

Bob “Bunky” Gretton 

Lifetime 

Achievement 

Award 

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 1

Your COAI Officers 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

DIRECTORS 

President 

Glenn Kohlberger 

4155 Torres Circle 

West Palm Beach, FL 33409 

646.210.2238 (C) 

561.687.1126 (H) 

soundsfunny2me@aol.com 

Exec. Vice President 

Michael B. Cox 

9415 Alameda Ave. 

Richmond, VA 23294 

804.270.1165 (H) 

804.337.6143 (C) 

coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Secretary 

Dan Langwell 

54990 Ehman Lane 

Mishawaka, IN 46545 

574-904-9643 

laughingstockpro@yahoo.com 

Treasurer 

Paddee Embrey 

PO Box 632 

Stayton, OR 97383 

503.767.2503 (H) 

503.949.3077(C) 

molasses.clown@gmail.com 

Sergeant-at-Arms 

Sandra Winstead 

11801 Riverpark Way 

Chesterfield, VA 23838 

804-350-3687 

strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Membership 

Teresa Gretton 

3411 Lisa Circle 

Waldorf, MD 20601 

301.843.8212 

gretton@verizon.net 

Education 

Jim Dixon 

5323 East Murdock 

Wichita, KS 67208 

316-871-6705 

jdixon2482@gmail.com 

Conventions 

Jim Caffrey 

PO Box 833 

Colona, IL 61241 

309.314.6026 

jclownus@yahoo.com 

Alley, Region Support 

Julie Varholdt 

4601 S Kachina Drive 

Tempa, AZ 85282 

480-838-7781 

lovelybuttons@cox.net 

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS 

Northeast 

Bill Le Blanc 

2 Dee Jay Road 

East Bridgewater, MA 02333 

508.378.1545 

bildabbles@aol.com 

North Central 

Judy Quest 

715 North 36th Street 

Omaha, NE 68131-1906 

402.551.4185 

dearheart@cox.net 

Northwest 

Pennie Smith 

6613 S. Prospect St. 

Tacoma, WA 98409 

253.241.1176 

253.475.9170 

penzfrmhvn@comcast.net 

Mideast 

Jessica King 

6522 MacCorkle Avenue 

Saint Albans, WV 25177 

304.542.6046 

gabbygayle2005@yahoo.com 

Midwest 

Georgia Morris 

4234 Woodworth 

Holt, MI 48842 

517.694.7100 

clownshananigans@comcast.net 

Southeast 

Dianna Hale 

1013 Way Thru The Woods 

Decatur, AL 35603 

256-309-1153 

dhale5@att.net 

South Central 

Lulu Mire 

946 Napoli Ct 

League city, TX 77573 

832-444-9959 

lucia555@gmail.com 

Southwest 

Julie Varholdt 

4601 S Kachina Drive 

Tempa, AZ 85282 

480-838-7781 

lovelybuttons@cox.net 

Canada 

Dale McKenzie 

867 Raynard Crescent SE 

Calgary, AB T2A 1X6 

403.273.9047 H 

403.606.7750 C 

funehappenings@shaw.ca 

Latin Countries 

Angel Morales 

24 RR5 Jardines de 

Caparra, Bayamon, 

PR 00959 

787.565.3205 

jobolin2008@aol.com 

International 

Ted White 

209 Obi Obi Road 

Mapleton, Qld. 4560 

Australia 

+61 7 5445 7980 

twaddles2014@hotmail.com 

STANDING COMMITTEES 

Audio Visual: Merilyn Barrett 407.844.2862 • klownkop@prodigy.net 

Budget Committee: Mike Cox, 804.337.6143 • coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Sandra Winstead 804.350.3687 • strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Paddee Embrey, Dan Langwell, Willy McGinnis, 

Dale McKenzie, Pennie Smith 

Bylaws and Rules: Mike Cox, 804.337.6143 • coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Cleon Babcock, Ted White, Jeanne Wosaka 

Clown Week: Bob Gretton, 301.843.8212 bunkytclown@comcast.net 

Competition: Cathy Mackey, (518) 784-2127 • ctots@aol.com, 

Pam Bacher, Bob Gretton, Cynthia Kella, John Kral, Bill Le Blanc, 

Walt Lee, Tim Laynor, Ann Sanders 

Ethics & Grievance: Paul Kleinberger 518.489.2680 

• fuddiduddy@aol.com Kent Sheets, Jeanne Woska 

Finance: Sandra Winstead, Chair, Paddee Embry, 

Dan Langwell, Mike Cox, Judy Quest 

Good Cheer: Fred Schlosshauer, 973.887.2617 • oscarboj@aol.com 

Historians: Walt Lee 410.551.7830 • wally788@verizon.net 

Teresa Gretton, Jeanne Woska 

International Ambassador Program: Bob Gretton, 301.843.8212 • 

bunkytclown@comcast.net 

Junior Joeys: Regina Wollrabe 503.807.2584 • 

coaijrjoeys@gmail.com, Kynisha Ducre, Paddee Embrey, 

Bob & Teresa Gretton, Willy McGinnis, Dale McKenzie, Cheri Venturi 

Membership: Teresa Gretton 301.843.8212 • gretton@verizon.net 

Willy McGinnis, Doug Munsell, Judy Quest 

Merchandise: Sandra Winstead 804.350.3687 • strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Parliamentary Procedure Advisor: Cleon Babcock 515.266.6530 • 

ccbabcock@aol.com 

Public Relations: Bonnie Love, 619.282.9668 • 

bonbonsandiego@yahoo.com 

Scholarship: Jim Dixon, 316.871.6705 • 

jdixon2482@gmail.com, Paddee Embrey, Judy Quest 

2 The New Calliope • March/April 2015

March / April 2015 

Volume 32 • Number 2 

Published by 

Clowns of America International 

The mission of Clowns of America 

International is to organize all members 

desiring to pursue the honorable 

profession or art of clowning and the 

dedication toward its advancement and 

the education of its members. 

COAI Business Office 

Post Office Box 122 

Eustis, Florida 32727 

Telephone: 

1-877-816-6941(toll-free) 

1-352-357-1676 

Hours: Monday-Friday 

9:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. (EST) 

E-mail: coaioffice@aol.com 

Website: www.coai.org 

Magazine Production 

SPS Publications, Inc. 

Copy Editors 

Sarah Haines 

Erika Higgins 

Graphic Design 

Jessica Friend 

Creative Consultant 

Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe 

Publication Deadlines 

May/June 2015 – April 1 

July/August 2015 – June 1 

September/October 2015 – August 1 

November/December 2015 – October 1 

January/February 2016 – December 1 

Send ads and articles to 

thenewcalliope@gmail.com. 

The New Calliope (ISSN 1072-1045) 

is published bi-monthly (January/ 

February, March/April, May/June, 

July/August, September/October, 

November/December) by COAI, Post 

Office Box 122, Eustis, Florida 32727. 

Periodicals Postage Paid at Richeyville, 

Pennsylvania, and additional mailing 

offices. POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to: COAI Business Office 

Manager • Post Office Box 122, 

Eustis, Florida 32727. 

The New Calliope articles are protected 

by U.S. copyright and international 

treaties and may not be copied without 

the express permission of Clowns of 

America International, which reserves 

all rights. Re-use of any of The New 

Calliope editorial content and graphics 

online, in print or any other medium for 

any purpose is strictly prohibited. 

© 2015 COAI 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

COVER PHOTO: BILL CARTER/COLE BROS. CIRCUS 

OUR COVER 

4 Bob “Bunky” Gretton: Lifetime Achievement Award 

Erika Higgins 

HOW-TO 

8 Get Noticed! Bonita “Bon Bon” Love 

14 Clown Clothes Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

17 Spring Flowers Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell 

20 What We Do as Clowns Angel Ocasio 

22 Skin Care Brian “Topper” Lees 

23 Giveaways Aurora “Bebop” Krause 

36 I Know What You’re Thinking Ann “Tuttles” Sanders 

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR 

11 What Makes Clowning Special Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell 

16 Junior Joeys: Taylor Moss Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe 

18 What Keeps a Clown Club Thriving? Pricilla Mooseburger 

28 Spring Cleaning Alice “Bizzy” Szanto 

OFFICIAL BUSINESS 

13 From the President Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger 

30 Treasurer’s Report Paddee “Molasses” Embrey 

33 Alley Happenings Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt 

34 From the Membership Director Teresa “Blondi” Gretton 

35 From the Director of Education Jim “Soapy” Dixon 

NEWS 

23 Membership Gifters 

23 Support Our Advertisers 

24 COAI Convention Schedule of Events 

25 COAI 2015 Convention Registration 

29 The Last Walk-Around 

30 Clown Calendar 

37 Snapshots 

MISCELLANEOUS 

2 Directory of Officers, Directors, and Committees 

31 COAI Registration and Renewal Form 

32 Formulario de Applicacion y Renovacion 

38 Welcome, New Members 

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 3 

4 

8 

17 

14 

23

OUR COVER 

By Erika Higgins 

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner 


The Heart of a Clown 

Six years ago, “Joeys” around the world looked on in approval as Bob “Bunky” 

Gretton was named COAI’s Clown of the Year. Reporting on this honor, one journalist 

likened it to “a physicist winning a Nobel or a writer getting a Pulitzer.”* 

But if 2009 brought Pulitzer status, 2015 brings immortality: Bob “Bunky” Gretton 

has now earned the Lifetime Achievement Award—only the eighth person to achieve 

this status. 

To even be considered for the award, candidates must maintain their COAI membership 

for twenty consecutive years and make major contributions to the organization. 

They chair committees, teach at conventions, write for The New Calliope, promote 

COAI, and support the art of clowning in just about every way you can imagine. Bob 

Gretton has made all of these contributions and many more, qualifying for the nomination 

with flying colors. 

Candidates cannot apply for the Lifetime Achievement Award—they must be nominated 

and then recommended by at least three people, in the form of a written letter. 

“We love being recognized by our peers like this,” Bob says of the honor. But even 

with the prestige of the award, Bob thankfully acknowledges his fellow craftsmen and 

craftswomen’s role in this bestowal. As Terry “Mys-Terry” Knight—who nominated 

him for the award—notes: “Bob never expects a thank you but is always quick to thank 

us for allowing him the opportunity to share ideas and create memories and smiles.” 

As COAI enters its thirtieth year, some of the core contributors—those who have 

grown alongside the organization from its foundation—find that they are entering 

their “retirement” years more active than ever. Bunky admits to engaging in self-talk 

every morning: “All right, old man. Get up, get your make-up on, get your shoes on, 

and let’s go!” But he attests that once he puts his face on he is a teenager again. 

Bunky plans on never retiring. Second, of course, to his wife and children, his life 

has been devoted to clowning. He doesn’t even need make-up or costumes anymore, 

really. Some consider those elements key to the clown persona, but Bunky says, “I’m 

basically on all the time. I love doing random acts of kindness, just bringing smiles to 

people. That’s all I try to do. That’s what I think I’m here for, to bring a little comic 

relief to people.” 

Talk about the true heart of a clown. 

“This isn’t a weekend thing for me,” he continues. “It’s not a part-time thing for me. 

It’s twenty-four, seven.” 

He isn’t joking. His clown character is so much a part of his life that he says a lot 

of people don’t even know his real name; they just know him as Bunky. Through years 

of wholeheartedly living the life of a clown, Bob Gretton and Bunky have become 

synonymous. 

Some of his initial clown fame stemmed from Clowning Around with Bunky, an 

hour-long cable show that Bob and his wife Teresa produced for six consecutive years, 

back in the eighties. As Bunky and Blinky, the couple regaled viewers every week. 

PHOTO BY BILL CARTER/COLE BROS. CIRCUS 

The family show starred the rest of the 

Gretton family as well—their children 

Kimberly, J.B., and Andy. 

While his television days were quite 

a stepping stone, even after thirty-eight 

years in clowning, Bunky still considers 

himself under construction. “I don’t ever 

want to get complacent,” he confides. “I 

don’t ever want to say, ‘Well, that’s the 

best I can be.’” Part of this go-get-’em 

attitude exhibits itself in his instruction 

of others. 

In addition to spreading love and joy 

to everyone he meets, Bunky believes 

his secondary purpose, as well as that of 

COAI, is to pass on the baton. “That’s 

why my wife and I, we teach at a lot of 

conventions,” he affirmed during our 

phone interview. “To teach the art of 

clowning the way we were taught, just 

trying to perpetuate it.” Over the past 

seventeen years, both Bunky and his 

wife, now inhabiting the clown character 

Blondi, have lectured at COAI 

Annual Conventions, Clown Camps in 

the U.S. and Canada, the Circus Magic 

conventions, SECA (South East Clown 

Association) conventions, MACA 

(Mid-Atlantic Clown Association) conventions, 

and represented COAI at a 

convention in Mexico, teaching aboard 

the MSC Poesia for the Toby the Clown 

Foundation. 



Timeline of Accomplishments 

Awards Memberships Leadership Life Events 

1965 Met Teresa Roche, senior year of high school at Northwestern High 

in Hyattsville, Maryland 

1977 First clowning gig, Family Fun Day in neighborhood, fills in last 

minute at request of his wife 

1977 Studied at Circus Hall of Fame in Sarasota, Florida 

1979 Joins Clowns of America 

1979 Attends first National Convention, Chicago, Illinois 

1982-1988 “Clowning Around with Bunky,” starring Bunky, Blinky, 

1983 Waldorf Lions Club Citizen of the Year 

1984 COA becomes COAI 

1988 Joins Kapitol Klowns, COAI Alley 6 

1993 Top Ten, Group Skit, COAI, St. Louis, Missouri 

1996 Third Place, Individual Paradeability, COAI, Puerto Rico 

1996 Top Ten, Group Skit, COAI, Puerto Rico 

1996 Special Invitation to Serve on COAI AAA Master Clown Alley, Puerto Rico 

1996 COAI Alley 6 Elections Committee head 

1996 Kapitol Klowns Alley Clown of the Year Bob Berry Award 

1997 COAI certified Competition Judge 

1997 Second Place, Group Paradeability, COAI, Sturbridge, Massachusetts 

1997 First Place, Group Paradeability, Clownfest, Seaside Heights, New Jersey 

1998 Gave his first COAI Convention lecture 

1998 First Place, Group Skit, COAI, St. Louis, Missouri 

1998 First time on staff at SECA Convention 

1999 Member of SECA 

1999 On staff at Clown Camp – LaCrosse, Wisconsin 

1999 Recommended individual CHARLIE Award (as Clown Week Chairman), 

which was approved by the board. 

2000-2003 COAI Clown Week Chairman 

2000 On staff at Clown Camp (LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Medicine Hat, Canada) 

2001 Elected as Vice President of SECA 

2000-2015 Served on SECA Board 

2001-2006 Served on MACA Board as Maryland State Representative 

2002 Finalist in 23 rd Annual Telly Awards – “Fiber Feud” as actor – Verizon 

program 

2003 COAI Competition Co-Chair 

2004 Skit judge, 27 th Annual P.O.N.Y. Convention, Wickliffe, Ohio 

2005 Helped found Red Nose Response after Hurricane Katrina 

2005 SECA President 

2005-2015 Member of Red Nose Response COAI Alley 399 

2006 MACA Clownitarian Award 

2007 Commissioned a Kentucky Colonel 

2008 USA Freedom Corps, the President’s Volunteer Service Award, signed by 

President G.W. Bush 

2009-2015 COAI Competition Committee 

2009 Nuevo Laredo Convention, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico 

2009 COAI Clown of the Year 

2010 Performed and Instructed on the Toby the Clown Cruise 

2011 SECA President; Chartered SECA as COAI Alley 415 

2011 Member of Krackerjac Clown Alley COAI Alley 159 

2012 Member of Alligator Alley COAI Alley 413 

2012 Second Place, Group Skit, Masters Division, SECA 

2012 Third Place, Group Skit, Kansas City, Missouri 

2012-2015 Appointed COAI International Ambassador Chairperson, COAI Clown 

Week Chairman 

2013 “Don’t Clown Around with Disaster Preparedness” 

2014 Member of Freestate COAI Alley 30 

2014 SECA President Elect 

2014 Advance Clown Cole Bros. Circus 

2015 SECA President 

2015 Lifetime Achievement Award 


Top: Early Bunky. Bottom: Bunky and Blinky. 

In their mentor roles, the Grettons 

always pay special attention to Junior 

Joey programs, and Bob serves on the 

COAI Junior Joey Committee. Callings 

like these demonstrate how much Bunky 

over-qualifies for the COAI Lifetime 

Achievement Award. He doesn’t just 

fulfill the duties of his (numerous) positions—he 

epitomizes the heart of a 

clown. 

And teaching the younger generations 

is near and dear to his heart. Despite last 

year’s news-wide clown shortage scare, 

Bunky does not feel that clowning is a 

moribund dedication. 

“The look has certainly changed. We’re 

not so heavy into the make-up anymore. 

It’s turning into a different direction,” 

he admits. But he remains sanguine. 

“As long as we keep the foundation of 

clowning the way it’s supposed to be,” 

he counsels, “perpetuation of the clowning 

trade, including the continuation of 

COAI, is assured.” 

Vocation interpretation may be 

changing a little, but rest easy. “A clown 

is a clown is a clown,” Bunky reminds us. 

And clowns have always been around. 

6 The New Calliope • March/April 2015 

Blondi and Bunky on tour with Cole Bros. Circus in Pensacola, Florida. PHOTO BY BILL CARTER/COLE BROS. 

CIRCUS 

Teaching younger clowns is not just 

about having people remember your 

tricks and patter. The act of passing on 

a lifetime of experience is a legacy unto 

itself. He dedicates time to a local summer 

program each year to teach children 

clowning and comedy theatre through 

a college camp. He has also enjoyed 

instructing the children in the Little 

Big Top programs through the Family 

Entertainers Conventions. 

Bob Gretton’s legacy will forever impact 

the realm of COAI. But the love he 

exhibits toward people he has never met 

extends beyond organization, state, and 

even country borders. 

Take the Red Nose Response (RNR), 

which Bob helped found in 2005 to help 

the clown community support survivors, 

families of victims, and relief operations 

following a major natural or man-made 

catastrophe. RNR also chartered a 

COAI alley. For almost ten years, he has 

played an active role on the RNR board 

of directors, as Vice President and as a 

Maryland State Responder, and even a 

spell as president. He and his wife, Teresa 

“Blondi” Gretton, wrote the script for 

the iconic “Don’t Clown Around with 

Disaster Preparedness.” 

As Mr. Gretton says, “The more people 

we have prepared, the less people 

will have to worry about when disaster 

does hit.” They filmed the skit as an 

easily accessible educational promotion, 

which demonstrates Bunky’s enormous 

heart for the community. But when they 

posted their video on the RNR website 

(www.rednoseresponse.org), the Grettons 

also included their original script, so 

that other clowns could perform the 

safety preparedness message for schools, 

churches, daycares, and civic groups. 

Bunky and Blondi don’t care about fame. 

If they got paid to do half the things they 

do, they’d both be millionaires by now. 

When you love what you do, your passion 

bleeds into your performance. This 

sincerity captures audiences. It is what 

truly makes you great. And with excellence 

in an art comes the responsibility 

of leadership. 

Mr. Gretton’s heart for service doesn’t 

stop with instructing Junior Joeys and 

filming safety instructions. He embraces 

this responsibility as a chance to 

help guide the art of clowning into the 

future. This is yet another trait which 

makes him so qualified for the Lifetime 

Achievement Award. Bunky currently 

holds two chairman positions in COAI: 

for both the International Ambassador 

Program and International Clown 

Week. Since 2009 he has also put his 

judging experience to work as a member 

of the Competition Committee. 

But he has just as many eggs outside 

the Clowns of America International 

basket. He’s on the leadership board 

of the American Clown Museum (and

School) in Lake Placid, Florida, and in 

2015 he stepped into his third term as 

president for SECA. 

Last year Bunky and Blondi added another 

credit to their clowning career by 

working as the advance clowns for Cole 

Bros. Circus. While they call Maryland 

their home, the Grettons performed 115 

shows last year in twelve different states 

throughout the Eastern U.S. An article 

in the November/December issue of The 

New Calliope summarized the rigorous 

demands of working in the circus. After 

the season ended, they found themselves 

as busy as ever, with administrative responsibilities 

that would seem to some 

like all work and no play. “Since we’ve 

been off tour,” he notes, “we’ve been 

mostly on the computer doing work for 

all these different organizations—writing 

articles, policies and procedure, [working 

on] education.” 

But he’s not complaining. He just can’t 

wait to be out in the field again. Because 

of the cold, winter is a slow time for 

clowning, at least in the North. His heart 

wants to get back to doing what he loves. 

“I’m looking forward to getting back on 

the road,” he says, still surprised himself 

by how much he misses the exhausting 

circus life. “I’m a caged racehorse right 

now.” 

Nevertheless, Mr. Gretton’s heart of 

service does not flag. He perseveres with 

writing e-mails and making time for 

phone interviews. His doggedly cheerful 

outlook, coupled with his leadership 

positions, sets a huge example, and challenges 

all clowns to be the best they can be. 

Lately Bunky and Blondi seem to have 

taken on a new challenge: that of the distinctions 

between circus and carpet clowns. 

Though it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, 

COAI clowns are generally carpet clowns, 

performing at birthday parties, libraries, 

daycares, and youth events. Circus clowns, 

on the other hand, jump, tumble, and utilize 

more physical, slapstick comedy. Bunky 

admits that “a carpet clown and a circus 

clown are like apples and oranges.” 

But that did not stop the Grettons for a 

heartbeat when they were offered positions 

as forerunners for the Cole Bros. Circus. As 

he said before, Mr. Gretton still identifies 

himself as a student of the art of clowning. 

But Bunky is learning from his circus days 

just as he absorbed comedy performances 

when he was a kid. 

That’s actually how he chose his name. 

When he was a boy, his dad took him to 

see many comedy shows. There was one old 

comedian—Eddie Lawrence—who called 

himself the Old Philosopher. He would 

spin a one-liner situation, casting “you” the 

audience as the afflicted protagonist, and 

follow every depressingly ridiculous scenario 

up with, “Is that what’s wrong with 

you, Bunkie?” 

The name was different and uncommon, 

and despite not being a downer type of person, 

our Bunky just sort of picked it up. In 

a way, now he is preserving the legacy of 

someone who came before, while adding 

to it with his own life adventures and 

feats. 

Bunky doesn’t just have a heart for 

growing himself and for passing on his 

knowledge. He isn’t just serving as a 

safety reference, a leader, a coordinator. 

And his impact stretches far beyond 

the reaches of Clowns of America 

International. 

Bob Gretton is broadening the boundaries 

of carpet clowndom itself. While 

Bunky and Blondi look forward to entering 

their second year touring with the 

Cole Bros. Circus, Bob still identifies 

himself as a carpet clown. “At sixty-seven 

years old,” Bunky joked regarding the 

physicality of circus clowns, “if I ever fall 

down, the paramedics will have to come 

get me.” In teaching the art, he often 

says, “Each time I clown, I perform with 

enthusiasm as though it was my very 

first time and with the realization that it 

might be my very last time.” 

If all his years of furthering craft 

preservation through education are not 

noteworthy enough, Bob Gretton is also 

writing a book. What will he achieve 

next? One thing is for sure: Bunky the 

Clown will never stop finding new ways 

to pass on the overflowing love from his 

three-sizes-too-big heart of a clown. 

As recipient of the Lifetime 

Achievement Award, Bob “Bunky” 

Gretton doesn’t just exemplify the heart 

of a clown—he has made that heart his 

legacy. TNC 

Talking About Bunky 

“No one can deny that Bob knows funny, but he also knows how to motivate, educate, and communicate….You can always find 

him after a competition speaking directly with the participants, giving them advice to help improve their clowning. To Bob it is 

more about education than just competition. As a mentor, he is a gifted communicator who puts the fun in fundamentals. —Terry 

“Mys-Terry” Knight, Nominator for Bob “Bunky” Gretton 

“Bob Gretton goes above and beyond the call of duty for anyone. He is so giving of his time, talent, and kindness....[He] is the 

epitome of a clown’s clown.” —Lee “Lew-E” Andrews 

“If you have attended a COAI Convention in the past twenty years, the first face you see is Bob Gretton sitting in the lobby of 

the hotel greeting everyone who comes to the convention….Bob is someone who gives from his love of clowning….If you want to 

see the true heart of a clown, look at any COAI event and you will see Bob “Bunky” Gretton.” —Barbara Cox, COAI Mideast Rep, 

Lifetime Member 

“He has been a fantastic mentor and friend. He is always an inspiration and a true cut up! He has helped me to believe in myself 

and my talents.” —Sue “Squeeze” Marranconi, 2015 Clown of the Year 


GET 

NOTICED! 

By Bonita “Bon Bon” Love 

Ever wonder how to get your story printed in the paper or broadcast on 

radio or television? Bonita “Bon Bon” Love has successfully submitted 

clowning news to media outlets. This year she used her knowledge to publicize 

COAI’s 2015 Clown of the Year, Sue “Squeeze” Marranconi—and 

the story made the front page of the Sunday paper. Here are some of Bon 

Bon’s tips for releasing news to the media. Use the information for yourself 

or help promote your alley’s special events. 

DEVELOPING A MEDIA CONTACT LIST 

First, make a list of media outlets in your area. You can do this by doing an internet 

search for “media your state or town” (for example, “Media San Diego.”) I’ve 

found mondotimes.com (www.mondotimes.com/tv/usa/ or www.mondotimes.com/ 

newspapers/usa/) to be the best. I also collect the contact information for every little 

newspaper available in my area. There is a plethora of newspapers that are hungry for 

your news release! 

Now comes the work. Go to each and every website for the tv stations, newspapers, 

and radio stations and find the contact info. It is almost always at the top or bottom 

of the first page. I build a media list and title it something like, “Media San Diego.” 

I build in each contact and assign it to the appropriate list. On each contact I put 

the name of group (such as CBS channel 10 San Diego), the email address from the 

web page, and the web page address so that if a contact bounces I can easily find a 

replacement contact. This will take hours and hours for each area, but once it is done 

you have it forever. When I want to send a news release, I send it to myself and bcc to 

the appropriate media list. By using bcc I can send it to all of the contacts at once, but 

they don’t know I sent it to anyone else except them (sneaky). 

Bonita “Bon Bon” Love. 

Where – Again, be exact. Include name 

of venue (i.e., hotel or American Legion). 

Be sure to include room and street numbers 

if applicable. 

Why – This generally isn’t needed in 

routine club announcements. However, if 

a special meeting is being called, then your 

release should say why it is being held. 

Accuracy 

When you submit an announcement or 

a news release, you are acting as a reporter. 

The media assumes you have provided 

accurate information. Please double check 

times, dates, and phone numbers. Above 

all, make sure the names in your release are 

spelled correctly. If the name has an unusual 

spelling, use the symbol (OK) after the 

name so the media knows that the spelling 

is correct. 

NEWS RELEASE GUIDELINES 

All news releases should have a name and telephone number of the person submitting 

the information. A release date – when you would like the information to be 

published – is also helpful. Many news releases simply say, “For immediate release.” A 

kill date is the day the event is over. 

News releases should answer “The Five W’s”—Who? What? When? Where? Why? 

Who – Who is sponsoring the program? Who will speak? Please use the full name 

of the organization. Not everyone knows what abbreviations or acronyms (such as 

COAI) stand for. 

What – What is the purpose of the news item? To publicize a project? To recruit 

members or volunteers? To announce a visiting speaker? Make sure that readers will 

know what you’re talking about (don’t say “clownology,” call them “clown classes.”) 

When – Be exact. Not just Tuesday afternoon, but 2:00 p.m. Jan. 25, Tuesday. 

Always use dates. 


Using the methods described in this article, the author 

got COAI’s Clown of the Year on the front page of the 

Sunday paper, as well as the online edition (shown 

here).

Also, please let the media know if a 

meeting has been canceled or its location 

changed so they can make a correction 

before your news item appears in print. 

Please type or print your news releases; 

illegible handwriting is a major cause of 

mistakes. Most places prefer e-mail. 

Deadlines 

The newspaper business differs from 

many others in that it must meet specific 

deadlines. If you don’t meet a deadline, 

your item may not be published. 

Deadlines vary for different departments. 

When in doubt, call the newsroom. It is 

best to start sending the news release six 

months before the event, especially for 

the free community newspapers (i.e. The 

Reader or a local newspaper.) 

Keep sending your news release even 

if the media contacts you to cover your 

event. Remember that if there is some 

sensational item (such as a murder, fire, 

or catastrophe) they will cover that, not 

your happy event. Sad but true. 

MEDIA INTERVIEWS 

Media outlets (i.e. television, radio, 

and newspaper) compare with each 

other. If you are fortunate enough to get 

more than one outlet to cover an event, 

it is important to make each one unique. 

For example, have the main portion of 

one interview be about hospital clowning 

and another about the transformations 

of face painting (how far it has 

progressed recently) with all the new 

products available. Another interview 

could concentrate on magic and you 

could demonstrate one or two types of 

magic you normally perform very well. 

Another interview could demonstrate an 

awesome twisting of a balloon—something 

big and showy that you could 

give the interviewer. Another interview 

could be on line clowning: such as Run 

for the Cure (cancer) or any other run 

you have clowned for. Another interview 

could focus on an upcoming convention, 

especially if it is nearby. Another interview 

could center on the joy we receive 

from children’s smiles. Another interview 

could center on parades. Another 

on birthday parties. The possibilities 

are endless! Also, if you have more 

Contact Information: 

Include clown name 

Home phone 

Cell phone 

Email address 

This section will not be shared with public 

than one interview a day, wear different 

clothes. Change it up as much as possible. 

Different media outlets do not want 

to have the same articles. They will talk 

to each other; if they have the same interview, 

the second media will not give 

coverage. 

Offer to face paint the reporter. 

Talk about the FDA complaint paints. 

Talk about not using acrylic. 

Show how to make split cakes. 

Offer to twist a fancy balloon for the 

reporter. 

Real name 

News Release 

for Immediate Release 

kill date when the event is over 

catchy headline to be put in subject of email 

What: What are you announcing? Clown classes? Convention? 

When: What is the date/dates of your event 

Where: The name of the hotel, and street address of event 

Why: To promote the art of clowning? 

Contact: Name and phone number that will be shared with public 

Brief description of event: 

Who is going to be performing. A small paragraph to grab attention. 

What is the benefit of covering this event? 

By covering this event you will also be contributing to the future of all clown entertainers. 

Clowns appeal to all ages and appear in places from hospitals to festivals. They provide 

laughter in a world that truly needs jocularity. 

Our website: 

Here are some websites you may want to refer to: 

Offer to teach the reporter how to make 

a simple balloon, i.e. dog. 

Offer to teach a magic trick to the 

reporter. 

Wear a different costume for each interview, 

if possible. Consider different wigs 

or hats. Change it up so each interview is 

different and unique. 

Reporters will probably bring up coulrophobia, 

an abnormal fear of clowns. 

Talk about the upcoming convention. 

Make sure you give your phone number 

for possible future bookings or for future 

clowns to contact you. TNC 

www.mrmediatraining.com/2011/05/12/8-ground-rules-when-working-with-reporters/ 

www.iams.com/en_us/data_root/_pdf/bolws_love_pdf/Guidelines_for_Media_ 

Interviews_010214.pdf 

www.sfn.org/~/media/SfN/Documents/Public%20Outreach/baw_General_Techniques_ 

for_Media_Interviews.ashx 




What Makes Clowning Special? 

By Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell 

Have you ever really thought about what makes clowning special? Many of you 

are probably thinking about the smiling faces and happy memories. But what 

makes clowning different from other hobbies and professions? All jobs have descriptions. 

Brick masons lay bricks. Roofers nail down one shingle after another all day 

long. Salesmen talk about their products. As clowns, people expect us to meet certain 

criteria as well. They want us to: 

• Be funny. Always. 

• Perform magic in a silly way. 

• Make awesome balloon creations. 

• Expertly paint faces. 

• Juggle. 

• Tell jokes (luckily for me, these are not expected to be funny). 

• Do it all extremely well. 

Some magicians practice their entire lives to be really good in a specialized area 

of magic. At the very least they must dedicate a few years to practicing. And if they 

decide to take an extended break, they have to go back to the drawing board in many 

ways. The magician’s fingers forget their fancy moves. Their brains no longer remember 

the patter they worked so hard to perfect. Their timing loses its precision. 

Top face painters today are like the great masters of fine art from the distant past. 

Pashur might be Rembrandt; Nick Wolfe, Monet. Hearts, stars, and little flowers don’t 

seem to cut it anymore. You could almost buy a small car for the amount of money 

many of these artists have invested in their materials and set-up. The world of the 

professional face painter has become an elite and expensive field. 

Stand-up comedians struggle for years developing their acts. They travel the country, 

practicing over and over again in run-down clubs, making minor changes in their 

material until each small element is nearly perfect. As individual professions, each of 

these—magician, face painter, comedian—requires immense amounts of work and 

commitment. 

But as clowns, the public expects us to be well skilled in all of these areas, and then 

some! They want us to be experts from the very first time we don the red nose. But 

even with all these different aspects of clowning, if that was all we did, all we offered, 

(even if we did each part exceptionally well) it would not be enough to make us an excellent 

clown. How wonderful it would be, to have a magical red nose. What if, unlike 

Rudolph’s, this nose did for a clown what the top hat did for Frosty the Snowman? 

Well, in a way, you do have a magic red nose. While your clown nose doesn’t necessarily 

give you magical powers (at least, not without a lot of practice), it does bring your 

character to life for your audience. 

You don’t have to be the best at everything. 

Every clown won’t have 

every clowning skill. Maybe you don’t 

twist balloons; or maybe you just haven’t 

been able to master even the most 

basic magic. That is okay. What makes 

clowning special is all of the above, but 

it’s more. Our hearts seal the deal. Our 

energy, our zeal, makes us as a whole 

bigger and better than the sum of our 

clowning skills. 

Whatever parts you feel you can’t 

get, just make the decision to not offer 

those particular services. As long as you 

do the rest with the heart of a clown, 

you’ll still be extra special to your audiences. 

And you’ll be happier, too, when 

you are not constantly struggling with 

a skill that you don’t even enjoy doing. 

Let your clown play. Your passion will 

charm your audiences more than any 

skills you flaunt, and that is what makes 

clowning special. TNC 

SUBMITTING PHOTOS TO ‘THE NEW CALLIOPE’? 

When submitting photos for publication, 

please include people’s names and other 

details about when and where the picture 

was taken. Include clown names, too. For 

example: Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger. 

Thank you! 



OFFICIAL BUSINESS


Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger 

From the President 

By now I am sure you have noticed the cover of this issue of The New Calliope, 

with a picture of our newest Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Bob “Bunky” 

Gretton. Bunky was also our 2009 Clown of the Year recipient at the Clarksville, 

Indiana, convention. Many of you know him as our official greeter at just about every 

convention, where he welcomes COAI members as they come through the door. I am 

sure the Walmart greeters could learn a lot from the Bunk-ster. But in all seriousness, 

Bob has contributed to COAI both openly and behind the scenes for many, many 

years, and I am very glad to see our organization honor him as our newest LTA and 

poster boy. Be sure to read all the details about Bob Gretton in the cover story on page 

4. Congratulations, Bob. We are all proud of you. 

On January 31, 2015, COAI made alley history with the help of Junior Joey Chair 

Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe and her committee. About eighteen of our Junior Joeys 

(with their parents) attended the first-ever virtual alley meeting. I had the pleasure 

of being a part of this historic event as COAI moved another step forward into the 

twenty-first century of clowning. It was such a pleasure to see our Junior Joeys meet, 

greet, and share their thoughts with one another. Because of the logistics of their 

varied locations, many of these Junior Joeys would have never met in any other way. 

Needless to say the event was a fantastic success. I can guarantee that this form of 

meeting will aid in the further development of the COAI Junior Joeys in the future. 

Last month the second Junior Joey virtual alley meeting featured Julie Vaholdt who 

presented a lecture. There are plans for senior alleys to also use this COAI tool to share 

the talents of lecturers (without the lecturer leaving home) with clowns across the 

globe. Let’s congratulate our Junior Joeys for leading us into the future. 

The New Clowning Basics books have now hit the streets and are the learning tool 

that any clown from beginner to pro cannot do without. Clowns need to continue to 

learn and share information, and whether you are the teacher or the student the new 

Clowning Basics book is exactly what you need for just $25 plus $3 postage. For those 

who run clown schools, we have a very special promotion to help you and your schools 

succeed. If you order five or more Clowning Basics books (all going to one address) you 

get free shipping! That’s right—you just pay for the books, a $15 savings compared to 

ordering them separately. Also, if you are running a clown school and you order five 

or more books going to one address—for a limited time only—we will offer a new 

COAI membership to give to your student at graduation for just $25 more. That is a 

$23 savings for every student. (Membership comes with an electronic edition of The 

New Calliope). This means that for just $50, your student gets a Clowning Basics book, 

you as their teacher and mentor, and a one-year membership in COAI. That is good 

for your student, good for your school, and good for COAI. It’s a win-win-win for 

everyone and can also be a great advertisement for your school as well. So, what are 

you waiting for? 

Another bit of wonderful news I get to share with all the COAI members is the 

number six. Six as in “six pack,” and no, it’s not about my physique; it’s not about a 

half-dozen donuts or the sides of a hexagon. The six I am speaking of is six consecutive 

months. We are proud to announce that for six consecutive months we have 

had an increase in our membership! Check out the long list of new members in 

this issue on page 38. I give the credit to our RVPs, our membership director Teresa 

Gretton, and all the COAI board members—and 

a special thank you to Laurel 

and Sammy Smith. Thank you all for 

working together to bring six months 

of growth to our membership. There is 

so much we can accomplish when we all 

work together for the benefit of our organization. 

Again, I thank you all. 

As you look through The New Calliope, 

you will also find the schedule of events 

that you will see in Erie, Pennsylvania, 

at the 30 th Annual COAI International 

Convention (April 21–26) starting on 

page 24. The ERIEsistible Clowns have 

put together a fantastic line-up of educational 

classes for members of COAI— 

but that is just the beginning. They have 

so many extras in store, you are going to 

have to pace yourself just to get it all in. 

In fact, maybe you should get all your 

sleep now because you will not want 

to miss a thing. So if you haven’t done 

so yet, be sure to make your reservation 

today. 

Now, I have heard that some airlines 

do not fly directly into Erie airport. Well, 

I did some investigation and found that 

if you fly into Cleveland airport instead 

Taylor Moss attends COAI's first Virtual Alley Meeting, 

hosted by Junior Joey Chair Regina "Cha Cha" Wollrabe. 

(See Regina's Junior Joey column this month for more 

about Taylor.) 

you can get an Amtrak train that takes 

you directly into Erie for just $18 to $38. 

Or, if you fly into Buffalo, there is an Erie 

Bus that only charges $14 each way. Or 

if you start walking now—(just kidding). 

I hope I get to meet each of you in Erie 

(I’ll be the one in pirate garb), so please 

Continued on page 35 


HOW-TO 

Clown Clothes 

By Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

appreciated Jim Dixon’s article in the 

I November/December 2014 issue of 

The New Calliope. First he referred to 

what clowns wear as clothes instead of 

costume. Jeff McMullen was the first 

person I heard make that distinction. 

He said, “Costume implies that you are 

pretending or in disguise. Clothes means 

that you are real.” I have a Bachelor of 

Arts in Technical Theater, and once I 

heard him say it, it made perfect sense to 

me. In my costume classes we always referred 

to the clothes worn by a character. 

Once you start thinking that way it 

gives you freedom. Just as a person has 

more than one set of clothes, a clown 

can have more than one set of clothes. 

For example, my character Charlie has a 

variety of shirts. His favorite is a white 

shirt with narrow blue and tan stripes. 

However, recently I was performing 

outside at a food drive drop-off site and 

needed something warmer. So, I wore a 

thick solid blue shirt. Charlie has a coat 

that he wears sometimes, especially if 

it is raining. Charlie also has Westernstyle 

clothes that he wears occasionly. 

When he puts them on he is not a different 

character. Charlie still has the same 

personality, but he is dressed differently. 

I go into this in more depth in my 

book Creativity for Entertainers, Volume 

Two. 

In the theater we talked about clothes 

being an expression of the character’s 

personality. Jim’s problem with wearing a 

white tuxedo shirt was that it was not an 

expression of Soapy’s personality. It was 

an expression of someone else’s personality 

being imposed upon Soapy. 

Justification is a theater term for explaining 

a choice based on a character’s 

personality and lifestyle. The reason I 

wear mismatched shoes as Charlie is 

that I decided as a tramp Charlie found 

his shoes instead of purchasing them. A 

pair of shoes does not wear out evenly. 

When one shoe in a pair is too old, 

people throw both shoes away, although 

one may still be wearable. Also, when 

PHOTO BY MERILYN BARRETT 

somebody accidentally loses a shoe they 

sometimes lose just one out of a pair. 

So Charlie found his left shoe in one 

location and found his right shoe in another 

location. That is making a choice 

based on justification. It is also referred 

to as “Character Development from the 

Inside.” 

Another way to use justification is to 

make a choice you like and then figure 

out how it fits your character’s personality. 

The reason I originally chose to 

wear mismatched shoes is too long and 

complicated to use as an answer when a 

child asks why my shoes don’t match. So, 

I came up with a different reason. I tell 

kids that it is so I can tell which shoe goes 

on my right foot and which one goes on 

my left foot. Because you are starting 

with the appearance and figuring out 

the personality of the person who would 

look that way this is sometimes referred 

to as “Character Development from the 

Outside.” 

Your justification can change and 

become a topical joke. I worked at the 

Raging Waters amusement park performing 

magic and juggling without 

speaking. One year Disney’s Little 


Mermaid film was released. In the movie, 

Ursula—the Sea Witch—takes Ariel’s 

voice when she gives her legs. If a child 

asked why I didn’t talk, I showed them 

a note that said, “Ursula took my voice 

when she gave me the ability to do 

magic.” I got a great reaction from that, 

especially from parents who recognized 

that I was tailoring my performance to 

incorporate current interests of their 

children. 

As Jim described, finding the right 

clothes can be exciting and give you a 

lift. I remember what a boost I got when 

I put on my first pair of oversized clown 

shoes, which I had made myself. I took 

them to a shoemaker when it was time to 

have them replaced, and he didn’t make 

them right. I was very disappointed and 

didn’t feel the same until I eventually 

made myself another pair. Now John 

Spear reproduces my original design for 

me. I made my Western wardrobe for the 

1981 Carson & Barnes Circus Cowboys 

and Indians spec. I remember how 

thrilling it was to put on the batwing 

chaps for the first time and see how they 

accentuated my movement. I portray 

Santa every year, and a couple of years 

ago I got real Santa boots instead of 

wearing those boot toppers that so many 

use. Suddenly I sounded different when 

I walked. It gave me more of a feeling of 

authority which resulted in more stage 

presence. 

Remember that wearing a costume 

does not make you a clown. It just makes 

you a person disguised as a clown. It is 

the personality of the character that 

makes you a clown. Then that character’s 

choice of clothing is determined by their 

personality and lifestyle. Clothes are not 

your character. Clothes are an expression 

of your character. TNC 

GH 

I am always interested in your comments 

and questions. You can contact 

me at 1602 Locust Way, Lynnwood, 

Washington 98036 or by e-mail at 

clownjuggler@comcast.net. 

Our Good Cheer List 

Please take a minute and spread a 

few words of cheer with a card or note 

to one of our less fortunate members. 

Dr. Dave “Sneezer” Hoffner 

13728 Greenwood Ave. N, #012 

Seattle, WA 98133 

Miriam “Senorita Soto” Kleinberger 

2 Maple Lane North 

Loudonville, NY 12211 

Charlie “Charlie Chuckles” Meranda 

369 Herron Road 

North Ft Myers, FL 33903-2748 

Barbara “Patches” Nichols 

504 College Place 

Kingsville, TX 78363-4901 

Frank “Famus Fumbles” Recor 

C/O Crystal River Health & Rehab 

136 N.E. 12th Ave., Room 19N 

Crystal River, FL 34429 

Roland “Rolo the Clown” Wood 

60 River Road 

Edwards, NY 13635 

Good Cheer Chairman: 

Fred Schlosshauer 

8 Alanon Street 

Whippany, NJ 07981 

973-887-2617 

oscarboj@aol.com 



Junior Joeys 

By Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe, Junior Joeys Chair 

Knock, knock 

Who’s there? 

Nobel 

Nobel who? 

No bell—that’s why I knocked! 

This month I want to open the door and let a Junior Joey take 

over my column. Sometimes I just want to shout out to the world 

to let everyone know that there are kids in COAI who love clowning 

as much as grown-ups. My guest writer is Taylor Moss, one of the Junior Joeys 

who attended the first Virtual Alley Meeting we held in January. You can see a picture 

of her at the meeting in the President’s Report on page 8. 

Now, here’s Taylor! 

Working Hard to Make My 

Circus Dreams Come True 

By Taylor A. Moss 

love everything about the circus. My dream is to one 

I day run away to the circus, and I am working hard to 

make that dream come true. My love for the circus started 

by my grandpa taking me to the circus from the time I 

can remember. Any time a circus comes to town, I know 

he will be ready to go. When I was seven, my parents took 

me to Orlando. They asked what parks I wanted to visit 

and I told them I didn’t really care. I just wanted to find 

Before: Auguste. 

a place where I could do the flying trapeze. My mom actually 

found a place, and my love for circus took off flying! 

Since then I have also learned aerial 

hoop, silks, static trap, hula hooping, 

contortion, and clowning. I love to 

clown. 

My road to becoming a clown started 

out having nothing to do with being 

a clown. When I was around five years 

old, I started taking ballet and gymnastics. 

My mom thought that she would 

sign me up for both and see which one I 

liked the best. The problem for her was 

that I loved them both so much that I 

couldn’t choose! I ended up becoming a 

After: Whiteface. 

competitive gymnast, while sticking with 

dance. My practice schedule was full, but 

I loved it. Eventually, though, I had to 

make a decision between gymnastics and 

dance. As you get more advanced in each 

one, the number of practice hours goes 

up and there are not enough hours in 

the day to do it all. I ended up choosing 

dance. 

It was during this time that I also performed 

onstage for the very first time. 

I was five years old and sang the “Star 

Spangled Banner” a cappella in a local 

talent show. That was all it took for me 

to be hooked on performing for an audience. 

In kindergarten, I made up a hula 

Taylor’s dream is to join the circus. 

hoop routine to circus music and performed 

it in front of the entire school. 

I loved it so much that I ended up entering 

a local talent contest and, when 

I won my division, I competed at the 

Indiana State Fair. I also ended up winning 

first place at the state competition. 

This is how my hula hoop life began. I 

kept working on my hula hoop skills and 

did the flying trapeze and aerial hoop 

as much as I could. I also continued to 

make up my own routines and perform 

them wherever anyone would let me. 

Continued on page 34 


SPRING FLOWERS 

By Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell 

HOW-TO 

1 2 3 4 5 

Step 1: Inflate a 260 (any color), leaving a 4-inch tip. Burp the balloon and tie a knot. Step 2: Form a small loop to become a petal. Step 3: Form another 

small loop for a second petal. Step 4: Repeat until you have 6 loops. Set aside. Step 5: Inflate a 160 (any color), leaving about a 2-inch tip. 

6 7 8 9 10 

Step 6: Form a small bubble about the size of a grape. Step 7: To make the butterfly’s upper wings, make two 12-inch bubbles and twist together at the 

pinch twist. Step 8: Twist a small pinch twist. You should have a small bubble and a small pinch twist. Step 9: Form two small bubbles with the remaining 

160 to form its bottom wings. Make two loops by bringing the center down and twisting it in at the pinch twist. Step 10: Do the same for the two 12-inch 

bubbles. You should have four loops, two big and two small, a pinch twist, and a small bubble. 

11 12 13 14 15 

Step 11: Put the pinch twist on one side of the loops and the small bubble on the opposite side. Step 12: Insert the nozzle of the 160 into the center of 

the flower and twist it in. Set aside. Step 13: To create a stem, inflate a green 260 leaving a 1-inch tip. Make a 3-inch bubble. Step 14: Form two large 

loops to create leaves. Step 15: Twist the nozzle of the stem in at the base of the flower. 

16 17 18 19 20 

Step 16: To make a Lady Bug inflate a Polka Dot 5” round to about the size of an orange. Step 17: Form a small 

bubble at the nozzle end of the Polka Dot balloon. Step 18: Twist the small bubble into a pinch twist. Holding onto 

the nozzle... Step19: ...insert it into the center of the flower. Step 20: Add artwork! 

Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell is an 

award-winning balloon artist from 

the Portland, Oregon area. You may 

reach her by e-mail at oddballoon@ 

gmail.com or visit her website at 

www.myfriendandiproductions.com. 



What Keeps a Clown Club 

Thriving? 

By Pricilla Mooseburger 

talk to clowns around the country, and I hear the same two stories all the time. One 

I is that their alley is alive and growing; they have lots of events and are having plenty 

of fun. The other is that it’s dying and no one shows up to do anything anymore. 

Where Did They Go Wrong? 

I can tell you what the difference is: Events and Education 

The clown clubs that thrive have education. They use the talents of the clowns in 

the group to share their skills and love of clowning, but they also bring in outside 

education. 

Don’t be afraid to bring in someone from outside your club to teach a class at a 

monthly meeting. Look for a balloon artist, face painter, prop builder, or someone who 

does improv or theater games. 

Host an event for your town! Invite one of your favorite clown performers or lecturers 

to put on an education day for your club. Invite everyone in the area, not just your 

regular clown members. Contact your local Community Education organization or 

Chamber of Commerce to see if they have resources to help you plan or promote your 

event. Schedule time for social gathering before and after the classes so you can engage 

the visitors and interest them in joining your club. Hosting events like these will help 

build morale in your club and earn you new members. 

Leave Home 

Education outside of your monthly meeting is important as well. Travel is a great 

way to build bonds in a group and have fun. Think about traveling to a regional 

workshop, national clown convention, or 

an extended camp or school. Speaking 

from personal experience, the clubs that 

send a few members to my Mooseburger 

Clown Arts Camp always consider it 

time and money well-spent. They bring 

valuable information back to their 

club, which they are able to implement 

immediately. 

New training refreshes an old club 

like a fountain in the desert. Folks may 

be hesitant to travel by themselves, but 

when a few gather together laughter 

and fun will follow! Make it a point to 

put the upcoming events on your meeting 

agenda so you don’t forget to plan. 


Collect information and discuss it at 

your meetings. Think about how you 

will raise the money. Don’t forget that 

there are scholarships available for most 

events. 

The Club that Plays Together, Stays 

Together 

Every year at the COAI Convention 

I see groups of folks from clown clubs 

from all over the world! There are group 

skit competitions that clubs do together. 

Those folks are always having a ball! 

They are traveling together, gathering 

knowledge, and bringing it back to their 

alleys to share. 

When you plan a performance, for 

competition or otherwise, something 

important happens inside your club 

structure. You are all galvanized together 

with the same goal, the same enthusiasm. 

Even if your audience is just the 

relatives of your club members, plan 

a performance at least once every few 

months. A simple lineup many groups 

use for a twenty-minute show is: Intro, 

Skit, Magic, Juggle/Balloon, Skit, Exit 

(with jokes to buffer between the different 

acts). Practice, practice, practice— 

but keep it fun! 

When you think you have a polished 

performance ready for the public, contact 

your local library, nursing home, church, 

or school to see if there is an opportunity 

to present it. Planning events like these 

not only gives your group more exposure, 

but it also solidifies your teamwork. It is 

a great chance to grow closer together as 

a club. 

Have a Public “Face” 

As mentioned before, you also need to 

be well organized. That includes having 

someone who is willing to be the contact 

person, or the public “face” of your 

club. This member will have their phone 

number and email addresses plastered on 

everything, give interviews, and send out 

press releases and advertisements. 

Basically, this is the go-to person 

when a non-clown has questions about 

joining or booking your club. Make sure 

this person isn’t already loaded down 

with everything else that keeps the club 

afloat! You don’t want him or her to burn 

out quickly and give up on the job. It’s a 

good idea for someone else in the club 

to be the webmaster and Facebook administrator, 

since those online duties can 

take up quite a bit of time. 

Not to Brag, but... 

These photos are from my local club: 

The Clown Arounds. This is a club that 

has its act together, and I don’t think I’m 

just saying that because I am a member! 

I am very proud of them. They have education 

at the meetings, they get together 

to practice skits, they build props together, 

and they plan events and shows. They 

even make the effort to find grant money 

and funding for expenses that enhance 

their shows and allow them to perform 

for free. This is a hard-working group 

of clowns who support one another and 

have fun together. They have put into 

practice all the advice you have just read 

about. 

If you feel your club is losing members 

or dying away, don’t give up! If 

you feel that way, others may as well. 

They may want to keep the club alive, 

too. Contact them and give them a pep 

talk. Brainstorm ideas for bringing back 

former members and gaining new ones. 

Plan some of these events I mentioned. 

Find something you can take pride in 

and build on it. Take it one step at a time 

and remain optimistic. Enthusiasm is 

contagious. TNC 

Tricia Manuel is the one and only Pricilla 

Mooseburger. She got her start with Ringling 

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

She is the owner of Pricilla Mooseburger 

Originals and Mooseburger Clown Arts 

Camp. Sign up for her free monthly e-newsletter 

at www.mooseburger.com. 

A big thank you to those 

who have recently gifted 

memberships to COAI! 

Membership Gifters 

Jim Caffrey 

Georgia Morris 

Judy Quest 

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE! 

Balloons to You–33 

Bebop’s Alley Workshops–38 

Clownfest–12 

Clowning Basics—36 

COAI 2015 Convention–25 

Heartland Clown Convention–22 

Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp–10 

Spears Specialty Shoe Company–21 

W.R.C.A. Clown Convention–37 

SPS Magic–Inside Back Cover 

LaRock’s Fun & Magic Outlet–Back Cover 

Buy from the advertisers who support COAI. 

Tell them, “I saw you in The New Calliope!” 



By Angel Ocasio 

Slow Down 

What We Do as 

clowns 

One of the hardest things to do as a clown is slow down, especially in the opening of 

a routine. We find that we force the comedy to happen instead of letting the comedy 

happen. Instead of performing in the moment and building to a blow off, we rush 

through our routine thinking about what is coming next and what the next move is 

until we get to the funny part. We become stressed and lose our rhythm, and then 

it gets weird between us and the audience. When we become uncomfortable on 

stage, the audience picks up on it and they become uncomfortable. They lose 

interest and find something else to look at instead of us; it is never a good 

thing to see audience members on their cellphones while we’re performing, 

unless it’s to take our picture. 

Here is something you should know when you face an audience: the audience 

wants you to succeed. That’s right, they are on your side. They are here 

to watch your show. You are in control, not them, so don’t give them 

control over your show. 

I get the urgency of wanting to quickly get to the punch line of 

a routine. We want that hit of endorphins that comes from the audience 

laughing at our joke. It relaxes us and gives us confidence to 

continue with our show. It’s getting there that’s the problem. We work 

really hard to learn a routine and now, when the opportunity comes, 

we are ready to perform it in front of an audience and we want them 

to like us. 

We want that instant gratification from our audience that says 

we are funny, but we can’t get there ahead of our audience. If you 

leave the audience behind, you’ll just confuse them. An audience 

doesn’t want to think about what we are doing; they want to see 

what we are doing and enjoy the moment with us. That’s why being 

visual, large, and animated is so important to what we do as clowns. 

We have to take the audience by the hand and walk them through 

our story. We have to give the audience the opportunity to get to 

know us and to build a relationship in five or ten minutes, or however 

long your show is. Whether you perform as a silent clown or verbal 

clown, you must keep your audience engaged. Keep them interested in 

what you are doing, and at the same time you should be fascinated with 

your audience. Be interested, not interesting. 

It’s important for clowns to slow down and allow the audience to soak in 

what they are seeing. Just the process of seeing a clown go from point 

A to point B in a flowing and expressive tempo can be a wonderful 

and whimsical experience for the audience. I’ve seen clowns move fast 

on stage filled with lots of energy and 

be very successful with it. What makes 

them successful is that they know how 

to take a beat. They know how to give an 

audience time to catch up. 

It’s like the Tasmanian Devil from the 

Looney Tunes cartoons. He whirls around 

destroying everything in his path, but he 

always stops long enough to let us see 

him and what he is up to. More importantly, 

he stops long enough to show us 

what he is feeling. Performing in a state 

of high energy is different than rushing 

through your act because you are either 

nervous or too focused on what is next. 

If we rush through our act, we become 

unavailable to our audience. 

We move from point A to point 

B without passion. And, because 

we are focused on our routine 

rather than on our audience, we 

have stepped out of the realm 

of opportunities. The journey 

of a clown is filled with 

moments of discovery. 

The Silent Clown. If 

you perform as a silent 

clown, it’s important 

for you to slow down 

because much of your 

communication will come 

from your facial expression 

and body movement. Let 

your audience see your eyes 

and make sure you also look 

into their eyes. It’s sad when 

clowns don’t make eye contact; 

it’s like they are thinking, “If I 

don’t see them, they can’t see me.” 

But the audience can see us, and all 

they want is for us to reciprocate. If 

you don’t connect visually with them, 

they can’t form an attachment. 

This goes for strolling entertaining 

as well. When I perform in 

silence, I must act and react. I do 

my bit and if the audience reacts, 

I react to them. If I don’t get a 

reaction or I get a different reaction 

than I want, I still react 


If you perform as a verbal clown, 

talk to your audience. Ask them 

questions and wait for a response. 

to them. For example, if I juggle three 

balls and catch all three at the end of the 

routine, I expect applause from the audience. 

If I don’t get it, I may shrug my 

shoulders and torque my face to indicate, 

oh well, on to the next routine. Then I 

put the balls away and try something 

else. Because of my years of experience, I 

have a few ideas I keep in the back of my 

mind. If I didn’t receive applause, I would 

juggle again and this time I’d catch two 

of the balls and let the third ball hit me 

on the head. That would surely get a reaction 

from them, because they were not 

expecting it. Throughout my show, I let 

the audience’s reaction motivate me, not 

obligate me to react. 

The Verbal Clown. If you perform as a 

verbal clown, talk to your audience. Ask 

them questions and wait for a response. 

I can’t stress this point enough. If we 

ask an audience how they are doing, we 

must give them the chance to reply, even 

if that sets us up for an unexpected conversation 

with an audience member and 

all of a sudden our opening routine becomes 

about us talking to a person about 

something that has nothing to do with 

the show. 

I once asked a kid how he was doing, 

and he proceeded to tell me that he 

loved peanut butter. Another kid spoke 

up and mentioned that he was allergic 

to peanut butter. I knew I had to take 

control quickly or I would be hearing 

from every kid in the room about their 

love for peanut butter or why they can’t 

eat peanut butter. Since I had made it 

okay for the audience to engage with me, 

I asked the audience who was allergic to 

peanut butter and could eat peanut butter, 

by show of hands. I thanked them 

all for sharing that information with me. 

To transition back to my show I said, 

“Those of you who are allergic to peanut 

butter—we will not be having any today. 

Those who do like peanut butter—sorry, 

but we are still not having any. But what 

we do have is magic, juggling, and funny 

stuff.” 

Whatever route you take in your 

clowning, silent or verbal, stage or strolling, 

slow down and engage with your audience. 

Make them feel like you are there 

for them and they came for you. 

Thank you for taking the time to read 

my article; I look forward to writing 

more. If there is a topic you would like 

me to write about, please contact me at 

ocomedy@gmail.com. Be well and clown 

with passion. TNC 

Don’t miss Angel Ocasio at the 2015 

COAI Convention in Erie, Pennsylvania! 

Register today at www.coai.org. 

“You Design – We Refine” 

Custom Made Clown & Theater Footwear 

COAI Annual Convention 

Erie, Pennsylvania 

April 20–April 26, 2015 

413-739-5693 - Days • 413-732-7184 Evenings 

12 Orlando St. • Springfield, MA 01108 • www.spearshoes.com 


Skin Care 

By Brian “Topper” Lees 

Very few clowns think about skin care. Most of the clowns I 

speak with make comments suggesting skin care is not important. 

But those same people have a tube of moisturizer near 

the sink or carry a small container with them. In the winter when 

the air is extremely dry, they are the first to use those creams on 

their hands. And just about all of us reach for the ChapStick. We 

don’t recognize skin care by that title, but we take skin care steps 

to prevent chapped lips and dry hands. 

The typical make-up application, in terms of skin health, is very 

harsh. Grease paint initially shuts down the skin. We don’t gain 

comfort until it fully sets and the skin can breathe once again. 

You might notice feeling hot as you apply but tending to cool off 

once the make-up sets. And if the application process is not harsh 

enough, make-up removal harms your skin just as badly. 

Each clown has their own products and routines for removing 

their make-up. I am not promoting one or another in this article. 

But all routines have a common result. The remover strips the 

skin of make-up, but also of moisture and nutrients. Let me be 

upfront here. I do not have a degree in dermatology. But over the 

years I have learned quite a bit about skin care. Let me identify a 

basic post-make-up skin care routine. 

First, you should use a good cleaning product once you remove 

the make-up. This clears your skin pallet. You may be very happy 

with the results of “XYZ Make-up Gone” (I made that name up 

myself ), but you still need to use some kind of cleanser to remove 

any residue. A good cleanser removes dirt, oils, and any toxins on 

the skin. Some people use an extra product, called an exfoliant, to 

remove dead skin cells. Do not let exfoliant surprise you. Most 

contain granules, so as to deeply scrub off the dead cells. If you 

decide to use an exfoliant, you will still need to follow up with 

the cleanser. 

Once your face is clean, it is time to replenish the skin’s moisture 

and nutrients with moisturizer. I do not recommend picking 

up the cheapest container on the shelf. You want a quality product 

and those generally come in brand names you are familiar with. 

Do not smear the moisturizer on like you are frosting a cake. Dab 

it on a few places and then use your fingertips to rub it in. The 

volume of the moisturizer used is not as important as working it 

into your skin. 

The final key to proper skin care lies with treatment. Treatment 

products address specific things: for example, wrinkles, bags 

under your eyes, aging, or brown spots. When you apply your 

treatment depends on the specific treatment product you are 

using. Some should be applied directly after the cleansing, 

while others happen after the moisturizer. 

No product exists that will erase twenty years from your face. 

But with a little more time and effort you can reduce the appearance 

of aging. As clowns we take great care in selecting 

the make-up that works best for us. We use products that give 

us the longest wear and comfort. There is no reason we should 

not invest just as much time and energy into our skin-care 

routines. 

Remember: the cleaner your skin pallet, the easier make-up 

is to apply. It goes on more smoothly and sets better. Good 

skin tone can only come from good skin care. There are many 

different manufacturers with various effective skin care products, 

so finding the best one can get confusing. Skin care products 

are like make-up in that one brand does not work for 

everyone. I suggest you 

find samples or purchase 

small containers until 

you find the product line 

that works best for you. 

Now that you have read 

my advice, the ball is in 

your court. The next step 

is to be as dedicated to 

your skin care as you are 

to your make-up. TNC 


Clowning with 

giveaway 

Giveaways 

By Aurora “Bebop” Krause 

Clowns are pretty much expected to pull giveaways from their pockets and hand 

them out as they walk through a crowd, especially by children. This usually turns 

out to be a quick glance and a goody from someone in make-up and costume who’s 

giving away stuff. Unfortunately, many times a small giveaway is good enough for a 

child. This scenario may sound a bit harsh and extreme, but it’s not totally unheard of. 

It’s not a good situation if we don’t use a simple giveaway as an opportunity to create a 

joyful moment with some cheerful clown interaction. 

I think it’s important that, as clowns, we give thought and consideration to our clown 

character’s personality and what level of comfort our character has when they’re working 

with giveaways. This is important because giveaways are an opportunity for us to 

clown with everyone, especially children. Why not consider your clown character’s 

favorite story, song, special skill, or talent, and then see if there’s a giveaway that you 

can work with to tie this into a sweet interaction? Giveaways allow us to meet our 

audience, enjoy a playful exchange, and create a fun-filled atmosphere, even if it’s just 

for a little while. 

If we clown at different events, our giveaways will vary a bit from one venue to 

another. For instance some of the giveaways we’ll use at a hospital or nursing home 

will differ from those we’ll use at an outdoor festival. However, the objective is still the 

same: make this interaction fun by clowning it up. Although I have many giveaways 

that I like to clown with, I do have my favorites. These favorites are the ones that 

provide Bebop with plenty of play potential. For example, one that I enjoy most is a 

I have for either little girls or 

teenage girls: a princess ring or bracelet. 

As soon as the young lady places the ring 

or bracelet on her hand, Bebop quickly 

takes a deep bow. I then make sure that 

the parents, siblings, or boyfriends bow 

to her as well. If necessary, I teach them 

Giveaways allow us 

to enjoy a playful 

exchange and create a 

fun-filled atmosphere. 

how to properly bow or curtsy to the 

princess. It’s all a bit silly, but I do it with 

all my clown heart and it’s always great 

fun for all. 

The thing to remember is that when 

we reach into our pocket for a giveaway, 

we mustn’t miss the opportunity to interact 

and to clown. Be ready to present 

your giveaway in a funny or special way 

by sharing a little laughter or making 

someone feel special. To us it may be just 

a small giveaway, but to the recipient it 

may be a special gift from a clown who 

took the time to create a memory. 

Note: Children’s safety is of utmost 

importance. It is always our responsibility 

to know our audience, know our 

giveaways, and use good judgment. I 

buy many of the items I use as giveaways 

online from Oriental Trading Company 

and U.S. Toy Corporation. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Email 

me at bebopclown@hotmail.com. or 

visit www.bebopsworld.com. 

Only three COAI Presidents in thirty years 

served more than one term: Brenda “Flowers” 

Marshall (1994-1998), Cheri “Cherri- 

Oats” Venturi (2000-2006), and our current 

President, Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger 

(2012-2016). 

PHOTOS BY MERILYN BARRETT 


m 

k 

Don’t miss the greatest clown event of the year! 

IT’S THE 2015 COAI CONVENTION 

Schedule of Events 

We could tell you more about the fun things to do around Erie, Pennsylvania, or write about some of the fabulous 

performers you’ll see, we decided to lay all of the cards on the table, mateys! Feast yer eyes upon this schedule of events 

a-takin’ place April 20–April 26. We have an Erie feelin’ you’ll be thar! 

Arrggh! Flibbertigibbet! This schedule is subject to change, dependin’ upon storms across the sea. But it’s the most recent 

version of the COAI clowning treasure map we had available at press time! 

Monday, April 20, 2015 

3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Early Registration 

6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Dealer’s Early Set-up Opportunity 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Morning Updates with the ERIEsistible Clowns 

8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Dealer’s Setup 

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Registration 

1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Registration 

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dealer’s Room Open 

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. “How to Entertain while Being an Assembly Line” Julie Varholdt (Located in Salon 4) 

“Fast, Furious, & Fun, Twisting at Restaurants” Dan Langwell (Located in Salon 5) 

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. “Don’t Rain on My Paradeability” Glenn Kohlberger (Located in Salon 4) 

“Musical Clowning” Dave Bartlett (Located in Salon 5) 

“Funny Prop Shop” Scott Cornell (Located in Salon 6) 

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. “Live Birthday Party” Peachy Keane (Located in Salon 4) 

“Follow the Rainbow” Heather Green (Located in Salon 5) 

“You Are a Clown, Do Something!” John Joseph (Located in Salon 6) 

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Dinner Break (on your own) 

7:00 p.m. Dealer’s Showcase and Welcome Show with the C.O.A.I. Board and ERIEsistible Clowns 

(The Dealer’s Room will reopen until 11:00 p.m. following the Dealer’s Showcase) 

10:00 p.m. Hospitality 

JAMS – All members of a Jam must clean up after themselves! 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Hospitality 


8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Dealer’s Room Open 

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Morning Update with the ERIEsistible Clowns (Located in Salon 4) 

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. COAI Competition Sign-up Table 

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. “Stage Presence” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 4) 

“Top 10 Birthday Designs” Heather Green (Located in Salon 5) 

“Posing Like a Pro!” Jim Dixon (Located in Salon 6) 

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Judges Workshop - COAI Director of Competitions (Located in Salon 4) 

Mentor Meeting (Located in Salon 5) 

“Wow Clown Magic” Barry Mitchell (Located in Salon 6) 


SAVE THE DATE! 

ARTWORK BY REGINA “CHA CHA” WOLLRABE 

Register online now at www.eriesistibleclowns.com with 

PayPal or a credit card! 

November 1–January 31 $185 

February 1–March 30 $200 

April 1–April 26 $225 

Register before January 31st to be entered in a drawing for one of the following prizes! 

A FREE one-on-one session with your choice of either master clown 

ANGEL OCASIO or NICK WOLFE, world-renowned teacher and 

award-winning face and body painter. 

Arrrgh you ready to try yer luck opening the Treasure Chest loaded with $500 

in cold, hard cash?! 

All mateys will have the chance to snag one or more skeleton keys to unlock 

the booty! 

Only one key can unlock the treasure. Will it be yours? 

For more information, visit our website at www.eriesistibleclowns.com 


12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break (on your own) 

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Dealer’s Room Closed 

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. General Membership Meeting 



3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. COAI Competition Sign-up Table 

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Judges Meeting - COAI Director of Competitions (Located in Salon 4) 

“Physical Comedy” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 5) 

“On the Porch with Leon” Leon McBryde (Located in Salon 6) 


7:00 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Competitions Q&A – COAI Director of Competitions 

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Pirate Games with the ERIEsistible Clowns “Will You Walk the Plank?” 

(Located in Salons 1, 2, & 3) 

10:00 p.m. COAI 30 th Birthday Party - COAI Board (Located in the Hospitality Room) 


Thursday, April 23, 2015 




8:30 p.m. - 9:00 a.m. Morning Update (Located in Salon 4) 

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Makeup Competitions (Located in Salons 1, 2, & 3) 

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. “Dos and Don’ts of Hospital Clowning” Annette Darragh (Located in Salon 4) 

“Hero Magic and Story Telling” Barry Mitchell (Located in Salon 5) 

“How to be Funny!” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 6) 

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. “Beginning Twisting” Dan Langwell (Located in Salon 4) 

“Facial Expression and Body Movement” Jim Dixon (Located in Salon 5) 

“Skits from Scratch” Peachy Keane (Located in Salon 6) 

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Boxed Lunch - Optional - on the run 



1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. “Silent Comedy” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 4) 

“The Six Most Powerful Words in the World and How They Improve Your 

Show” Barry Mitchell (Located in Salon 5) 

“How to Make Yourself More Valuable Than Your Balloons” 

Dave Bartlett (Located in Salon 6) 

1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Single Skit Competition (Located in Salons 1, 2, & 3) 


2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. “Makeup Demonstration” John Joseph (Located in Salon 4) 

“Crazy Creatures” Nick Wolfe (Located in Salon 5) 

“Finding the Comedy” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 6) 

4:00 p.m. - 5:15pm “Prop/Physical Comedy” Nels Ross (Located in Salon 4) 

“Bubblelicious” Scott Cornell (Located in Salon 5) 

“Bling Mask” Heather Green (Located in Salon 6) 

4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Junior Joey Outreach Program 


7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Face Painting Competition (Located the General Session Room) 

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Entertainment “Silent Comedy Show” by Angel Ocasio 




Friday, April 24, 2015 




8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Morning Update (Located in Salon 4) 

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Group Skit Competition (Located in Salons 1, 2, & 3) 

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. “Partners in Comedy – Part I” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 4) 

“I Take Requests” Nick Wolfe (Located in Salon 5) 

“Comedy Juggling” Nels Ross (Located in Salon 6) 

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. “Partners in Comedy – Working with the Audience – Part II” 

Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 4) 

“Prop/Physical Comedy” Nels Ross (Located in Salon 5) 

“Butterfly Boost” Heather Green (Located in Salon 6) 



1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Balloon Competition (Located in Salon 3) 

(Judging and Balloon Pictures in Mirage Room) 


1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. “Clowns & Magic – They Go Together” Barry Mitchell (Located in Salon 1) 

“Comedy Juggling” Nels Ross (Located in Salon 2) 

2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. COAI Auction (Located in Salons 5 & 6) 

*Balloon judging to take place immediately after COAI Auction** 

(Located in the Mirage Room) 


5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Dinner Break (on your own)/Prep for Theme Party 

7:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Costume Contest and Nels Ross Performance! 

Pirates Feast and Folly Theme Party 

Saturday, April 25, 2015 




8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Morning Update (Located in Salon 4) 

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Paradeability Competition 

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. “How to be Funny” Angel Ocasio (Located in Salon 4) 

“Super Faces” Nick Wolfe (Located in Salon 5) 

“Wild and Wacky Games with Prince Puppets” Jill Harrington (Located in Salon 6) 

10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. “Jr. Joey Showcase” (Located in the Expo Room) 

**Dealer’s Room CLOSED at Noon, NOT to reopen!** 



1:00p.m. - 2:15 p.m. “Puppetry 101” Jill Harrington (Located in Salon 4) 

“The Art of Paper Roses – Red Nose Response” Teresa & Bob Gretton (Located in Salon 5) 

“Singular Sensations Balloon Class” Dave Bartlett (Located in Salon 6) 

2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. “Working with Foam Props, Make and Take” Bill LeBlanc (Located in Salon 4) Cost $10.00 

“Crazy Creatures” Nick Wolfe (Located in Salon 5) 

“The Business End of Clowning!” Mark Kotarba (Located in Salon 6) 

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. “One Stroke Painting” Tara Doodles (Located in Salon 5) 

“The Clown Star” Dave Bartlett (Located in Salon 6) 

6:00 p.m. Social Hour w/cash bar 

7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Awards Banquet - Full Ballroom 



Sunday, April 26, 2015 


9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Sunday Service – Angel Ocasio and others 

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. FAREWELL (Located in the Atrium) 

• Board of Directors will meet in Desert Dining Room • 

• Junior Joeys will meet in Lobby Conference Room • 

Look at the List of Dealers Scheduled for Erie! 

Wards Costume Shoppe 

Scott Cornell Magic 

Sunshine and Co. 

Prince Puppets 

Spear’s Shoes 

Silly Farm 

The Digitizer 

Annette Darragh 

Clown Supplies.com 

Dave Bartlett 

J.T. Sikes 

John Joseph 

Peachey Keane Props 

ProKnows 

Barry Mitchell 

Badges by Buttons 

Bubba’s Clown Supplies 

PLEASE NOTE! 

We need alleys or other groups to host the hospitality room! To volunteer, e-mail Squeeze at 

squeezeclown@yahoo.com. 

Spring Cleaning 

By Alice “Bizzy” Szanto 

It’s the time of year to take inventory of your clowning. How about taking everything 

out and sorting through to see what you have? Is there anything that needs to be replaced? 

Is it time to declutter and make room? This may be the time to learn new skills 

or brush up on the skills you already have. Update your calendars and contracts and see 

if your system is working. Where are you advertising, and are you getting enough out 

of it? Have you been tracking where your business comes from? Are you doing a good 

job of balancing clowning and family life? 

Are you taking care of yourself so that you can then take care of others? Have you 

scheduled your annual physical, teeth cleaning, mammogram, colonoscopy, etc.? Have 

you paid your bills or is it time to get a second job or find more work? Have you renewed 

your memberships and have you been active as a member? How can you be of 

better service to your fellow clowns? How can you create more harmony and balance 

in your life? What are your dreams and goals for your clowning career? 

We as clowns add a lot of joy to the world, and we make it look easy and spontaneous. 

But the truth is, it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to create the fun 

we share with others. Let this be a time 

for getting things in order so we can 

keep the wheels turning. Happy spring 

cleaning! 


z LAST 

WALK-AROUND 

l 

NEWS 

costumes and supplies to the alley’s 

Sunshine Fund so that she could continue 

to help her fellow clowns. Carole 

“Bella” Halstead, current president of 

Clown Alley 3, states that, “Butterfly 

is remembered for the cheerleader attitude 

she always possessed during her 

many Alley 3 events. Her presence and 

wisdom are greatly missed.” Barbara 

“Butterfly McPeace” Mann leaves the 

world a better place through the thousands 

of people she loved, served, cared 

for, and made smile throughout her life. 

Barbara “Butterfly McPeace” Mann 

Barbara “Butterfly McPeace” Mann passed away on November 24, 2014, of cancer. 

Barbara spent her entire adult life helping people. In her teens and early twenties 

she was an active supporter of peace and justice causes and she volunteered in soup 

kitchens and at public service events. After earning a Master of Public Health Nutrition 

degree in her mid-twenties, she worked for over a decade in crowded urban and remote 

county clinics in Virginia and North Carolina, assisting low income and impoverished 

populations, particularly women, infants, and children. Upon receiving her Master of 

Social Work degree in 1987, Barbara worked with seriously mentally ill patients in 

residential, clinic, and hospital settings. Shortly after she became a Licensed Clinical 

Social Worker in 1994, she opened a private practice specializing in brain injury, primarily 

serving low income and underinsured clients. She continued in her private 

practice until she was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. Barbara was also a lifelong 

vegetarian, refusing, as she put it, to eat anything that “had a mother,” and a musician 

who sang and played guitar in coffee houses and in support of social/political causes 

during her college and graduate school years. 

Barbara had a constant, infectious smile and she loved making people feel happy 

and safe, so becoming a clown was a natural choice for her. Although she had been 

clowning informally for years, Barbara made it official when she took a clown class in 

2006, created the name “Butterfly McPeace,” and joined Richmond Virginia’s Clown 

Alley 3. She loved clowning so much that she said, “Waking up on a clown day is like 

waking up on Christmas morning.” 

Butterfly McPeace was a very active, front row alley member, contributing at meetings 

and enthusiastically volunteering for clown gigs at hospitals, nursing homes, and 

other charitable events. She was chairman of International Clown Week and was responsible 

for the alley earning the CHARLIE Award in 2009. She also integrated 

clowning into her work with her private practice clients. Even when she was quite ill, 

Barbara/Butterfly continued to spread cheer by handing out clown gags and stickers to 

her doctors, nurses, and fellow patients. Her final wishes included donating her clown 

Francis “Stretch” Kane 

Francis Ambrose Kane, 86, of Shelby 

County, Kentucky, passed away Monday, 

Nov. 17, 2014. Mr. Kane was at the VA 

Hospice Unit at the time of his death. He 

was a retired Sgt. Major with the United 

States Army. He was a member of the 

Disabled American Veterans, American 

Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and 

the Clowns of America Association. 

He leaves behind three daughters: Ilse 

Lee Kane of Lawrenceburg, Sherrie 

Darlene Smith of Salem, West Virginia, 

Lynda Carol (Darrell) Cox of Bagdad 

and a son, James Edgar Kane Sr., of 

Frankfort. He has ten grandchildren and 

six great-grandchildren. He was preceded 

in death by a daughter, Kathryn 

Faye Columbia. Contributions on his 

behalf can be given to the Wounded War 

Foundation or Bagdad Baptist Church 

Youth. TNC 


CLOWN 

CALENDAR 

March 27 – 29, 2015 

Tucson Juggling Festival 2015 

Catalina State Park 

11570 N. Oracle Rd 

Tucson, Arizona 85737 

www.tucsonjuggling.org 

April 21-26, 2015 

COAI Convention 

Erie, Pennsylvania 

www.coai.org 

www.eriesistibleclowns.com 

May 14 –16, 2015 

The Clown CORNvention 

Des Moines, Iowa 

www.clowncornvention.com 

June 4–6, 2015 

Heartland Clown Convention 

Wichita, Kansas 

www.heartlandclown.com 

July 14–18, 2015 

World Wide Circus Summit 

Springfield, Massachusetts 

www.worldcircussummit.com 

July 15-18, 2015 

International Brotherhood of Magicians 

Convention 

Jacksonville, Florida 

www.magician.org 

July 28–August 2, 2015 

Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp 

Buffalo, Minnesota 

www.mooseburger.com/moosecamp 

Aug 1–7, 2015 

International Clown Week 

Aug 3-7, 2015 

KIDabra 

Williamsburg, Virginia 

www.kidabra.org 

Aug 27-29, 2015 

Central States Shrine Clown Association 

Convention 

Denver, Colorado 

www.shrineclowns.com 

Sept 9–13, 2015 

Southeast Clown Association Convention 

Altamonte Springs, Florida 

www.southeastclownassoc.org 

Sept 16–19, 2015 

Clownfest 

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 

www.clownfest.com 

November 8-12, 2015 

Western Region Clown Association Convention 

Denver, Colorado 

www.wrcaclowns.com 

TREASURER’S REPORT 

Clowns of America International Income, 

Expense, and Balance Statement 


Paddee “Molasses” Embrey 

Month to Date & Year to Date Income Statement 

November/December 2014 

Nov/Dec 2014 % Jul to Dec 2014 % 

Income 

Membership 4,540 57.0% 51,178 79.1% 

Magazine Ads 1,625 20.4% 8,110 12.5% 

Merchandise 0 0.0% 485 0.7% 

Calendar Income 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Convention 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Interest 31 0.4% 77 0.1% 

Auctions/Education 0 0.0% 2,961 4.6% 

Other Misc 1,766 22.2% 1,886 2.9% 

Total Income 7,963 100% 64,696 100% 

Expenses 

Calliope Production - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Calliope Production - SPS Pub 3,234 40.6% 14,588 22.5% 

Calliope Postage - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Calliope Postage - SPS Pub 1,326 16.7% 5,272 8.1% 

Design/Editorial Fee - SPS 2,083 26.2% 12,498 19.3% 

Business Manager - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Business Manager - SPS Pub 1,525 19.2% 9,150 14.1% 

Other Calliope Expenses 0 0.0% 92 0.1% 

Calendar Expenses 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

COAI Fall Board Meeting Exp 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

COAI Spring Board Meeting Exp 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Other Board Expenses 0 0.0% 556 0.9% 

Officer Phone/Postage 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Professional Services 2,750 34.5% 3,050 4.7% 

Web Expense 0 0.0% 6,294 9.7% 

Directory 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

National Office Commission 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

National Office Phone 140 1.8% 785 1.2% 

National Office Postage 444 5.6% 3,273 5.1% 

Convention 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Merchandise 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Printed Materials 157 2.0% 846 1.3% 

Credit Card Fees 166 2.1% 1,030 1.6% 

Insurance 10 0.1% 2,121 3.3% 

Scholarships/Grants 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Education 0 0.0% 500 0.8% 

Trophies 0 0.0% 92 0.1% 

Lowe Collection 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Other Misc Expenses 0 0.0% 176 0.3% 

Total Expenses 11,835 149% 60,324 93% 

Net Income/(Loss) (3,873) -48.6% 4,372 6.8% 

Stonegate Bank General Fund 0 

United Southern Bank 19,631 

Florida Shores Bank 0 

Stonegate Money Market 6100040788 61,305 

Stonegate Money Market 6100040507 17,212 

Total funds $98,148 

$37,169 is contigency, $28,244 is scholarship and $1,804 is education. $30,931 is unrestricted. 



Application and Renewal form 

Name: First Middle Initial Last 

Street: 

City: 

State: Zip: Country: 

Phone (required): 

E-mail: 

Date of Birth (required): Age: Male/Female 

Clown Name: 

Alley Affiliation: 

Your COAI Number(if renewing): 

Referring Sponsor (if any): Sponsor’s COAI Number: 

Gift A Membership 

Please gift a membership to the person on this form. 

I wish to remain anonymous. 

I wish for you to identify me to the recipient. 

I wish to write a note: ___________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

Please give us your name and phone number so that we can 

contact you if necessary. If you wish to remain anonymous 

check the box above and we will not reveal your identity. 

___________________________________________________ 

Name Phone # 

Annual Membership Dues 

Active Membership: . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 

Senior Membership (65 +): . . . . . . . . $30 

Junior Joey Membership (age 8-15): . . . $30 

Family Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 

LIFETIME Membership: . . . . . . . . $1,000 

• Seniors must be age 65 or older within the enrollment or renewal year. Junior Joeys must be age 8 to 15 in the 

enrollment year. 

• Children ages 8 to 15 can choose to join as Family Member or Junior Joey. Family members can be any age. 

• Full Memberships receive The New Calliope magazine. Family Memberships do not receive The New Calliope. 

Check No. __________ 

Visa 

MasterCard 

Discover 

Payment Method 

Credit Card # __________________________________________________________________ 

Expiration Date: _______________________ CC Verification Code (3 digits) ______________ 

Signature 

Send Form To: 

Clowns of America Intl. Inc. • P.O. Box 122 • Eustis, Florida 32727 USA 

Phone: 877.816.6941 • 352.357.1676 • Fax: 352.357.7166 • www.coai.org 

All COAI memberships are on an annual basis. 

September/October 2013 


CLOWNS OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL 

FORMULARIO DE APPLICACION Y RENOVACION 

Nombre: Primero Iniciales: Apellidos 

Calle: 

Ciudad: Urbanización / Barriada: Pueblo: Zona Postal: 

Regale Una Membresía 

Por favor regale la membresia a la persona indicado en esta forma. 

Deseo permanecer anónimo. 

Deseo que usted me identifique al recipiente. 

Deseo escribir una nota.________________________________ 

Número de Teléfono: 

E-mail: 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

Fecha de Nacimiento: Edad: Masculino/Femenino: 

Nombre de Payaso/a: Afiliado: Nombre del alley 

Número de COAI (renovación): 

Referido por: 

Numero de COAI del Referido: 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

Por favor dénos su nombre y número de teléfono de modo que 

nosotros podamos ponernos en contacto con usted si fuera necesario. 

Si usted desea quedarse anónimo, haga una señal in la caja indicada 

arriba y no revelaremos su identidad. 

__________________________________________________________ 

Nombre 

#Teléfono 

Cuotas de Socios Anuales 

Membrecía Individual: . . . . . . . . . . . $40 

Membrecía Mayores (65 +): . . . . . . . . $30 

Membrecia Junior Joeys (jóvenes 8-15): . . $30 

Membrecía Familia: . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 

Membrecia De por vida: . . . . . . . . . $1,000 

• Los seniors deben tener la edad 65 o más viejo dentro del año de renovación o la inscripción. Los Junior Joeys deben tener la edad de 8 a 15 

en el año de inscripción. 

• Los ninos de la edad 8 a 15 pueden decidir unirse como el Miembro de Familia o Junior Joey. Los miembros de familia pueden ser cualquier edad. 

• Socios DE LA VIDA reciben la revista The New Calliope. Socios de Familia no reciben la revista The New Calliope. 

Método de Pago 

Cheque a nombre de: __________ 

Visa 

MasterCard 

Discover 

Firma y Teléfono: (Se requiere para las tarjetas de crédito) Número de Teléfono:___________________________ 

Número de Tarjeta de Crédito __________________________________________________________________ 

Fecha de Expiración : _______________________ Código de Verificación (3 dígitos) ______________ 

Firma 

Clasificación de Membresía 

1. Todas las membresías a COAI se hacen en bases anuales. 

Enviar formulario a: 

Clowns Of America, International, Inc. (COAI), P.O. Box 122, Eustis, FL 32727 USA 

Teléfono 1-877-816-6941 • Fax 352-357-7166 • Página Web: www.coai.org 


Alley 

Happenings 


By Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt 

Hello everyone! We meet again. As your Alley Director, 

I hope I have been some help to you along the way as 

you try to figure out what to do each month at the meetings, 

try to deal with unruly members, and try to just get by. 

Well, it’s that time of the year again. It’s time to send 

me your Alley Renewal form. It’s so easy to do now. All 

you have to do is go to www.coai.org and click on “Alleys.” 

Then click on “Alley Renewal.” A form will come up; simply 

fill it out and it will come directly to me! No matter 

how long your alley has been a COAI Alley, this still needs to be filled out each year. 

Officers change, as do addresses and phone numbers. Believe me, I know. Trying to get 

a hold of some of you guys has been tricky when the paperwork is old and outdated. 

So for little ol’ me, please fill the form out and send it in. If you know of an alley in 

the area, could you also pass along their contact information to me, please? The more 

the merrier! 

Hopefully you have sent in your information for the CHARLIE Award and Best of 

Press. The winning Alleys will be announced at the convention in Erie in April. 

Here’s a great idea I would like to pass on to you: One of the alleys (I can’t remember 

which one it was!) has a layaway program in place for members who want to go 

to conventions. Each month the members 

add money to the “accounts” they have set 

up for each person. By the time the convention 

is there, there is enough money in 

each person’s account to pay for the whole 

convention! I thought that was brilliant. 

Now if I could just remember which alley 

it was that does this! 

Speaking of conventions, I can’t tell you 

where we’re going yet, but I can tell you it 

will be amazing and someplace you’ve always 

wanted to go! Start saving your pennies 

and dollar bills now for this incredible 

and fun destination! You’ll want to go 

when you find out where it is. Trust me! J 

Please remember you can call me whenever 

you have a question or concern. I’m 

here for you guys. But I’m on Arizona 

time, so don’t call too early! Always be the 

best you can be, and be nice! TNC 



Teresa “Blondi” Gretton place on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 

a.m., in Salon 5. I truly hope to see each 

of the newcomers at this meeting. 

From the 

Membership Director 

can’t help but feel so excited and 

I proud for my husband, Bob “Bunky” 

Gretton, who has been recognized as 

the 2015 COAI Lifetime Achievement 

recipient. His dedication to COAI has 

been with pure love. His ambassadorship 

through the years extends to many members. 

It is very fitting that he marks his 

thirty years with COAI at the same time 

that members are planning for COAI’s 

Thirtieth Birthday Party. Thank you to 

the committee and board for bestowing 

this most prestigious award on him. If 

I may take another moment, allow me 

to say, “Congratulations, honey! You deserve 

it!” 

Speaking of awards, the board has 

approved the formation of a new clown 

group, the Awards Advisory Council 

(AAC). This Council was formed for the 

purpose of reviewing nominees for the 

COAI awards. They can also nominate a 

qualified individual if there are no other 

nominations. Each new COAI president 

will select a new Council. More information 

about the AAC will be included 

in the next issue of The New Calliope. 

The convention in Erie will bring in 

many new clowns and new convention 

attendees. Each year a short meeting is 

scheduled at the start of the convention 

to welcome these newcomers. This helps 

them to feel more comfortable and able 

to ease into the convention schedule. At 

the meeting, they will meet the Board 

of Directors and the host alley coordinators 

of the convention. They will be 

introduced to mentors and given tips for 

the best scenario to fit their individual 

goals at the convention. They will also 

be encouraged to ask questions of these 

mentors throughout the convention. 

It is a great orientation to kick off the 

convention. This year’s meeting will take 

New and renewing members continue 

to join us each month. I am very pleased 

to see that you are encouraging others to 

experience COAI. We are also seeing a 

great influx of young Junior Joeys due to 

the fantastic efforts of Regina Wollrabe, 

our Junior Joey Chair. 

Also, I see how well the Gift a 

Membership program is working with 

new and renewing members. Wow! 

Thank you all so much for being such 

caring clowns! 

Enjoy your spring! Hopefully, those of 

you in the New England area have dug 

out from all that snow that January and 

February left you and you can see the 

pretty flowers coming up. 

See you in Erie, Pennsylvania, at the 

2015 COAI Convention. TNC 

Contact Membership Chairman Teresa 

“Blondi” Gretton by e-mail at tgretton@ 

comcast.net. 

Junior Joeys 

Taylor Moss article 

continued from page 16 

When I was in third grade, 

I signed up with our local 

4-H program. By this time, everyone 

who knew me even a little bit knew of 

my love for all things circus. When I 

saw that my county 4-H program offered 

clowning as a project, there was no 

doubt I was all in. My clowning project 

leader taught us all about the different 

kinds of clowns, how to put on makeup, 

walk around ideas, and much more. 

I decided I would be an auguste clown 

named Hoops. Looking back now, it 

wasn’t pretty, but I loved every minute. 

My mom, who supports all of my crazy 

ideas, knew that my all-time favorite 

clown was Barry “Grandma” Lubin. To 

surprise me, she looked to see if he was 

performing anywhere close. In a crazy 

twist, he was going to be the honored 

guest at the World Clown Association 

convention in Chicago. During the convention, 

I was encouraged to go from an 

auguste to a whiteface. I may have been a 

little hesitant (okay—a lot hesitant), but 

this also made me change my costume 

and brought my clowning to a much 

higher level. (I had already been using 

my hula hooping in my clown act, but 

now I started using my ballet and gymnastics.) 

Of course, my favorite part was 

meeting Grandma. Barry came in to talk 

to us and watch us practice some skits. 

Later, we got to sit in the front row as 

he performed. And, yes, I got called up 

on stage. On stage. With Barry Lubin. 

Pretty much the happiest night of my 

life. 

Since going to the convention my 

life has changed so much. Meeting 

other people like me and getting their 

feedback gave me the confidence to start 

trying some new things. I started singing 

and did a little bit of acting. I was asked 

to do my first paid gig in September, 

where I did some singing and clowning 

(without make-up). Since then, I have 

been cast in Butler Ballet’s production 

of The Nutcracker, a live theatrical show 

produced by Cirque Indy called Flight 

of the Living Dead—A Circus Spectacular, 

three short films, and the lead role in one 

that will film in April! 

All of this is exciting, but my dream 

has not changed. The acting and singing 

are fun, but I am still heading for the 

circus. TNC 

Thank you, Taylor! Let’s hear from 

some more Junior Joeys. Send your 

story and photos to Regina “Cha Cha” 

Wollrabe at coaijuniorjoeys@gmail.com. 



Jim “Soapy” Dixon 

From the 

Education Director 

Convention Advantages 

and Cost Solutions 

As the face of the education division 

of this organization, I am always thinking 

about how to add to the knowledge 

of each and every member of COAI. 

Over the next several issues, I’m going 

to cover ways that you as a member can 

and should better educate yourself with 

the programs and tools available in this 

new world of ours. 

In this issue, let’s consider the advantages 

and details of attending the Annual 

COAI Convention. Is this a shameless 

plug? Of course! Nevertheless, what 

I’m about to share is true, and truth will 

compensate for partiality toward one favored 

convention. 

COAI has over 2,500 members, and 

the average attendance in recent years 

has been in the neighborhood of 150. 

This means about six percent of our 

membership attending our own convention. 

So is it safe to say that the remaining 

ninety-four percent of the members 

haven’t attended a recent convention? 

Maybe, but who knows, and really the 

exact numbers don’t matter. Suffice it to 

say that a majority of members of our 

organization do not attend our international 

convention when it happens every 

year in April. 

So what can you expect if you were to 

attend the annual COAI Convention? 

Before I went to my first one, my assumption 

was based on the magazine 

that followed the event. From what I 

would see, the convention was primarily 

centered on competition—but I was 

wrong. Once I attended, the overwhelming 

positive advantages of that 

week were clear. I experienced constant 

and consistent learning from classes, 

advice in the dealers’ room, fellow attendees, 

and yes the participation and 

watching of competition. I’ve attended 

many conventions outside COAI and I 

can say from my experience that this is 

the most accepting of any group I’ve ever 

encountered. I went to my first international 

convention not knowing anyone. 

Within minutes, I was dining with the 

2010 clown of the year and laughing it 

up with folks that are now some of my 

dearest friends. What do you get from a 

COAI Convention? Learning, learning, 

learning, and the building of lifelong 

friendships. 

Can they be expensive to attend? Yes, 

they can. The major cost factors to consider 

are: travel, food, registration, and 

hotel. But there are many ways to reduce 

these numbers. 

For example: 

1. Room with three people and you will 

lower the hotel bill by 66%. 

2. Register the minute you can and you 

can sometimes save as much as $150. 

3. For food savings, when you get there 

ask a local person to take you to the 

grocery store. Pick up some food— 

such as bagels, peanut butter, bread, 

English muffins, etc.—that you can 

eat for breakfast and lunch. For every 

meal you don’t have to buy, you will 

save $7 to $12. Do that twice a day 

for five days and you rack up $70 to 

$120 in potential savings. 

4. One thing that the COAI Board of 

Directors is doing is strongly factoring 

in the cost of airfare for all 

conventions going forward. This 

can be done by ensuring that the 

conventions will be held near a major 

airport, which can lower air fares by 

as much as $100 to $500 per person. 

One major way to save money is to 

apply for a COAI scholarship. We have 

a substantial amount of money in our 

scholarship fund. That money is there to 

use to help people offset some of their 

expenses, and it is underused every year. 

You can find the way to do this on the 

COAI website at www.coai.org under 

the “Education” tab at the top. 

Back in 2001, a great friend of mine 

asked if I planned to attend a convention. 

I said, “I can’t afford to go,” to which he 

wisely responded, “You can’t afford not to 

go.” Folks, the assembling of likeminded 

people in one place for a week cannot be 

spoken of with higher words from me. 

Articles, YouTube videos, books, DVDs, 

and Facebook will never improve your 

craft as fast as a convention can—and 

for what it’s worth, COAI’s is the best. 

Jim “Soapy” Dixon is the Director of 

Education for COAI. Contact him by 

e-mail at soapy@sillysoapy.com. 

From the President 

Continued from page 13 

step up and introduce yourself 

and let’s share some 

time together. I love meeting 

COAI members everywhere I go, and 

Erie will be no exception. I am very lucky 

to have had the opportunity to serve as 

your President, and as always I want to 

thank each of you for that experience. I 

could not ask for a better group of people 

to represent. Thank you all. TNC 


HOW-TO 

HOMEMADE MAGIC 

I Know What You’re Thinking! 

Text and Photos by Ann “Tuttles” Sanders 

Secretary, Kolonial Klowns – Alley 357 

Leave your audience amused and befuddled with an illusion so simple you can 

master it in an instant! 

Here’s all you’ll need: 

• Several sheets of paper. 

• Pen or pencil. 

• Hat or a container large enough to hold a half dozen or so folded sheets of paper. 

You can use any subject of your choosing, such as things a princess would wear, types 

of sports, names of holidays, etc. For our example we’ll use names of colors. 

Begin by asking your audience members to shout out the names of their favorite 

colors. 

As they do, write each name (one per 

sheet), fold the paper multiple times, and 

drop it into the hat. 

Position the paper so your audience 

cannot see what you are writing because, 

with each following color you repeatedly 

write the very first color and only that color. 

Make sure you fold the paper in such 

a manner as to hide what you have written. 

Not all words or phrases have the 

same number of letters, so use creative 

patter to draw attention away from your 

writing. 

When you have finished writing, select an audience member to assist you. Ask the 

volunteer to reach into the hat and remove one piece of paper, look at what was written, 

and show it to the audience—but not to let you see what was chosen. 

Look into the spectator’s eyes and 

pretend to concentrate on his or her 

thoughts. With as much fanfare as you 

can muster, name the selected color. 

Thank your volunteer and escort him 

back to his seat. 

Please, do this trick only once per 

audience! If you repeat the trick, it may 

become evident how it was done. 

Secret revealed: What you are actually 

writing is not to be revealed to the audience. 

As soon as you have written the word, fold 

the paper and drop it into the hat. TNC 

CLOWNS OF AMERICA 

INTERNATIONAL 

Annual Membership 

Individual Members—$40 

Seniors (65+)—$30 

Junior Joey—$30 

Family Membership—$20 

Lifetime Membership—$1,000 

$20 of the COAI membership includes 

a one-year subscription to The New Calliope 

magazine. Subscriptions are not a benefit 

of the family memberships. (Only the 

Individual Membership in the household 

receives The New Calliope.) 

Send membership dues to: 


Post Office Box 122 • Eustis, FL 32727 

Make all checks payable to 


Join or renew by calling toll-free 

877 816-6941 or visit www.coai.org 

OUR NEWEST EDITION! 

IT’S LIKE HOLDING A CLOWN 

SCHOOL IN YOUR HANDS! 

Just $25 plus $3 postage. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

Order 5 or more (going to the same 

address) and get free shipping! 

CLOWN SCHOOLS 

For each book you buy for $25, you will 

receive a new membership for your student 

for just $25, which includes the digital 

edition of The New Calliope. 

ORDER TODAY 

Call the COAI Business Office 

1-352-357-1676 


NEWS 

Snapshots 

Clown Class Graduates in Lake Placid Fifteen new clowns 

joined Toby’s Clown Family on Sunday, February 22. The 

graduates participated in an intense three-day course held 

February 20, 21, and 22 at Toby’s Clown School in Lake 

Placid, Florida. The course included character development, 

magic, ballooning, face painting, skit development, 

costuming, and hospital clowning. The next classes are 

slated for June and November. For more information, call 

1-863-465-2920. The hours of the museum and gift shop 

are Monday–Friday, 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. and Saturday 

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 

Front row, left to right: Martha “Nature Nellie” Isaacson, Nancy 

“Bird Brain Jane” McKenzie, Eugene “EZ” Zega, Tom “Happy” 

Moffatt, Linda “Cookie Jug” Glennon, Melanie “Hot Lips” Cooper. 

Back row: Anitra “Holly Daze” Tsakiris, Evelyn “Wheeze” Keesler, 

Carolyn “Cotton Candy” Rineck, Kathryn “Tweety” Stepleton, Jane 

“Janie” Goede, Karen “Lucky Penny” Hill, Ibette “Fuzzy The Bozo” 

Santiago, Bonny “PB” Moffatt, Sally “Silly Sally” Alcorn. 

30th Annual 

W.R.C.A. CLOWN 

AND FAMILY ENTERTAINERS CONVENTION 

NOVEMBER 8 to 12, 2015 

SUPER HERO 

THEME PARTY 

CONVENTION FEE: $130.00 if postmarked 

By 9/1/15 or $160.00 after 9/1/15 

Juniors/Teens (ages 6-17) $50 

See the website for scholarships, day passes, discount meals 

Riverside Resort Hotel, Laughlin, NV: (800) 227-3849 

Questions? see http://wrcaclowns.com 

or call Dennis Owens (310) 619-0677 or email 

registration@wrcaclowns.com 

WRCA REGISTRATION FORM – 2015 

PLEASE USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS nc 

NAME(S) 

CLOWN NAME(S) 

ADDRESS 

CITY 

STATE 

ZIP ____________ PHONE (_____)_______________ 

EMAIL ADDRESS______________________________ 

We will send newsletters by email unless you specify you want 

yours by postal mail Is this your 1 st WRCA convention? 

MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO WRCA -- SEND TO: WRCA, 

8201 Tyrone Ave,Panorama City, CA 91402 

Left to right: Barbara “Kiki” Ross, Roseanne “Freckles” Webb, Noreen “Sugar 

Plum” Bartholomew, Cookie “Cookie” Slack-Smith, George “Rocco” Farmer, Roy 

“Chuckles” Gasson, Alan “Also” Stirling, Ken “Wokka” Webb, Maggie “Bubbles” 

Fitzgerald, Nicole “Daffy Dill” Ray, Elviera “Columbina” Vianen and Ted “Twaddles” 

White. 

AUSTRALIAN CLOWNS CELEBRATE! 

By Ted “Twaddles” White 

In America the national day of celebration is Independence Day, 

July 4. The comparative public holiday in Australia is Australia Day, 

January 26. The day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, 

barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, cricket matches, family 

reunions, with many political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to 

various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, 

and traditions of Australia. 

Most years Coastal Caring Clowns, Inc. have taken part in the local 

Sunshine Coast Australia Day Parade at Buderim, and a great effort 

is expended in creating an eye-catching presentation which gives us 

great media coverage and attracts prospective clowns. 

Some of the most spectacular previous creations have been the 

“Clownmobile,” our walking bus in 2007, and “Bamboo” the giant 

clown in 2010. This year we rose to greater heights by constructing 

a mobile maypole, ten feet high with the head from the earlier giant 

clown mounted on top. But to be different we made the head twofaced 

so that it could see where it had been as well as where it was 

going. Fourteen of our clowns walked the contraption through the 

street and were applauded warmly by a large, cheering crowd. At the 

end of the parade it was announced that the Coastal Caring Clowns 

had been judged to be the best entry in the parade. 

Ted “Twaddles” White is the COAI International RVP. Contact him by e-mail 

at twaddles2104@hotmail.com. 

COAI member 

Ruth “Sweet 

Sue” Hoppe participated 

in the North 

English, Iowa Parade. 

She has been clowning 

for thirty-eight 

years. 


BLACK & WHITE Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 

OPEN $375 $220 $150 $85 

3X Contract $350 $205 $135 $75 

6X Contract $330 $195 $125 $70 

4 COLOR 

OPEN $470 $275 $190 $110 

3X Contract $440 $260 $170 $95 

6X Contract $420 $245 $160 $90 

ADVERTISING RATES 

SPECIAL PAGES (4 Color ONLY) 

Outside Back Cover: $550 

Inside Front & Inside Back: $500 (full) - $300 (1/2) 

All Alleys who have 100% COAI Membership may purchase 

ads at the lowest rate available less 10%. Deadlines are the first 

of the month prior to the starting cover date. For example, the 

deadline for the January/February issue is December 1. Send 

ads, space reservations, and questions to thenewcalliope@gmail. 

com or contact the COAI Business Office at 1-877-816-6941 or 

352-357-1676. 

Welcome, 

NEW MEMBERS! 

Adeodato Torres “Titito Show 

Clown” Acosta Mexico 

Oscar D’Jesus Alvarez 

Dominican Republic 

Franklin “Lew-E The Clown” 

Andrews GA 

Nancy Aspholm MT 

James “Flintlock Jim” Aspholm 

MT 

Santo Tomas “Payaso Cucharin” 

Aybar Dominican Republic 

Raul Baez Dominican Republic 

Lori “Squirt” Baltrusis WI 

Thomas “Lucky The Hobo” Brislin NY 

Gloria E Vazquez “Jobita” Cortez 

Puerto Rico 

Vidal “Cheverito” de la Cruz 

Castro Dominican Republic 

Amarfi De los Santos 


Taines Diaz Hernandez 


Ethel Eitel IN 

Teresa “Trixie Toodles” Fly TN 

Robert “Drstuffedshirtknowitall” 

Fordyce NM 

Margaret “Lady Bug” Gallwey 

Australia 

Dennis “Mr Fix-it” Gesel NY 

Hal “Halaloo” Grant Canada 

Gladys Olea Guilamo 


Ann “Twinkles” Harper OH 

Sue “Sassy Suzie” Hartzell AZ 

Sherry “Toots” Henley VA 

Cody Hug CA 

Joan “BO-JO” Hulsey OH 

Sandra “Twinkle Toes” Hurst 

Australia 

Wanda Jones VA 

J “Uncle Stumbly” Jones VA 

Norman Jones VA 

Ruthanne “Clara the Clowness” 

Krotzer CA 

Harold “Clarence the Magic 

Clown” Krotzer CA 

Katharine “Hop-Ding” Lines OH 

Gloria “Jingles Dah Klown” Loflin 

NJ 

Larry Logan VA 

Patricia “Patty O’ Patches” 

Meagher AZ 

Miguel “Miguelin” Medina 


Carolina Morel Dominican Republic 

James “Jimmy” Parsons NE 

Max Peck MO 

Ricardo “Che-Brilo” Pena 

Reynoso Puerto Rico 

Ariel Perez Dominican Republic 

Thomas Plith NE 

Rosemarie “Rosebud” Pruett FL 

Talan “Rocket” Schmidt FL 

Tim “Rooney ” Schmidt FL 

Claudia “Whim-z” Scott MI 

Maritza “Payasa Cheverina” 

Silverio De de la Cruz 


Josefina “Cheverola” Silverio Pozo 


Robert “Big Man” Square Jr. VA 

Polly “Hootie” Studiman Australia 

Jennyloo M Rodriguez “Kankan” 

Vazquez Puerto Rico 

Elviera “Columbina” Vianen 

Australia 

Laura Wallace PA 

Jace Wallace PA 

Ken “Wokka” Webb Australia 

Donna “BE-BE” Weikel FL 

Janice “Daisy” Whitley NE 


magic resources 

Samuel Patrick Smith 

On Stage! 


The Short Course 

on Selling Your Act 

Bringing Out the Better 

Performer 

in You 

Learn formulas for becoming 

an outstanding 

performer, based on the 

advice and techniques of 

some of the finest entertainers 

in magic. This book 

helps you profit from their 

experience. This book will 

help you capitalize on your 

strengths and develop your 

latent talents. 

Only $10 

This 50-page book could 

make a big difference in 

the professional-ism and 

effectiveness of your sales 

letters, bro-chures, flyers, 

and direct mail pieces. 

Time-tested information 

plus completely new material 

makes this a powerful 

manual for marketing 

your talent by mail. 

Only $10 

Stan Davis 

Using Magic to Prevent Drug Abuse 

This book is a must for performers 

who want to include an 

anti-drug routine in their shows. 

Written by a social worker with 

an interest in magic, the routines 

are solidly educational and 

memorable. The opening chapter 

(before the magic) discusses 

why people use drugs and what 

works to prevent drug abuse. 

Stan deals not only with illegal 

drugs, but also with alcohol 

and tobacco, and in fact, he scripts out a 40-minute 

presentation about tobacco. 

Only $10 

Bill Kustes 

Magic with a Hand Puppet 

If you’ve ever used a puppet 

in your show, you know how 

much kids love to see them. 

But what if your hand puppet 

could also do magic tricks? 

This new book by Bill Kustes 

is packed with great routines 

and ideas for turning your 

puppet into a magician! 64 

pages, softcover. 

Only $10 


Booking Yourself Handbook 

This book is an excellent resource 

that will inspire you to expand your 

thinking and your business. 

Based on Samuel Patrick Smith’s 

original audio series, Booking 

Yourself and Make It Happen, this 

40-page booklet provides fantastic 

ideas and examples to grow your 

business as a performer. 

Sammy shares his wealth of experience 

on topics such as: Why People 

Will Hire You, Booking Yourself by Phone, Dialing For 

Dollars, Booking Yourself by Mail, Customer Satisfaction, 

Getting Organized and much, much more. 

Only $10 

Jeff Brown 

Crayon Magic 

Create colorful magic with ordinary 

crayons. Jeff Brown, with 

a host of outstanding contributors, 

teaches lots of practical, 

amazing magic which is perfect 

for children’s shows and equally 

baffling for adults. These are 

tricks you can make at home very 

inexpensively. One of the most 

original and interesting magic 

books we’ve seen. 

Only $10 

MORE AMAZING TRICKS FROM SPS MAGIC 

Burling Hull’s 

RADAR VISION 

Show a set of jumbo cards, each printed with a different 

two-digit number. Two spectators mentally select 

one of the numbers. The performer marks down his 

impressions on two blank cards, which are kept on 

display the entire time. 

When the spectators—for the first time—tell which 

numbers they were thinking of, the performer 

shows his cards, proving that in each case he has 

correctly read their thoughts! 

Complete with cards, marker, card stand, 

and a booklet of three different routines. 

Only $35 

Also available in JUMBO size (8” x 10”). 

Only $50 

SAMUEL PATRICK SMITH’S 

DEJA ZOO 

• A wonderful effect that’s suitable for kid-shows or grown-up audiences! 

• An amazing mind-reading trick which works every time! 

• No skill required! 

You show the audience a set of animal flash cards, each with a different zoo animal— 

Zebra, Kangaroo, Giraffe, Elephant, Lion, Panda, Snake, etc. The cards are large enough 

to be seen from a distance. 

Two people in the audience THINK of an animal. They don’t tell anyone. You pick 

up two blank cards and make a quick sketch of the animals you believe they have 

thought about. 

Your predictions are placed on a wooden display stand. When you turn the stand 

around, you have correctly guessed the two animals. You’re a genius! But now everyone 

knows it! 

Everything you need is supplied, the gimmicked cards, marker, card stand, and a 

routine by Samuel Patrick Smith. Only $35 

Also available in JUMBO size (8" x 10"). Only $50 

24-Hour Order Line 1-800-810-0722 

SPS Magic • Post Office Box 787 • Eustis, FL 32727 

Make checks payable to SPS Magic. 

Clowns of America 

Please add 

International 

$7 shipping per 

• 

order 

www.coai.org 39

2015-02-Calliope_mar_apr lo

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?