March_April_1991

March/Apr il, 1991 

•••• 

... 

comments 

•-- ---------------------------------- 

Hardly an issue of The New Calliope goes by 

where you'll find 14 c lown seminars scheduled throughout 

without news of clowns bringing smiles and cheer to 

the nation in the next several months. Beyond that , you'll 

someone who's hurting . Now comes word that one of our find eight display advertisements promoting seminars 

own could use a couple of grins . Probably you can help. scattered throughout the magazine . 

~ Cal's 

We're talking about Harold "Happy Harry" Nelson, a 

long-time COAi member (#2329) who's had a string of 

medical crises that have left him dispirited and sad. Harry's 

friends suggest that he could get a boost by hearing from 

his fellow joeys. Accordingly, you might want to drop a 

card to: 

Harold Nelson 

1324 So. 61 st. 

West Allis, WI 53214 

The great thrust of COAi is education; that's the 

foundation upon which the organization's officers build its 

annual programs. It's obvious that most clowns agree. 

Proof? Look on page 38 of this issue of The New Calliope, 

Believe me, if there weren 't a demand for these 

seminars, they wouldn't be offered. There's too much time, 

effort and money to be spent on something that isn't 

needed or wanted. 

I hope you plan to attend one or more of these events. 

I particularly hope you will be at COAi's Annual Convention 

in Indianapolis April 24-28. Convention planners are 

scheduling 22 educational sessions , wh ich must be some 

kind of record . Everything else -- the fun and games, the 

competition and all like that -- can be considered a bonus. 

So -- here's hoping you'll be at the Indy Affair. If you do, 

I'll look forward to meeting you. Please say hello. 

Gal Olson, Ecita- 

Thca1li(:::;ee 

THE NEW CALLIOPE is 

published by Clowns of America 

International , Inc., P.O. Box 570, 

Lake Jackson , Texas 77566-0570 

for members of Clowns of America 

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class mail in Bluffton , Ohio. 

Articles and advertising for THE 

NEW CALLIOPE should be sent to 

the editorial office : 

Cal Olson, Editor 

THE NEW CALLIOPE 

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We are not responsible for 

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unless accompanied by a 

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Family membership: $10 for 

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Late renewals : Add $3 late fee. 

Send all membership fees to 

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Deadline for the May/June , 

1991 , issue : April 15, 1991. 

2 The New Calliope

• •• 

• • 

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1=- • 

.. =ee 

Published for members of Clowns of America International, Inc. 

MARCH/APRIL, 1991 

Marr.h/April, 1991 

VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2 

CONTENTS 

Cal's Comments 2 

Letters 4 

Two weeks with 'Lanky' 8 

Kapitol Klowns workshop 12 

Gentlemen, start your engines 13 

COAi Convention registration 14 

From the President 16 

Alley Update 17 

Crossword 18 

Financial report 23 

How to get started with puppets 24 

Just ask Aunt Clowney 28 

Clowning ladies go way, way back 32 

CHOF plans honors 36 

Last walkaround 37 

Calendar of coming events 38 

ON THE COVER -- Master of 

the "Happy Hobo" genre is Don 

"Homer" Burda, who works out 

of Sunnyvale , Calif. A 

professional actor and 

entertainer , Burda began 

clowning as a "Sad Tramp" 

more than two decades ago . 

But in the early '70s , Burda 

moved to the brighter tramp , 

and set a tone and pace that 

has subsequently been 

followed by countless joeys. 

B urda's "Home r " sets a 

slam-bang , gee-whiz , high 

e nergy approach that has 

earned him t he attention and 

respect of clowns across the 

nation . 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

PRESIDENT: Donald E. Berkoski, 4149 Golden Eagle Dr., 

Indianapolis, IN 46234. Home Phone: (317) 

299-2816. Office: (317) 248-1408. 

Fax: (317) 248-0587 

EXEC.VICE PRESIDENT: Betty Cash, 2181 Edgerton St., 

St.Paul MN 55117. Ph. (612)771-8734 

SECRETARY: Brenda Marshall, 7128 Oldham Place, North 

Richland Hills, Texas 76180. Ph (817) 281-6610 

TREASURER: Judy Quest, 906 S. 117th Court, Omaha, 

NE 68154. Phone: (402) 334-4857. Fax: (402) 

330-8783 

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Walter R. Lee, 1347 Ava Road, 

Severn, MD 21144. Phone: (301) 551-7830 

DIRECTORS 

Barbara (Maher) Amber: 10651 Steppington 

Dr., Unit 2054, Dallas, Texas.Ph. (214) 691-7926. 

Dennis Phelps, 5340 So. 67th St., Lincoln, NE 68516 

Phone: (402) 421-2167 

Patricia Roeser, 1720 Archibald Circle, Northfield, MN 

55057. Phone(507)645-5595 

Hunter Stevens, 1342 Sylvan Way, West Bend, WI 53095. 

Phone (414) 338-3569 

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS 

Northeast: Leo J. Desilets, 30 Roswell St., Milford, 

Ct.06460 Phone (203) 877-3869 

North Central: Dan Lake, 13005 Lakeridge Dr., St. Louis, 

MO 63138 Phone (314) 355-0220 

Northwest: Andi Rothweiler, E. 803 St. Thomas Moore 

Way, Spokane, WA 99208 Ph.(509) 467-6216 

Mideast: Paul C. Glaros, 7820 Lisa Dr., Norfolk, VA 

23518 Phone ( 804) 583-127 4 

Midwest: Freeman Smith Sr., 7225 W. Higgins, Apt. 103, 

Chicago, IL 60656 

Southeast: Jack Anderson, 4560 Sussex Ave., 

Jacksonville, FL 32210. Phone (904) 778-3977 

South Central: Linda Williams, 18 Hackberry, Houston, 

Texas 77027 

Southwest: Allen Pearson, 5291 Ogden St., San Diego, 

CA 92105. Phone (619) 582-7795 

Canada: Thomas S. Oswald, RR#13, Lakeshore Dr., 

Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B, 5E4, Canada. Phone: 

(807) 983-2032 

Latin Countries: Pedro Santos, Box 3859, Bayamon 

Gardens Station, Bayamon, Puerto Rico 00619. 

Phone (809) 786-3759 

Foreign: Blue Brattle, 30 Sandpiper Close, Marchwood, 

Southampton SO4 4XN England 

The New Calliope 3

March/April, 1991 

•••• 

• 

• • 

:... Letters 

--------------------------------- 

Sharing the Christmas joy in Fresno 

Fresno Valley Clown Alley #199 wanted to share 

something they did for the Christmas season. 

On Dec. 22 we had the privilege of being invited to join 

in the fun at the biggest Christmas party ever thrown by the 

City of Fresno for the homeless. We were five strong and 

joined hundreds of other volunteers who worked very hard 

to make this party a joyous occasion. 

When we walked into the Convention Center that cold, 

frosty morning and were greeted so warmly by 1,000 

men, women and children, we all knew why we went into 

the clowning profession. They had nothing to give but 

their smiles; we received them and gave them back with a 

handshake and a lot of silliness. 

Our three hours were spent doing walkarounds and 

some magic on stage. Our involvement was a small part of 

the celebration, with Santa, hot lunch, other entertainment 

and toys for every child there. Our hearts were big and we 

knew it was the best thing we did all year. 

For all of us it made the season a happier one just 

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Partying it up in Fresno, from left: Spacy, 

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knowing we put joy in their hearts, smiles on their faces and 

our love to so many people who have had so little reason to 

smile this past year. 

Remember, if you see someone without a smile, give 

them one of yours. 

Nancy Kan 

6258 E. Lowe 

Fresno , CA 93727 

Thought~ on the art of clowning 

When I ponder on the reason I became a clown, many 

reasons come to mind. Predominating, I feel it was and still 

is entwined in my desire to demonstrate to the world that I 

am a good person; I am a compassionate, loving, and kind 

human being. Regardless of many opinions on this earth, 

most clowns do not just want attention.That has not been 

my experience and definitely not what I have observed as I 

have seen many of my fellow clown friends in action. 

I personally feel that you do not have to don a costume 

or put on a big red nose or paint your face in a humorous 

manner to be a clown. Being a clown is a state of the heart. 

Also, it is a state of mind. More than anything, it is an 

attitude and a way of life. 

I feel there are some credentials you must have before 

you can become a professional clown. First you must 

realize that clowning is a very important vocation. You need 

to know that you are making a memory for someone and 

you should know that your actions do have the power to 

take a smile and make it bigger or take a frown and turn it 

Continued on Page 6 

4 The New Calliope


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The New Calliope 5


~---, 

INSTRUCTORS: 

Jack 'Freckles' Ande rson 

(Ba lloons&. Birthday Parties) 

Jim 'Strutter· Roberts 

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Arlene 'Gigg les' Feen 

(Orogomi. Promotion. Clown Business) 

Frank 'Fashoo' Wisniewski 

CBoslc Clowning) 

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Chris Frings 

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(Mystifying Entertainment) Rev. Buddy 'Budso' Lamb 

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Cousin Cliff Holman 

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Emory Kimbrough 

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Jim 'Dune Buggy' Russell 

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clowning around." 

Ho-Hum introduces his teaching partner, Yum-Yum. 

She is also his wife. Yum-Yum does not smile as she asks 

the students to turn to page one of their brightly colored 

textbooks. 

"We will begin with the Clown's Prayer," she says very 

seriously indeed, and the students glance at each other 

wondering if they should bow their heads or if she is just 

(finally! ) kidding around. They keep their eyes on the 

instructor, assuming attentive expressions. 

Yum-Yum begins: "Help me create more laughter than 

tears, disperse more happiness than gloom, spread more 

cheer than despair. 

"Never let me grow so big that I fail to see the wonder 

in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. 

"Never let me forget that I am a clown -- that my work is 

to cheer people up, make them happy, and allow them to 

laugh; to forget momentarily all the unpleasant things in 

their iives ... " 

At the end of the first session of Clown College, the 

students file out of the classroom, a chastened group. 

Obviously, there is a very serious side to "clowning 

around." 

Barbara Dickey 

7 Elgin Place, 403 

Dunedin, FL 34698 

Thanks for those patterns, Peaches 

Thanks so much to Peaches for "Patterns, anyone?" 

(The New Calliope, Jan./Feb., 1991). It is just the 

encouragement I needed to get started in face painting. 

The patterns are imaginative but simple, and the tip on 

painting knees or toes rather than faces will be very helpful. 

Lynda "Blueberry" McConnell 

4333 Electric Rd., #6-1 

Roanoke, VA 24014 

Thanksgiving fun in Philadelphia 

Last Thanksgiving Day I was privileged to participate in 

the Philadelphia parade. We received permission to join the 

Philadelphia Parks Commission clown unit. 

My grandson, Collin "Rascal" Darrell, and I had the time 

of our lives in the great parade. We were en route for about 

three miles with thousands of onlookers. As we marched 

along, we made balloon sculptures and gave them to the 

children along the parade route. Lots of laughs and a great 

time was had by all. 

George"Roscoe" Purcell 

31 Maple Ave. 

Fishkill, NY 12524-2218 

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The New Calliope 7


Everywhere he turned last November, "Lanky the 

Clown" saw lines of people waiting for their portion of 

the Soviet Union's limited food supply. His goal was to 

break up the monotony of their lives and spread 

American good will. 

Lanky, otherwise known as Danny Kollaja of 

Corpus Christi, Texas, and 13 other Americans spent 

two weeks in the Soviet Union in November. The 

group also included an actor, drummer, nurse, and 

street performer. They performed at and visited 

orphanages, hospitals, a juvenile center and several 

tourist locations in Moscow and Leningrad. Their 

mission: Fun, love and laughter. 

During his stay in the Soviet Union, Lanky, a past 

COAi Regional Vice President, kept a detailed diary, 

which he shares with readers of The New Calliope. 

Two weeks 

By Danny "Lanky" Kollaja 

Monday, Nov. 5: At Copenhagen I met the rest of 

the group, which is composed of wonderfully unique 

individuals. We flew to Stockholm and then Moscow. The 

Soviet experience begins ... 

Young officers all over the place looking at us (we 

weren't exactly a subdued group visually or verbally) and 

being quite helpful. At the front door of the airport, we met 

Ira, our Russian guide. Then we wait and wait for the bus to 

drive up. While waiting, we enthralled curious onlookers 

with our group's personality. What should I expect? All the 

color, smiles, singing and cuttin' up. I can't wait to get Lanky 

out. 

Tuesday, Nov. 6: What a cold sleep, yet slept well. 

Danny arose 7:15 a.m. since Lanky had to be at breakfast 

by 8:30. While waiting in lobby had a great time. 

Entertaining here was a testing grounds for what I thought 

would present a problem with the different languages. No 

barrier ... laughter and fun is universal. 

We boarded a bus for an oncological (cancer) hospital. I 

did not think it would be so depressing. Many staff were 

present while we were being briefed . One of our group 

asked if psychological and/or pastoral care is a part of the 

treatment. In a roundabout way the spokseman said no, 

but it is being recognized . 

As we approached the building where the children 

were awaiting , some were at windows staring at us. The 

bandages and "balding" reinforced the need to forget any 

language barrier. Though cautious at first. the kids were so 

appreciative and accepting of each of us. The curiousity for 

everything we were doing was tremendous . I received two 

gifts made from IV tubing. The kids were courteous , 

respectful, obedient, etc. I have visited hospitals in the 

United States but never received such warmth and 

kindness . 

We headed back to a hotel in Moscow which holds 

6,000 guests . Then , in motley , we went to Red Square. It 

isn't every day real clowns are seen in Red Square. Lanky 

just could not be a tourist , and therefore went to work. 

What a blast (a cold one, too). 

Photo by Rolton Hower 

Wednesday , Nov. 7: No clowning today . This is a 

holiday for the Russians. We gathered outside Red Square 

to watch the Red October demonstration . Afterwa rds we 

took an excursion to Arbot Street , a pedestrian street filled 

with artisans of all kinds : poets , painters , musicians , and 

8 The New Calliope


with 'Lanky the Clown' 

comedians as well. After supper we watched fireworks. 

Thursday, Nov. 8: We ate lunch quickly today so 

we could board the bus for an orphanage. This was a last 

minute confirmation. The administrator was very skeptical; 

the children were what they called mentally retarded. I say 

they were learning disabled. Their ages were 3 to 8. 

The children were cautious but after a while we were all 

great friends. Some of them did take a lot of coaxing but 

soon everyone was out of their chairs. Redo (one of the 

company) played the piano. This helped a lot. Most of the 

kids really wanted and liked to dance. I challenged myself 

with three different kids; each were not sure of the visit, 

and wouldn't budge from their chairs. The first two were 

easy. The third took a little more concentration. He would 

be scared one moment, then smiling the next .. Even 

another clown said, "He hasn't moved from that chair. What 

can you do?" 

Well, a balloon was nice. He let me touch him, but still 

not getting up. It was after the second mouth coil he kept 

saying in Russian, "Again," but my pocket was empty.While 

I was at my shoulder bag reloading for another try I got 

sidetracked by a few kids wanting their dogs fixed 

(re-twisted). The guide came to me and said the boy was 

anxious . I looked across the room, smiled and waved the 

hanky to show I was ready, and here he came with a big 

smile. We hugged and shook hands. He looked so proud. 

A group picture was taken. Two little girls jumped right in 

my lap and almost fought for their spot. 

To cut this short, the guide told us the director was 

embarrassed that she had just about refused us. She said 

the children had not smiled so much and so long. It was at 

this time on the bus I had my first cry of many for this trip. I 

had_n't cried like this in a long time. 

Friday, Nov. 9:The Institute of Achievement is a 

large place with lots of buildings -- a mile from the front 

entrance to the space exhibit where we met children from 

another orphanage. It was a long time to be "on:" From 

10:30 a.m . until 1 :30 p.m. 

Once back at the hotel I changed so I could meet the 

Russians who would take us to the Old Circus. The "old" 

implies the age of the building, which exists and was built 

for nothing but the circus. Great show and a good clown. I 

want a trunk like the one he used in a skit. 

I have never been to a circus where you check your 

coat. Ballets and operas, yes, but the circus? How 

wonderful this art form ranks as high as any other 

performing art. 

Saturday, Nov. 10: We got ready for a meeting with 

performers from Moscow's new circus. We had two clowns 

to be our guides. WOW, we were taken through the 

training arena, clown alley, and all around backstage. Most 

of our time was spent in the clowns' dressing room. They 

showed us props and routines they are developing. The 

costumes and equipment were impressive. After many 

questions, I just had to ask, where was their rubber 

chicken? They didn't have one. Well. .. now they do. 

Two of the clowns are husband and wife and have 

been clowning for over 1 O years. As time for the start of 

their show approached he stated it was time to go, and said 

he had never been so close to Americans before. This 

demanded a group hug, after which he excused himself. 

He could be seen leaving with tears in his eyes. 

Sunday, Nov. 11: Since we were departing for 

Leningrad today, we spent most of the day touring and 

preparing for departure. Two special guests, Moscovite 

girls 8 and 9, accompanied us around the city. On the bus 

we took turns singing folk songs. It was fun teaching them, 

"Row, row, row your boat." 

Monday, Nov. 12: After our arrival in Leningrad at 

6:30 a.m., we took a short city tour. After lunch we went to 

our first visit , an orphanage for children ages 1 to 4. 

Reactions were not much different from American kids: 

Scared at first, but once a little one sat in my lap and smiled, 

the rest of the crowd was easy. We hugged, played and 

smiled for an hour and a half. 

Then we went to yet another orphanage, this one for 

ages 4 to 7 and primarily children with eye disorders. Here 

we danced and played. These children were wonderful. 

When we were told it was time to go, a little girl clutched my 

legs, looked up and spoke a phrase in Russian. Our tour 

guide came by, looked at me and asked if I would like to 

know what she was saying. It was, "Don't go, don't go!" 

As I was walking to the door, another girl took my hand, 

looked up and through our tour director (who interpreted) 

said , "Take me to America ." Thank goodness this was the 

last for today. I don't think my heart can take much more. 

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Skipped lunch today so I could 

Continued next page 

The New Calliope 9


Below, Lanky (second from left), poses with 

the other touring American entertainers. At 

right, Lanky helps an affable Moscow policeman 

shine up his brass. 

Photos by Rolton Howe r 

Lanky's trip -- 

From preceding page 

dress and be ready for an afternoon of clowning. This 

afternoon's orphanage was for ages 7 - 17. Here I did an 

impromptu show. The kids were very receptive and 

appreciative. Afterwards I went to another room and 

prepared balloons (over 75 kids). They went crazy over the 

balloons. It wasn't a selfish desire, but more of a "longing." 

According to the facility director, the kids never saw 

anything like pencil balloons, and especially sculpturing . 

One little boy kept getting "drowned" by the older 

boys and girls. After several attempts to get him a balloon 

dog, I finally grabbed his coat and pulled him to me and 

positioned him so he couldn't get pushed away. Then I 

gave him a heart sticker with a hug. The older kids followed 

us all the way down to the stairs to the doorway. At the 

hotel a group of teenage girls asked for my autograph. 

Wednesday, Nov. 14: Pushkin is a little village 

outside of Leningrad . An institution for children with mental 

retardation was first on the list. We entered a classroom to 

see approximately 20 kids under 7 years of age, then to 

another room of ages 7 to 14. 

In the second room , the typical "rocking" behavior of 

institutionalized people was very evident. Two particular 

children caught my attention. Once everyone was moving 

about I began balloon sculpturing . Eva (another fine 

member of our group) challenged one child. Staff told Eva 

to never mind her, but Eva couldn't allow her to sit blankly. 

She was dancing before we left. Oh, the magic of love and 

laughter. 

The two I adored were unique. One wanted so much 

love and attention , and the other just stared and stared. I 

danced with the older boy, and he wouldn't let go even 

when I tried to make balloon things ; he would just hang on. 

We then went to an institute for orthopedic problems . 

We were one and a half hours late. The tour guides (Marina 

and Gleb) went inside to see if we could still visit. The 

administrator was angry. The children had been waiting for 

an hour in the auditorium. A lot of diplomacy was used. 

I was rushed through about five rooms doing a little 

magic, balloons , and greeting each child. The warmth was 

overpowering . On the way out, a little girl waiting in the 

hallway stopped me and held out her toy rubber elephant. I 

10 The New Calliope


thought she was sharing something to tell me. Marina said 

to take it. I looked at her in question and she said it was a 

gift. I couldn't do it. 

Marina reminded me it would not be nice to refuse. 

She said, "It is from the bottom of her heart and she wants 

you to have it." I accepted and gave her a big kiss. A staff 

person passing by started speaking. As I went through the 

door, Marina told me the lady said, "You bring such joy." I 

really love these people. 

Thursday, Nov. 15: First on the agenda was a 

boarding school for children afflicted with cerebral palsy. 

We were taken to an auditorium. Again a show. A little more 

difficult since the children had varying physical disorders. 

Being on stage we were concerned about anyone falling 

off. Had a great time and wished we were there longer. 

Friday, Nov. 16: Today was the first day we were on 

schedule. How ironic; it is also the last day of our tour. We 

went to a juvenile center. The boys ranged in age from 7 to 

17, primarily "street kids" (runaways, robbery, etc.) Most will 

stay till 18. I did a show then "roamed" the room. The boys 

were very delightful and one of the best audiences . 

In the afternoon we visited a pulmonary hospital. Most 

of the children here are tuberculosis patients. The hospital 

was being remodeled and reeked of strong enamel paint 

fumes. Our visit was primarily in one large residential room. 

The children were delightful, the staff attentive. Made a 

birthday hat for one girl, and dogs for everyone else. The 

17-year-old had tucked himself in a corner away from the 

kids. I proceeded to crawl under some beds to get to him. 

We had fun! 

Saturday, Nov. 17: We loaded the bus which took 

us to the train depot. Our new Russian friends helped us 

load and stow our luggage. Other acquaintances met us 

and gave us the most warm sendoff of my life. We hugged, 

kissed, and helped one another . From here on, my writing 

is difficult. 

Staring out the window, seeing friends who were 

showing the special gifts we gave them, I couldn't hold 

composure . The tears began! 

Summing it all up: This whole trip was a learning 

experience. I rely so much on verbal communication. My 

heart, though, found ways to communicate. The eyes, 

facial expressions and gestures quickly developed. 

Understanding how these visits are different from 

similar visits in the United States mav be difficult. All I can 

say is ... try it. You will experience more than any article can 

provide. 

Clown 

Daze 

* 1991 * 

St.Paul, MN - April 12 & 13 

at. Hacalesler-Ply 

United Methodist 

• oulh 

Church 

Featurin~: 

Randy Hunson, Chuck Pruett. 

Belly Cash. Randy Christensen, 

Janel Tucker, and olhers! 

Re~istration: 

Before March 31 - $f1.00 each 

After 

For more 

$8.00 Proup CS or 11ore) 

l'tarch :Jf - $1S.00 e11ch 

Randy Chri,;stensen 

2600 Mt. Zion Ave . 

l 

•ncO. _ Janesville, WI 53545 

1, ph: (608) 754-5237 

) 

CUSTOM CLOWN STICKER 

SIZE 2" X 2" 

ALL LABELS ARE IN STOCK 

Send Check or Money Order To: 

HOLLY SALES 

9926 Beach Blvd., Suite 114 

Jacksonville, FL 32216 

"Thank you for your order." 

CHARLES "ALBERT" LAVENDER 

$8.50 per roll of 500. 

LABEL NO. NO. ROLLS AMOUNT 

11 

30 

28 

29 

Shipping/ Handling $ 2.50 

FL residents 6% tax $ 

TOTAL $ 

The New Calliope 11


Another successful workshop for Kapitol Klowns 

By Francine "Babes" Wunk 

3702 Longfellow St. 

Hyattsville, MD 20782 

Planning, planning, and more planning. Then the big 

day always comes with a vengeance. But thanks to a very 

dedicated group of Kapitol Klowns Alley #6, Silver Springs, 

Md., our annual one-day clown workshop last November 

was a huge success. 

Blanche "Cassie Jo" 

Kirchoff, chairperson 

of the Kapitol Klowns 

annual workshop, 

hams it up with Bill 

"Rolo" Kolodin. 

In attendance were more than 250 participants, 

30-plus Kapitol Klowns,, and 13 dealers and support staff. 

This made for an action-packed program that began at 7:30 

a.m. with early bird coffee and doughnuts and lasted 

through eight workshops and a dealer show, and then 

ended with a "Big Clown Show" consisting of nine skits . 

Since 1982, Kapitol Klowns has hosted its workshop in 

order to provide new clowns, old clowns and prospective 

clowns an opportunity to attend a fairly inexpensive but 

totally rewarding day of workshops, food and comradery. 

Chairperson Blanche "Cassie Jo" Kirchoff again ran a 

tight ship. The patter of her large clown shoes'was heard 

coming hither and yon, solving tactical problems and 

keeping us all "professional" as we went about our 

assigned tasks. 

their Children's Inn, which provides a support residence for 

families of chronically ill children being treated at NIH. After 

all the counting and paying out was completed, Kapitol 

Klowns wrote a check for $11,000 to NIH. This included 

money in our treasury from the workshop plus other 

fundraisers that were held during the year. That's $17,000 

in the last two years. 

Our November 1991 planned workshop will earmark 

additional money for NIH. They have offered us free use of 

their facilities this year and there is talk in the air that we may 

expand in the future to maybe two days, or three days, or 

four or five ... or the moon. All accomplished with planning, 

hard work and our famous clown smiles. Come join us. 

Workshop 1990 consisted of two workshops being 

presented simultaneously. People could choose between 

Al Cohen's magic or Yona Chock and Bobbie Queen's 

puppets; Carol Collin's balloons or Steve Long's props; 

Steve Kissell's story-telling or Betty Cash's costumes and 

John Spear's shoes; and Paul and April Glaros's makeup or 

Fred Forrest's comedy clowning presentations. Every 

workshop was well-attended and rave reviews abounded. 

In the spare minutes between workshops, people visited 

the dealer room or our publicity, raffle and food tables. 

All proceeds of this workshop were donated to the 

National Institutes of Health, with the money earmarked for 

a 

l!;;a 

a a a a,1 

TO ORDER SEND 

Name. address, phone, clear colored photo 

(returned) and $30.00 depo sil lo: 

Adrian DeRosier 

5220 W. 102nd SI. Suile 200 

Bloomington, MN 55437 

a a 

CLOWN CARICATURES 

P;ickage Includes: 

1 J Prel iminary approval skelch 

1) Preliminary colored skelch 

1) Final inked tracing (original) 

1) Final colored inked copy 

2) F,nal copies 

ALL FOR JUST $55.00 

C 

I 

Clown Town '91 

Clown Convention and School 

May 17-19, 1991 

Newark, Ohio 

(30 minutes east of Columbus) 

a 

l 

I 

D 

Spoce, 

= 

• .11 J •' ., 

Featuring workshops in: 

• Make-up 

• Balloons 

• Magic 

• Puppetry 

• Entertaining 

• Christian clowning 

Nationally known dealers will be 

present. 

For more information write to: 

CLOWN TOWN '91 

329 Cedarcrest St. 

Newark, Ohio 43055 

or call 614-345-1022 

,re Hmi~ so ~I tod,y ! 

12 The New Calliope


Gentlemen, start your engines 

Clowns, start packing for a Great Race to Indy! Yes, 

everyone in the pit crews is scurrying to get ready for the 

greatest COAi Convention ever at Indianapolis, Ind., April 

24-28 . 

Sudden storms during qualifications caused a crash or 

two; however, maintenance crews have worked around the 

clock to repair damage to the track wall. Pit crews have 

back-up cars in line with new drivers rewing up. The 

weather has cleared and nothing but sunny skies is 

predicted for Race Week. All crew members are working 

extra hard to make your "Race" a smooth one. 

The goal of Alley #178 is to show you what Hoosier 

Hospitality is. Every morning (except one) will begin with a 

continental breakfast, compliments of Smiles Unlimited 

Ministry Clowns from all over Indiana. These clowns, most 

of them trained by our own COAi President, Don Berkoski, 

spend many hours visiting hospitals, nursing homes, etc. 

Anywhere a smile or a little love is needed, you'll probably 

find one of these clowns. 

A few highlights: The Theme Party on Thursday night 

requires guests to come as anyone or anything that is 

associated with a race (no clowns). Use your imagination 

and creativity (the crazier the better). Prizes will be 

PATCHES & PINS 

with COAi logo 

are available 

to members 

Patches, 4" diameter: $3.00 each 

Pins, 1" diameter: $3.00 each 

Decals: $1.00 each 

Make check payable to Clowns of America, 

International. Order from: 

Walter R. Lee 

1347 Ava Road 

Severn, MD 21144 

awarded. 

Friday night is "Green Flag Friday" in the dealers' room. 

Take advantage of the late night specials. Sleepwear is 

required for admittance and prizes will be given. Be ready 

for a lot of fun and bargains! 

Our Convention will also feature a People's Choice 

competition to be held on Saturday at a local mall. This is 

open to all registered Convention clowns and will be 

judged by non-clowns. There are no separate categories 

and no rules. If regular competitions are not for you, then 

you'll love this one. 

If you plan to arrive early, you will notice we have 

planned some activities for Tuesday (see following two 

pages). We hope you will allow time for some of our tours 

while you are here. Springtime in Indiana is beautiful, and if 

Mother Nature cooperates, we should have Redbud and 

Dogwood in bloom. You may request information on tours 

when you send in your registration. 

We are sure you will be pleased with the beautiful 

accommodations at the Holiday Inn North. This Holidome, 

with its contemporary European decor, provides a beautiful 

setting for our Convention. Its features include a heated 

pool, Nautilus exercise room, jacuzzi, saunas, billiards, ping 

pong, putting green, video games, and a wide screen TV. 

It also offers a French bakery, gift shop, two restaurants, 

snack bar, piano bar and a club with live band and 

complimentary hors d'oeuvres. 

THEY'VE STILL GOT ROOMS! We've had 

reports that some early registrants were told no 

hotel rooms were available . Don't you believe it! 

That glitch has been corrected. See rate notice, 

phone number, etc., Page 14. 

ATTENTION , 1991 COAi CONVENTION 

DEALERS AND LECTURERS: 

There has been a reorganization of the 

Convention Committee. If you have been scheduled 

to be there but have not been recently contacted, 

please contact: 

Brerda Earnshaw 

4700 Old St. Rd. 37 S. 

Martinsville, IN 46151 

Tel. (317) 342-8862 

or (317) 342-6888 

The New Calliope 13


the Smiles Unlimited 

CLOW~s 

invite YOU to attend the fantastic 

Clowns of America International 

Convention 

April 24-28, 1991 

,~ 

Indianapolis, Indiana 

~~ \\\~"\. 

Education 

+ Over 20 lectures on just about every clown 

topic you can think of 

Dealers 

+ 20 of the best from all over the country 

Tours 

+ Long or short 

+Seethe 500 Track and Museum 

+ Visit quaint shops, enjoy the beautiful 

Indiana countryside, see working stone quarries 

Competition 

+Makeup 

+ Paradeability 

+ Single and group skits 

+ Balloons 

+ People's choice 

Good Food 

+ Complimentary breakfast each day 

+ One formal breakfast 

+ Terrific banquet 

+ Variety of restaurants within walking distance 

Plus many more surprises! 

•vou need not be a COAi '!lember to attend, Special COAI Rates! 

but only COAi members can compete 

Make room reservations now 

Registration includes Banquet and Friday's formal breakfast 

for special rates of $66 

per night, plus tax . 

Call or write : 

HOLIDAY INN HORTH 

3850 DePauw Blvd . 

Indianapolis IN 46268 

( 317 ) 87 2 - 97 9 0 

Name _______ _ Clown Name _____ _ 

Address _____ ___________ _ 

City _________ State ____ Zip _ _ 

Phone No _________ T-shirt size ___ _ 

Register before April 1 : $65 

After April or or at door: $70 

Total fee enclosed __ _ ____ COAI No. ___ 

Make payment to: Smiles Unlimited #178 

Kay "Wink" White 

612 Front St. 

Logansport, IN 46947-3033 

_ 

~ p..-, 

~-MJLE~ - 

~;l~S UNLIMITED \ 

C.O.A .I. All(Y 178 

INOP LS. IN . 

For confirmation and full schedule, please include 

a #10 SASE with your registration 

See ya there! 

14 The New Calliope


Tentative Schedule 

Tuesday, April 23: Friday , April 26: 

Noon -- 9 p.m.: Registration open 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.: Convention breakfast (included 

6:30 p.m.-8:30: Forum (ask questions in registration) 

of a panel of experts 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Registration open 

8 p.m.- 11 p.m.: Dealer Setup 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Special entertainment 

8:30 p.m. -- ??? Poolside informal social 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Two educational sessions 

11 a.m. - 12 a.m.: Two educational sessions 

Wednesday , April 24: 2 p.m.: Single skit competition 

7 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.: Continental breakfast 7p.m .: Group skit compet ition 

8 a.m.- 5 p.m. : Tours available 11 p.m.: "Green Flag Friday" 

9 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Registration open (dealers' room) 

11 a.m. - Noon: Two educational sessions 

11 a.m. - Noon: Two educational sessions Saturday, April 27: 

1 p.m. - 2 p.m.: Two educational sessions 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Continental breakfast 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.: Two educational sessions 9a .m.: Makeup competition 

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Two educational sessions 10 a.m. - Sp.m.: Registration open 

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Two educational sessions 1 p.m.: Peoples' choice awards 

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.: General membership meeting (open to all registrants) 

8:30 p.m-10:30: Dealer show 2 p.m.: Visitation at VA Hospital 

11 p.m. - ??? Hospitality 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Balloon competition 

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Paradeability competition 

Thursday, April 25: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Poolside cocktails 

7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. : Continental breakfast 8p.m.: Awards banquet 

8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Registration open (included in registration) 

9 a.m. - 10:30: Educational sessions 11 p.m.: Hospitality 

11 a.m. - Noon: Two educational sessions 

1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Two educational sessions Sunday , April 28: 

2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Auction 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Continental breakfast 

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Two educational sessions 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.: Church service 

7 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Poolside cocktail hour 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Liturgy lecture 

8 p.m. - 11 p.m.: Theme party (dress as anyone 11 a.m.: Check out 

or anything to do with racing) 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Tours 

Dealers' hours to be posted


From the 

President 

By the time you receive this issue of The New Calliope 

we will be just weeks away from the '91 COAi Convention in 

Indianapolis. Smiles Unlimited Alley #178 looks forward to 

meeting and sharing with you a week of "Hoosier Clown 

Hospitality." 

Ruby and I traveled to Alley #92 "Skidoo" in Fairway, 

Kan., on Feb. 24 and 25. President LaRetta "Bunnie" 

Scown and her husband, LaMar, were most gracious hosts 

while we were there. At the alley meeting, I met more than 

70 members of a very active and exciting alley. I was given 

an opportunity to speak about COTA, The Children's Organ 

Transplant Association. 

The alley members were very much in support of using 

clowns in their area for any child needing a transplant. In 

addition to their enthusiastic response, a collection was 

taken for a child and given to me to present to COTA. Thank 

you, Alley #92. 

As COAi President, I was asked to present an award 

from the alley to Jim "Jimbo" Sampson for his work in getting 

the alley started many years ago with the old COA. The 

seeds that Jimbo and that first small group of clowns planted 

have sure taken root and flourished in Kansas. Thanks, 

Jimbo, for your sharing and concern for clowning at its 

highest level. 

Thanks again to LaRetta and LaMar Scown and the 

membership for the warm hospitality shown Ruby and I while 

in Kansas. You can be very proud of your alley and the 

programs and activities you do. 

On March 15 and 16 we traveled to a weekend clown 

gathering in Bellville. Ill., to assist Marja Coons and the . 

clowns from that area with makeup, walkarounds, and skits. 

Ruby and I were joined by "Professor Dinghy" (Duane Vogt) 

and "Fussie Gussie" (Sydney Vogt) from the St. Louis Alley 

who worked with the new joeys on skit development. It was 

a super weekend for clowning around, and I see a new alley 

coming from the clowns in that area very soon. 

As I travel the country for COAi. it is a pleasure for me to 

meet so many people, and to share with them the 

excitement and joy of our profession. 

As I close this column, the Board and I look forward with 

positive expectancy to our meeting in Indianapolis. Many 

super activities have been planned, along with a total 

educational opportunity for all clowns. 

I was also honored to meet Dixie Ryan and Jeannie 

Moore, who presented a slide presentation on their clown 

trip to Poland last year. Keep up the excellent clowning 

program, Dixie! 

T. MYERS MAGIC 

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16 The New Calliope


Alley 

Update 

By Dan "Dano" Lake 

COAi Alley Coordinator 

It's about time that Spring has finally appeared, 

with Blue and Gold Banquets, and· the annual St. Pat's 

Parade. Here are tour new Alleys that helped us 

celebrate the coming of Spring: 

North Penn Clown Alley 207 

President , Alyse Axford 

218 Miami Ave. 

Norristown, PA 19403-1746 

Wise County Clowns Alley 208 

President, Kenneth Jones 

1509 Harwood St. 

Bridgeport, TX 76026 

Palmetto Clown Alley 209 

President, Fred Doerr 

120 Buckfield Ct. 

Bamberg , SC 29003 

if you can afford this monthly tee, because it cou ld 

put a strain on your club. The whole idea of a club is 

to exchange ideas, learn more about clowning.and to 

have some tun. 

Q: What do you get when you rub five 

clowns together and send in $50? 

A: An alley. Yes, to start an alley you need five 

COAi members and $50, and we'll get you started. For 

more information, drop me a line: Dan Lake, Alley 

Coordinator, 13005 Lakeridge Dr., St. Louis, MO 

63138. 

I'm still receiving pictures tor our alley album , 

so send in those Bx 1 O photos of your alley (they will 

not be returned). 

Our deadline tor annual reports has passed, and 

as of March 2, 38 alleys are still outstanding. It 

you're a member of any of the followi ng alleys, call 

up one of your officers and have them send in their 

annual report, so that you can be considered an active 

alley. 

Alley 1, Mizmur Clown Alley; Alley 6, Kapitol 

Klowns; Alley 16, Central Ohio Clowns; Alley 24, 

Kanawha Klowns; Alley 30, Free State Clowns; Alley 


Merry Hearts Clown Alley 21 0 

President , Celia Wright 

3544 Robyn Rd. 

Roanoke ,VA 24015-4426 

In the next couple of issues I'd like to address a 

few of the questions I receive every month. 

Q: Where do we hold our Alley monthly 

meetings? 

A: At first I always suggest holding your meetings 

at a member's house , since you usually have from 

five to 1 O members. After your membership grows 

past 10, then start looking tor an inexpensive 

meeting place. Usually your local library, YMCA, 

church or sometimes a bank will have meeting rooms 

available at little or no cost. Some times you can even 

trade your servi ces tor the room -- do a benefit or 

an open house. 

Now , it you're talking 60 or more members , then 

start looking at some small hotels tor meeting rooms. 

With 60 members , your dues might cover the cost of 

a meeting room . Some start at $40 and can go up to 

more than $125 , so shop around. Always check to see 

The New Calliope 17


CLO WNS ARE PUZZLING CREATURES 

by !iack "GritsN ~cDougal 

4 7 Alley_ 

40 A type of clovn 

52 and don • ts 

53 Greek sage of story fame 

54 Egg 

55 Gr ound support operations 

(abr . ) 

56 Nega t e a debt 

57 Age nt {coloq.) 

58 18th letter of the a l phabet, 

minus 7, + 2 

ACROSS 

I Bi g_ 

4 Pack tightly 

7 Of ten used clovn prop 

12 Kanga 

13 Osteoi,athic systemat i c 

rejuni v ation (abr) 

14 Zipper substitute. 

minus the V 

15 Elect ri cal measu r ement 

16 A type o f c l o v n 

18 Military p o l ice patro l 

( ab r ) 

19 Drastic ang l e or typical 

house payments 

20 Rem1 t s 

22 Spo r ting organiza t ion 

23 Simila r 

27 Suffix meaning mo r e 

29 A size of clovn 

31 A typ e • f i:..iO'oin laugh 

~~ ~::~~~c~~~y man 

37 A clo v n • s st u nt 

38 Fonzie ' 3 usual r e ply 

39 Audi t or y re ceiv i ng unit 

41 R i m 

45 West coa.s t communication grou;, 

DOIIN 

1 A type of clovn 

2 Circus tuba so u nd 

3 A clovn name 

4 A clov n often does this 

to a cro wd 

5 Common Islamic surname 

6 More arid 

7 A tramp clovn can make 

you do this 

8 TV ' s f urry cat eater 

9 Wor l d's fines t clown org . 

10 Emer yency r adio communique 

(Abr . ) 

11 Fish ova 

l 7 Clovns vork best as a 

21 Clovns are often 

23 Old v ise saying -- 

2 4 FBI Soviet sty l e 

25 Int ernational engineering 

b ureau 

26 Anti minus the A 

28 Ogl e 

30 Irish militant orJ . (ab r ) 

31 Ma le, ado l esc en t camping 

group (abr) 

32 Aprox. a r rival t ime (abr) 

33 Strong soap additive 

36 Emergenc y r esponse team 

37 Hpur n 

4 0 ~ole pe r fo r mer 

42 !-"ale o f auto~o b i lP 

43 Nick namip for a ty;,e of 

clo wn 

44 Post paraae ,;caking salts 

45 Father (coloq.) 

4 6 Ensnare 

4 8 Lou Jacobs o wns a s mall one 

49 L.:rngh sound 

50 Vip e r 

51 Re c e i v ed on account (abr) 

Strutters Complete Guide To 

CIDWN MAKEup Alley 92 , Kansas City COAi ; Alley 97, Caloosa 

The only book of its kind! 

Written by Jim Roberts the 

first place winner of the 

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Provides complete 

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Let's hear from you ! 

Got something to say ? Something to laugh 

about or cr y about, somethi ng of interest to 

oth er jo eys? Write a Letter to th e Edito r, and 

let 'em know how you feel.(S ee address Page 2.) 

Do it now! 

Alley Update 


37, Milwaukee Metro Clowns; Alley 53, Vagabond 

Clowns ; Alley 56 , San Diego State U. Clowns; 

Alley 58, California Clowns; Alley 65, Erie Jolly 

Jeste rs; Alley 74, Co-nola Clowns; Alley 80, Golden 

State Clowns ; Alley 85, Texas Mid-cities Clowns; 

Clowns ; Alley 98, New York Clowns ; Alley 103, 

Funny Bone Clowns ; 

Alle y 107, Greater Hartford COA; Alley 116, PAL 

Clowns ; Alley 126, Payaso s Professionales de Puerto 

Rico ; Alley 135, Cowtown Clowns; Alley 136, 

Zippidy Do's; Alley 141, Latter & Fun Tech.; Alley 

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So let's get those reports in. 

Clowningly yours , 

DANO 

18 The New Calliope

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--- 

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CAUTION: Remove very 

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IF MAILED 

IN THE 

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BUSINESS REPLY MAIL 

FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 475 STILLWATER, MN 

POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE 

P.O. BOX 2180 

STILLWATER MN 55082-3180 

I, 1,1, ,I, I, II 11, I, ,I,,,I,11,111 

111 ..,111, 

I ,I,, I I

Order/Re-order Name 

F o nn 

J inxie'srn Magic Make-up 

comes in packages of' six 

sheets of any combination of' 

patterns. To order, specif'y 

the quantity for the patterns 

you want in the spaces 

provided next to the 

swatches. The total should 

add up to a multiple of' six (6, 

12, 18, etc.). Each package of 

six 6" x 9½" sheets is $23.95 

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necessary, and mail. Your 

order will arrive in 2-3 

weeks. 

-------------- 

Address 

-------------- 

City State Zip 

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Card no. DDDD-DDDD-DDDD-DDDD 

Signature 

Exp. date 

Note: Due to pni,t,i,_q lii111i11t1im.,, th,·.•e ,11,•11tcht.• 11111.v 1111111111/ch 11d1111I mloi.•, ;,,h1i·h ,11.., 

_qe111•ml/y 1111m· ,111/11mted. Pallm1,1 a,.., .,hown ac/1111/ 

• wh;" 

Total number of six-sheet packages: 

- - -- 

Cost ($23.95 X number of packages): 

---- 

Shipping and handling: 2.00 

---- 

Sales tax (Minn. residents only-6%): 

---- 

Total cost: 

---- 

,. Check enclosed payable to Ji11.i:ie :,!lla,r;ic 

11/akeup. 

~ Charge to my: Visa ~ MasterCard 

.,i~·- 

~ Rol/Wh;« Coming 

Black 

soon: 

Qty: 

1/4' squares 

¼" pre-cut polka 

Qty: dots and 1" rings, 

stars, etc. in red 

Red 

~ Black/Wh;" and blue! 

I/a" squares Also new pre-cut 

Q_tx_:___ Qty: features! 

[I)] 

CommentJ? 

R,d/Wh;" 

1 

/21" stripes 

Qty: 

Qty: 

[I)] ~ R,MWh;" 

1/4' 

' polkadots 

Qty: 

BlackAVh;

Clowns of America International 

Income and expense statement 

From Dec. 1, 1990 to Jan. 31 , 1991 


REVENUE 

Cash brought forward 

Membership 

Magazine ads 

Pins & Patches 

Convention 

Interest 

Miscellaneous 

CD Maturity 

CURRENT 

PERIOD 

$17,511.27 

4,944.86 

1,520.00 

17.50 

0.00 

244.42 

14.00 

$13,360.42 

YEAR 

TO DATE 

$9,337.80 

89,791.53 

3,913.00 

491.50 

0.00 

759 . .21 

64.00 

$13,360.42 

TOTAL REVENUE $37,612.47 $117,717.46 

EXPENSES 

Returned checks 

New Calliope Production 

New Calliope Postage 

Computer Service 

Postage 

Printed Matter 

Pins & Patches 

Clown Hall of Fame 

Publicity 

Convention 

Education 

Prorated Renewals 

Miscellaneous 

Fall Board Meeting 

Officers Phone/Postage 

Trophies 

Board Meeting 

Purchase of Certs. of Deposit 

CURRENT 

PERIOD 

$362.95 

14,460.00 

884.80 

2,552.50 

290.07 

0.00 

0.00 

0.00 

0.00 

0.00 

627.19 

0.00 

1,838.54 

0.00 

90.28 

35.50 

0.00 

0.00 

YEAR 

TO DATE 

$583.30 

28,680.00 

2,588.61 

10,581.32 

1,395.52 

3,275 .07 

2,298 .00 

0.00 

0.00 

0.00 

627.19 

0.00 

2,350.25 

2,217.07 

956.54 

693.95 

0.00 

45,000.00 

TOTAL EXPENSES $21,141.83 $101,246.82 

NET CASH BALANCE $16,470.64 $16.470.64 

AMOUNT HELD IN CDs $73,000.00 $73,000.00 

Submitted by Judy Quest, COAi Treasurer 

Changing address? Pl ease notify: 

Clown s of America Intern at ion al 

P.O. Box 570 

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 - 0570 

. '(816)'43,6-630 

For laform•tloa Or Pru P•cket 

Pboat - F•z - Wrltt 

Nova Graphic Concepts 

P.O. Box 28628 

Kansas City, Mo . 

64118-9998 

••••••••••••••••••••• 

Mark Your Calendar Now! ,. 99,. Nor-tll ce •tr-al • • 

¥frr==================== 

! De~io• al co • ve •tio • ! 

• • 

• ~OUN


Andrea and Gerry Sparks, with friends 

How to get started with puppets 

By Andrea and Gerry Sparks 

Branson, MO 65616 

Once a clown has created a face, a costume and a 

personality, the need is for some clown skills. Balloon 

sculpture, magic, props, skits -- all play a part in clowning. 

And a growing number of clowns are moving into 

puppetry. 

Puppets make an excellent way for clowns to entertain. 

One problem: Any clown has to be a little bit of an egoist, or 

he or she wouldn't be a clown. And the minute you begin 

to use a puppet, you are no longer the center of attraction; 

you are secondary to the puppet. Sometimes that's difficult 

to accept. But you can do almost anything with a puppet: 

Hospitals, nursing homes, parades, birthday parties, 

walkarounds -- the puppet can be a vital part of your clown 

program. 

Let's assume you have decided to become a clown 

puppeteer. How do you get started? What do you do? 

Whatever kind of puppet you choose -- animal, human, 

imaginary creature -- there are some specific things that will 

help you develop what that puppet can do. Build a file on 

your puppet: What sex is it? Is it a child? Does it come from 

a rich or poor background? What kind of personality - 

mean, sweet, bashful, nervous, calm? What part of the 

country is it from - South, West, hillbilly country? 

All of these things go into the puppet's personality. 

24 The New Calliope 

You must build all kinds of individual personality traits into 

your puppet. And once you do this, no matter how many 

times you bring that puppet out, it needs to have that same 

personality. 

Your puppet has to be a living thing. Unless you 

believe that your puppet is alive and real, it won't be. Any 

time that puppet is on your arm or visible to the audience, it 

has to be alive. It's just like your clown personality -- when 

you're on, you never drop out of character. 

Your puppet always has to have life motions. Life 

motions are simple. The key is to keep the puppet's voice 

and personality different from yours, and to keep the 

puppet animated all the time. Don't move it around wildly; a 

puppet moves slowly and smoothly. Every motion has to 

have a reason. If you are talking, for instance, the puppet 

probably should be looking at you. While the clown is 

talking, the puppet should be making small motions. He 

shouldn't distract from the clown and from what the clown is 

doing, but the puppet has to have some life. If someone 

comes in the door, the puppet should react to that. He 

must be alert to the situations that develop around him. 

MOUTH CONTROL: This is one area where we all 

have a lot of problems. In making puppet mouth 

movements, the tendency for most people is to flap their 

fingers, which makes the top of the puppet's head nod 

forward and back, -- something we call flapping. And that's


not a natural talking motion. When a person talks, the 

bottom jaw moves, not the top of the head. It's important to 

avoid flapping, because it's something that's hard to watch. 

Kids especially will turn you right off; they get nervous , 

they don't like to watch it, because it's an unnatural action. 

So you have to learn to move the puppet's bottom jaw 

by moving your thumb (which is in the bottom jaw), and by 

keeping the other fingers (in the top of the puppet's head) 

motionless. It's hard. It takes practice. It's important. 

Once you've learned to avoid flapping, you've got to 

learn mouth synchronization. In other words, when the 

puppet talks, it's important that its mouth movements 

correspond to the words it's saying. This is particularly 

important for clowns , who usually are working close to their 

audiences. 

will be able to combine the Rule of Syllables with the Rule 

of Words , and then you've got the best of two worlds. 

Practice: It's vitally important to practice in front of a 

mirror. It's the only way you see what your audience sees. 

That's how you can track all the little mouth movements, so 

you can decide how you can use the Rule of Syllables or the 

Rule of Words, and whether you can combine them. 

VOICE DEVELOPMENT: This is the thing most 

people tell us is the hardest part of puppetry. People say, "I 

have a puppet, but he doesn't talk. The reason he doesn't 

talk is because I can't do the voice." 

You have to develop some voices. Each of us can 

easily develop at least four voices, probably half a dozen or 

more .. 

One way to get mouth synchronization is to follow the 

Rule of Syllables: One syllable requires one mouth motion. 

Three syllables, three mouth movements. The mouth 

does not have to come completely closed, just get the 

mouth moving part way on each syllable. 

To do this, you're going to have to sing. This will help in 

your search for a "puppet pitch." It can be above or below 

the normal pitch of your voice, but it's got to be a different 

pitch. 

First, just hum in your normal voice. Now do some do, 

Then there's the Rule of Words, which says that it 

re, mi, up and down the scale, looking for a pitch that is 

works well to move the mouth only on a word, so that if you 

either higher or lower than your normal voice, but a pitch 

have a long word, as long as the puppet's mouth is open 

that doesn't strain your voice, a level that is easy to 

when the word is said, it's acceptable. With practice, you 


·----------------------------------------· 

:when You're Ready To Be Your Best: 

I 

: 1991 Clown Camp Instructors : 

I Week One - Kenny Ahern • Betty Cash • Jim Howle • I 

I .19!..~... • Arina Isaacson • Dave Mitchell • Jeff McMullen • I 

• Dorothy Miller • Marcella Murad • 

I Week Two - Brenda Ahem • Kenny Ahern • Paula Biggio • I 

I • Don Burda • Earl Chaney • Arma Isaacson • I 

I • Bruce Johnson• Dave Mitchell• Randy Munson• I 

I --.~.....--✓ ~---=--Week Three - Don Burda • Betty Cash • Randy Christensen • I 

~~-- • Mary Lostak • Frosty Little • Bill Lozon • Leon McBryde • I 

I 

• Lee Mullally • Vince Paglian • Arthur Pedlar • 

Week Four - Brenda Ahern • Jim Howle • Tricia Manuel • • Leon McBryde • Jeff McMullen• Randy Munson• I 

I • T. & Merriane Myers • Andrew Stevens • Janet Tucker • I 

~:::----~ I ,,___ I 

I The Funny Papers ....____, I 

1 

contain specific details about each week - 1 

1 

for your free copy, write to: 

1 

I 

1 Clown Camp I 

I c/o University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Executive Director Richard Snowberg I 

1 

- Continuing Education and Extension Associate Directors Barry Dechant and Irene Doll 

1725 State Street • La Crosse, WI 54601 will administer and instruct each week of Clown Camp 1991 I 

·----------------------------------------· 

The New Calliope 25 

I


Puppets 


maintain, that doesn't constrict your throat muscles. 

Once you find a comfortable puppet pitch, it can be 

used in several different ways. First, try using that higher 

pitch and talking "normally." Then, in that same pitch, force 

the air through your nose -- what is popularly called talking 

through your nose. Then do it in the lower pitch. That gives 

you four puppet voices. 

Now you can add voice personality. The puppet can - 

should -- talk faster or slower than you do. Think about 

voice texture: The puppet can talk "breathy," ala Marilyn 

Monroe . It can have a regional dialect. 

Some puppeteers use a falsetto voice. It gives you 

another technique, but it is a little aggravating, and can 

quickly begin to grate on an audience's nerves. 

So voice characterization, voice personality, is 

developed out of four things: Pitch, voice placement (nasal 

quality), speech patterns, and voice texture. 

Once you have developed the puppet's voice 

personality, you are going to be worried about: 

VENTRILOQUISM. This is a real stumbling block for 

many clowns, who feel that a puppeteer needs to be a 

ventriloquist -- to be able to make the puppet talk without 

moving the clown's lips. Ventriloquism is a good ability for a 

puppeteer to have, but it's terribly hard to develop. Don't 

even start being a ventriloquist until you have studied a 

good book on the subject. 

But it's not that important. You will find that, 

while a lot of puppeteers are ventriloquists, it is 

not necessary for a puppeteer to be a 

ventriloquist. 

In fact, using ventriloquism can be a real disadvantage 

in some entertainment situations, because people are 

always going to be watching you to see if you're going to 

make a mistake. If you have a puppet that is easy to 

animate, if you have given that puppet a distinct 

and attractive personality, the audience won't pay any 

attention to you, and you can do both the clown voice and 

the puppet voice without ventriloquism. The key again, is 

to keep that puppet animated all the time. 

It can't be emphasized enough that you need to 

practice a lot. Practice in front of kids. They're the most 

honest critics you can find, and they'll tell you if it's working 

or not. 

26 The New Calliope


You also need to write a script. Just as a clown skit 

needs a script, so does the clown puppeteer. It doesn't 

have to be a full-blown big book full of action , but it needs to 

be an idea. As a clown puppeteer , every time you walk into 

a crowd, you want to know where you're going, what kind 

of a theme you're going to have. 

You want to be able to direct the audience, not have 

them direct you. So you'll need a script of what you're 

going to do. You won't always do your act in the same 

order, but you'll want it written down, so that you'll know the 

kinds of things you're going to direct the action to. 

You will want your puppet act to have a beginning, a 

climax and a finish . You'll have to get yourself and the 

puppet somewhere, and get out when you're through. 

lmprovization? A lot of people think it's something you 

do spontaneously. That's not really true. Good 

improvization is thought out in advance . It's like a 

comeback -- you spell it out to the point where you can do it 

so it becomes a natural thing. Then you can improve on it, 

expand on it -- but the idea is already there. 

Some does and don'ts for clown puppeteers: 

+ DO make smooth and well controlled movements. 

+ DO keep the puppet alive any time it's in front of an 

audience. 

+ DO know where the puppet's eyes are looking at all 

times. It's important the puppet has eye contact with you 

when it's talking. 

+DO keep a distance between the puppet and you 

and the puppet and your audience , until you know what 

the audience reaction is. 

+ DO practice in front of a mirror. 

+ Do keep control of the situation ; don't let someone 

else control you. 

+ DO make the puppet kind, understanding , 

considerate and lovable. 

+ DON'T make jerky, spastic movements. 

+ DON'Tpush the puppet into someone 's face. 

+ DON'T touch a person who doesn't want to be 

touched. 

+ DON'T go in cold . Know how you are going to direct 

the action , how you're going to direct the program. 

+ DON'T make fun of individuals. 

+ DON'T pick on people. Don't make fun of lisps, 

stuttering, etc. Your object as a puppeteer is to make 

people feel good. Don't let anything dissuade you from 

that. 

Andrea and Gerry Sparks are long time 

puppeteers and puppet-makers . This article was 

excerpted from a seminar presentation. 

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The New Calliope 27


Got a question for Aunt 

Clowney? Write to her c/o: 

Pat Lay Wilson 

Books by Mail 

P.O.Box 3128 Dept. COA 

Santa Ana, CA 92703 

Just ask 

Aunt Clowney 

Dear Aunt Clowney: 

In the last issue of The New Calliope, you 

mentioned using your "soap bubble kit" and 

"bubble wand" to make three-foot bubbles. Will 

you please tell me where I can purchase this kit? 

I do a lot of birthday parties for small children 

who would enjoy the large bubbles. 

Eric "Bon Bon" Lundien 

Houston , Texas 

Dear Bon Bon: 

The book is called "The Unbelievable Bubble Book" by 

John Cassidy, and it's published by Klutz Press in Palo 

Alto, Calif. The price is $9.95. It should be available at book 

stores in Houston. If you're unable to locate it, try your local 

magic or clown supplier, or my company, Books by Mail. We 

have carried it for three years, and it's been a good seller. 

"The Unbelievable Bubble Book" tells you exactly how 

to produce those wonderful three to four-foot soap 

bubbles.and it comes with a "Bubble wand" which you will 

use to make the bubbles. It also has a bubble "recipe," on 

how to use ordinary materials to make your own bubble 

juice. It does call for glycerine, which is available at most 

drugstores. I have been using the giant bubbles for a 

couple of years, whenever the children are too young for 

my magic act (usually two or three years old). 

The only problem I find is, the bubbles are so huge, 

when they pop and get into the kids' eyes, they might sting 

a little. I have been experimenting with using soapless 

childrens' shampoo , instead of dish soap, in the recipe. 

AU1t (Soapy) Ocmney 

Dear Aunt Clowney 

I received my copy of the Nov./Dec. '90 

issue of The New Calliope last week. As a fairly 

new COAi member , it was only my second issue 

received, but let me tell you, I can only imagine 

what I must have missed for not become a 

member (and thus receiving more copies of The 

New Calliope) ages ago . 

I have been performing kiddy parties and 

Christmas factory shows since last October. But 

now I've been asked to perfo rm at shopping 

malls. I do juggling, clown gags and magic , but 

have not really done much close-up magic. How 

do mall shows differ from private parties? 

Bubbels the Magic Clown 

P.O. Box 2525 Pretoria 0001 , South Africa 

P.S. if there are any COAi members who 

would like to write me a letter, maybe just want 

to say hello , or maybe exchange ideas on 

clowning and bubble blowing, please feel free 

to write to me. I promise to answer all letters 

received. 

Dear Bubbels : 

How nice to receive a letter from South Africa. It shows 

that clowning is truly one-world of joy. I have done some 

mall work, in addition to private parties and company 

events . You mentioned in your letter (the letter was three 

pages, so I had to condense it a bit) a 45-minute show. The 

most important thing to remember is that at a mall, the 

crowd will be constantly moving. And it is very difficult to 

capture an audience for that length of time. I find it best to 

keep the act short and fast. When I do puppetry at a mall, I 

usually do several short musical numbers in 15 minutes, 

instead of trying to do a story or playlet. (Although I must 

say that Punch and Judy is an excellent show for a mall, 

because it is so fast-paced and colorful.) 

I would suggest, for a clown act, that you combine many 

of your talents into one short show. Do a little juggling 

(excellent for drawing a crowd), then perform a short clown 

skit and some magic. I wouldn't do very much close-up 

28 The New Calliope


magic. People in the back of the audience will probably be 

standing, and many of them wouldn't be able to see it, 

anyway. Do more colorful, flashy magic with brilliant 

scarves, producing flowers, etc., working on a broader 

scale. One very important thing to keep in mind is, there 

may be no back curtain to work against, so be aware that 

your magic will have to work "in the round," because some 

of your audience may be standing at the far side, or even 

behind you, during your act. 

It is also very important to have a good sound system 

and mike to work with. Perhaps the mall will supply one. If 

not, you may have to make that investment yourself. Also, 

keep your patter to a minimum and use a lot of music and 

mime, if you can. 

As to distancing yourself from the audience during 

your magic, I find it best to put some kind of a barrier 

between myself and them, something to keep them from 

creeping forward into my performing space. It is as easy as 

putting down a strip of masking tape or taping down a 

colorful ribbon, telling the kids it's a "sit behind line." And, 

surprisingly enough, they will respect the mark. 

Hope this has been of help. Best of luck at the mall! 

Note to readers: Please take up Bubbel's offer to 

correspond. You can send a one-page airmail letter to 

South Africa quite inexpensively -- and they have beautiful 

postage stamps! 

Aurt (Molly) Clowney 


I am a new clown and am very interested in 

the art of mime. Do you know of a place or 

school where I could take a course strictly in 

mime! 

Peggy Helgasen 

Jamaica, N.Y. 

Dear Peg: 

I agree that the study of mime would add a lot to 

anybody's clowning. Check with local colleges and 

community colleges to see if they offer mime classes in 

their theater departments. 

You also might contact the National Movement Theatre 

Association , P.O. Box 137, Portsmouth, NH 03801. They 

will have information on mime classes, and they publish the 

Movement Theatre Quarterly. 

Aunt (Marceau) Clowney 


I have a dog, turtle and frog puppet. Would 


for Clowns and Magicians 

JULY 25, 26, 27, 1991 

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(301) 483-1290 (Evenings) 

The New Calliope 29


Aunt Clowney -- 


there be any routines or stories that could 

possibly match them? 

Starlight the Clown 

Denison , Texas 

Dear Star: 

Just visit your local children's library, and you will find 

shelves and shelves of books with stories or phonograph 

records you could use. The record album by the Muppets, 

with Kermit singing, "It's not easy being green," would be 

fun for your frog puppet. Use Aesop's fable, The Hare and 

the Tortoise -- it has a great lesson for children. You could 

also tie a headband on your turtle and make it a Teenage 

Ninja. Kids love topical themes. 

How about the song, "How Much Is That Doggie in the 

Window?" And at Christmas time, I use the record where 

the dogs "bark" Jingle Bells, to great success. Just check 

with your childrens' librarian, and I'm sure he or she will 

have lots of advice. Best of luck with your puppets! 

Aunt (KIB!a) Ckmney 


Recently several of my "clown cousins" and I 

appeared at an elementary school , and it was a 

great day. But quite unexpectedly, as I was 

handing out stickers , shaking hands and 

receiving numerous hugs, I was surrounded by 

three kids , obviously siblings, who proceeded 

to , quite frankly , assault me. (I am a petite 

female/unisex clown, about 120 lbs.) The 

largest boy took my hand and, instead of 

shaking it, made an enthusiastic attempt to twist 

and break it. Another younger boy stomped on 

my feet and the little girl made aggressive grabs 

at my nose, eyes and hair . Adults standing 

around ignored the entire event, and as I 

desperately looked for their parents or another 

clown to come to my rescue, I tried 

unsuccessfully to "disarm" them with jokes and 

standard anti-heckler techniques . Nothing 

worked . 

Finally , hurt and rather frightened , I pushed 

aside their arms and grubby fingers and beat a 

hasty retreat towards (at last!) another clown. 

They chased me, still clutching and stomping 

and I finally had to say, "Keep your hands off of 

me!" I hated coming out of character like that 

and was pretty shaken up. How would be the 

best way to handle a similar situation in the 

future? (These children were almost my size and 

W 

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Melody Howell 

Charlotte, NC 

Dear Melody: 

Wow . I have never experienced anything that bad. And 

I am sorry you had to go through it. Although this sort of 

thing is infrequent, guess we all have to prepare for it. 

The first thing I would suggest is, always clown with 

another clown at your elbow. That way there are two of you 

against them . The next time you are at an amusement park , 

notice that every costumed character (Mickey Mouse, 

Donald Duck, etc.) has a "bodyguard" nearby . Someone to 

protect the character from crowd assault. As much as we 

hate it, this can be a violent society , and sometimes children 

are even coaxed by their parents to maul, stomp , and 

otherwise harm costumed characters . 

Next time you must put yourself and your OM1 safety 

first. Get away from the bad situation as fast as you can. I 

think , if I was pursued by violent children, I would turn and 

scream as loudly as I could, "Leave me alone!" That would 

tell bystanders that there was a problem , and they would 

be more apt to come to your aid. 

I have had a couple of nasty experiences over my years 

of performing. Luckily, it was from just one child, not 

several. But this was an obnoxious, undisciplined child 

bent on destroying my act and composure -- and my 

nose. I took it as long as I could, but finally I grabbed the 

kid's upper arm, pulled him near me, and squeezing very 

hard, whispered in a voice that only the child could hear, 

"Get out of here or I'll tear your arm off and beat you with 

the bloody stump!" Stron~ words, but very effective . That 

way I didn't even have to break character. And in each case 

the kid left me completely alone after that. 

March/April , 1991 

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Dear readers, here's another area where I beg for your 

advice. Won't you write Aunt Clowney and tell her how you 

would handle this rare but difficult situation? 

Aunty (Hui


Clowning ladies go way, way back 

By Bruce "Charlie" Johnson 

P.O. Box 8183 

Long Beach, CA 90808 

Alvin Baum seems to feel outnumbered by female 

clowns ("Take a look at the female clown," The New 

Calliope, September/October, 1990), and presents it as an 

unprecedented modern phenomenon. Women have 

played a much more important role in circus and clown 

history than he depicts. 

Baum is right that sometimes theater styles and cultural 

conditions dictated all-male casts with men playing the 

female roles. Also prevalent, though, were "breeches" 

roles -- women playing the parts of boys and young men. 

This was common with an all-adult cast. Young boys didn't 

have enough experience to play those roles. 

Another motivation was that some period pieces 

required that female characters wore long dresses, while 

the male characters wore tights. The breeches role added 

sex appeal by allowing an actress to display her legs. The 

breeches role most familiar to today's public is Mary Martin 

as Peter Pan. The tradition has been continued by Cathy 

Rigby playing Peter in a more recent production, and 

Sandy Duncan appearing as Pinnochio. 

Commedia Del Arte was a professional theater form 

presented by adult casts. The female characters, such as 

Columbine, were played by actresses. More importantly , 

the Commedia inspired the British Harlequinade, where 

Joseph Grimaldi elevated the role of clown from a 

supporting character to a leading character. In the early 

Harlequinades, Columbine was a leading comedy character 

played by actresses. During Grimaldi's career, the role of 

Columbine became less important, but continued to be 

portrayed by women. Grimaldi turned Pantaloon into his 

major comedy foil, but still worked with women in his 

shows. 

Women have been an important part of the circus from 

the very beginning. Philip Astley's wife was featured as a 

rider in the first circus performances. When John Bill 

Ricketts brought the circus to America, one of his stars was 

Signora Spinacuta , who impressed the public in 

Philadelphia by riding two galloping horses , standing with 

one foot on each horse . 

Women have always been featured by circuses. Past 

circus stars include Bird Millman, wirewalker ; Lillian Leitzel, 

on the Roman Rings; Mabel Stark , tiger trainer; Ola 

Domovan, who did a mixed act with elephants and tigers ; 

Ella Bradna, equestrian, and Antoinette Concello , flying 

trapeze. 

In the early 1900's, when thrill acts were popular , both 

Barnum & Bailey and the rival Ringling Brothers featured L' 

Auto Bolide,also called The Daring Dip of Death, a lady 

riding an auto which somersaulted through the air. The act 

was originated by a French woman, and later taken over by 

American understudies. The Barnum & Bailey show 

topped it with The Sisters La Rague, who performed the 

act using two cars which passed in mid-air. 

The 1906 Barnum & Bailey Circus program is 

interesting . The program doesn't list a running order for the 

acts, just offers capsule descriptions of the star performers. 

Only four acts are singled out for feature articles: The 

Grand Spectacular, the Auto Bolide, Miss Josie DeMott, 

equestrian, and the Vorlops performing the Dance du 

Tourbillon. The Vorlops included seven women and one 

man. Three of the women impersonated male characters, 

while the others wore gowns. 

Out of 53 acts pictured, 25 were performed by women 

only, including two all-female acrobatic troupes. There 

were 15 co-ed acts, leaving only 13 all-male acts. Acts not 

pictured included the Imperial Aerial Wrestling Girls, eight 

Spanish women doing a sway pole act, and the LaCarmen 

Troupe, three men and two women on the highwire. 

LaBelle Carmen would stand on the shoulders of a male 

partner, somersault to the wire, and rebound back to his 

shoulders. 

Ella Bradna rode standing on a galloping horse, 

supporting Fred Derrick on her shoulders, and then he 

somersaulted to the horse. The Grunatho Troupe of eight 

ladies performed gymnastic feats, including double 

somersaults from the shoulders of one partner to the 

shoulders of another , while wearing evening gowns. 

Women also played a role in circus management. An 

important early circus in the West was the Cole & Orton 

Wagon Show, solely owned and managed by Mary Ann 

Cole and her son, W.W. Cole. She was the show's real 

guiding force. Her son applied what she taught him to later 

play important management roles in Barnum & Bailey 

Circus, and in its subsidiaries, Forepaugh-Sells and Buffalo 

Bill's Wild West. - - 

During part of its history, the Orton Bros. Circus was 

run by Sarah B. Orton. The most popular show in Texas 

history was the circus Mollie Bailey founded in 1875 and 

which she ran by herself . By 1905 her show had grown into 

a railroad circus . She "retired" to Houston in 1914, but 

continued to control the show by mail and telephone until 

she died in 1918. The show lasted only two years after her 

death . 

Women clowns were a minority, but they may not have 

Continued Page 34 

32 The New Calliope

March/Ap ril, 1991 

17th NORTHEAST CLOWN CONVENTION 

Thursday, August 22,1991 

- Sunday, August 25, 1991 

Trumbull Marriott 

Trumbull, Connecticut 

Four Day Package Deal: 

Includes Registration, Banquet and 

Brunch - 

Adult S65.00, 

Children(undcr 16) $40.00 

For more information on 

convention or registration contact: 

Sawdust Alley 66 

Leo •Dapper• Desilets 

30 Roswell Street 

Milford, Ct 06460 

or call (203) 877-3869 

Schedule of Events: 

• Makeup/costume compe tition 

• Circus Nigh t Party 

• Dealers Show 

• Skit Competition 

• Speed Balloon Competition 

• Hospital ity Room5 

• Banquet and Awards C'..eremonv 

• Clmvn Ministn 1 Church 

Service · 

• Barnum Museum Trip 

• Workshops: 

Face Painting , Hospital 

Clown C'A1re by "Mr Stubbs'' 

of the Big Apple Circus. 

Birthdav Parties. Circus 

History, · Props and More 

Props. Easy ~1agic. Character 

Dcvel 0 pment, Clown 

Mini5try. Puppetry. Balloon 

Sculpture. Juggling and Makeup 

/Co5tume. 

• and Much, Much,More!!!!! 

The New Calliope 33


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Clowning ladies -- 

, From Page 32 

been as rare as commonly believed. We know little about 

the majority of clowns who toured with circuses. Circus 

historians tend to concentrate on the same few clowns 

who toured with the RBB&B Circus. Some seasons, that 

show had as many as 150 clowns in its alley, and there 

were many other shows on the road, some with large alleys 

as well. 

Peggy Williams was not the first female clown with 

RBB&B Circus. (As the first to be hired by the Feld 

brothers she was an important trail-blazer for today's 

clowns.) Peggy has researched six women who clowned 

with the show before she did. One of those women was 

Rose Hanlon, who played a male character in a mirror act 

performed with her husband and brother-in-law. While 

Rose was with the show, Lulu Adams also toured with it, 

wearing a definitely feminine costume. Lulu had a 

successful career clowning in England with her husband 

before she began her solo career with RBB&B Circus after 

his death. 

Barnum & Bailey featured Miss Evena Matthews as a 

clown in 1895. Jack Rennert theorizes from the British and 

American emblems on her feminine costume that she may 

have been from England. Female clowns could have been 

more prevalent in England than in the United States. 

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Why were female clowns a minority? One theory is that 

on most shows, clown alley was a portion of the men's 

dressing room. Women were thus excluded and missed 

the brainstorming sessions that helped performers 

become successful clowns. (Peggy Williams and Maudie 

Flippen Bayliss tell stories about dressing in closets while 

they were the only female clowns with RBB&B units 

because they were excluded from both clown alley and the 

showgirls dressing room.) Morality was carefully regulated 

on the early train shows, and women were prohibited from 

talking with the men in personnel except the management. 

This made learning clowning difficult. Many of the female 

clowns learned from their husbands or by growing up in 

clown families. 

Another theory is that there was little incentive for 

women to become clowns. Clowns and showgirls were at 

the bottom of the social order among performers, with the 

girls sometimes having a little more status. The 1942 

RBB&B program lists all the showgirls by name, but doesn't 

list the clowns. Showgirls sometimes were paid more than 

the clowns, and seldom any less. It was easier to move up 

to a featured spot from the ranks of the showgirls than from 

clown alley, and even the best clowns were not paid as 

much as a standard aerial act. 

In his article, Baum asked, "What happened to the 

34 The New Calliope

traditional whiteface?" That depends on what you consider 

traditional. At one time it was traditional, inspired by Joseph 

Grimaldi, to have large splotches of color on the face. 

Gluttony was an important aspect of the character, and the 

image was that of a little boy who had gotten jam smeared 

on his face while eating sandwiches. Costumes were 

multicolored, layered, and puffed. Gradually the whiteface 

became neater. In the first part of this century , American 

whiteface circus clowns used natural-sized features, 

accented the forehead with apostrophes, and wore skull 

caps instead of wigs. The classic European whiteface wore 

a skull cap, and then painted the ears red. The American 

costume became a loose-fitt ing, two-piece white costume 

accented with colored ruffs. The European costume 

became tighter fitting and more elegant, covered in 

sequins and spangles. The traditional whiteface has 

evolved as good clowns exercised their creativity. It will 

continue to evolve , wh ich is healthy. The feminine style of 

costume currently popular is a part of that evolution. 

What is the role of the female clown? I found it 

interesting that Baum said, "In the dentist skit, no male 

could take the place of the doctor's nurse as well." When I 

was a circus-producing clown in the late 70's and early 

80's, I included doctor acts in the repertoire and had no 

trouble convincing fema le clowns to play the nurse. The 

attitude perpetuated by many Clown College graduates at 

that time was that a fema le clown was not funny playing a 

female character. I always ended up casting the ladies as 

the doctor, and men as the nurse. The men I cast as nurses 

were invariably hilarious. (The women made good doctors 

as well.) 

I was not the only one to use such casting. When 

Tegge and Sicard performed a dentist routine, Tim Tegge 

played the nurse while his wife Cheri was the patient. I think 

that when men played the nurse they did it very broad, 

while the women tended to underplay it. I always felt that 

women could be funny with a female character, and am 

glad that opinion has since been proven true. 

One of the best circus clown acts I have ever seen was 

the Washerwomen, performed by Maudie Bayliss with her 

sister , Edie, as Flip and Flop, in the 1980 edition of the 

Carson & Barnes Five Ring Circus. We quickly learned we 

had to conclude the other clown acts before Flip & Flop 

built up to their blow -off, because they were so good 

everybody would watch them anyway. 

Edie would prepare to pour a bucket of water on Flip's 

head, think better of it, and start away. The crowd would 

yell for her to do it. She would get ready again, and then 

decide she couldn't. She built crowd response up to a high 

pitch while her sister pretended not to understand what 

was going on. Their acting was superb. The crowd would 


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The New Calliope 35


Clown Hall of Fame plans honors 

DELAVAN, Wis. -- At least eight clowns will be 

honored during the Clown Town Colossal Ill affair at the 

Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center here April 19-21. 

Honorees include five new inductees into the Clown 

Hall of Fame, two joeys who will receive "Lifetime of 

Laughter" Awards, and COAi Executive Vice President 

Betty Cash, who was named COAi's Clown of the Year. 

Four of the five Hall of Fame nominees were 

determined through election by the Clown Hall 

membership during balloting in January. Two come from 

the inactive list: 

+ Bobby Kaye, a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & 

Bailey Circus clown, who was a goodwill ambassador clown 

Female Clowns-- 


cheer in approval when she finally dumped the entire 

bucket on Flip. Then Flip would grab another bucket, 

chase Flop into the crowd, and throw popcorn on the 

spectators. (Clowns in the outdoor amusement business 

used popcorn instead of confetti. It is cheaper, flies better. 

is seen easier, and doesn't have to be cleaned up.) 

I know many excellent female clowns. Some of them 

play female characters, some play neutered characters, 

and some play male characters convincingly. (I also know 

many excellent male clowns, and one of them, Greg 

DeSoto, does an outstanding job playing female 

characters with the current RBB&B Blue unit. He is the 

mother who gets left behind in the balloon act.) 

I know clowns of both sexes I wish would improve, but I 

can't say there is a higher percentage of one sex over 

another. Actually, everyone can improve in some way. 

There will always be room for excellent clowns, no matter 

what their sex. 

In my opinion, the best clowns are those who learn the 

truth about our heritage to base their opinions upon, and 

then, using that as a foundation, apply their own creativity 

to build for the future. We must study the clowns of the 

past to learn what they knew, because starting from scratch 

and spending all our time to arrive at the point they 

achieved won't advance clowning. But to copy them isn't 

the ultimate goal. What they did should be our starting 

place for doing something better in the future. 

Female clowns can be proud of the tradition of women 

in the circus and entertainment. Women should not be 

defensive about becoming clowns, but should be proud of 

their place in the entertainment mainstream. 

and an expert in magic. 

+ Frankie Saluto, a whiteface dwarf with RBB&B 

and best known for a large white rabbit. 

Two Hall of Fame inductees come from the active 

clown list: 

+ Glenn "Frosty" Little, who became Boss Clown 

of both RBB&B traveling units, and who also was involved 

with Clown College and a gag factory. 

+ Michael "Coco" Polakov, a Russian-born clown 

who developed popular routines in England. 

The fifth Hall of Farner is Dan Rice, the legendary 

early American clown who was friend of presidents, and 

who was the personification of Uncle Sam. Rice's selection 

was made by the Museum Board's Nominations Committee 

under new bylaws that insure that the greats of the past will 

be part of the Clown Hall of Fame. 

"Lifetime of Laughter" awards will go to: 

+ Max Patkin , the "Clown Prince of Baseball," who 

has been clowning on the nation's baseball diamonds 

since the mid-1940's after a brief stint as a big league ball 

player. 

+ Aye Jaye, a master clown and author who is boss 

clown for an international organization, and who has 

appeared throughout the Midwest. 

Selection of Betty Cash as COAi Clown of the Year 

was made by the COAi Board of Directors last October. 

Future recipients of this honor will be selected at COAi's 

annual general membership meetings. 

Events being planned for the Clown Town Colossall 111 

will be staged at both Lake Lawn Lodge and at the new 

Clown Hall of Fame facility, which is now almost completely 

renovated. Bill Lange, Museum Board president, said the 

former supermarket will about quadruple the size of the 

present museum building, which has been sold to 

DePetrio & Associates, the architectural firm doing the 

work on the new facility. 

Administrator Carol Mudlaff said the move into the new 

building began in March. Areas to open first include the 

theater for the live clown shows, which has seating for 180 

people; the greatly expanded gift shop of some 1,500 

square feet, and the museum, with some 4,500 square 

feet of display space. The shipping/receiving department 

also went into the new building, with the continuing catalog 

sales. A grand opening is planned for April 7. 

36 The New Calliope

•••• 

• 

•••• 

• 

clowning during the previous year. 

: Last walkaround 

March/April , 1991 

Whispers served as alley president in 1986, was a 

member of the alley's clown band and was instrumental in 

establishing the alley's monthly visitations to the M D 

Anderson Cancer Institute. He also formed a perpetual 

fund for the alley, insuring its ability to continue operation 

for many years into the future. 

Those who were privileged to know Whispers will 

remember him as a warm, loving friend, a brave and proud 

Texan and American , and a fine clown. Bump a nose , 

Charlie. We love you ... 

Three faces of Charlie "Whispers" McBride 

Charlie "Whispers" McBride 

By Mauri "Binkie" Norris 

5607 Newcastle Dr. 

Bellaire, Texas 77401 

The family of clowns here on earth has lost one of its 

most beloved . But that growing family of clowns in 

Heaven has gained yet another shining star in welcoming 

Charles T. "Whispers" McBride into their midst. 

Whispers, 43 at the time of his death, began clowning 

in 1983, when a couple of his friends ("Flopsy" and 

"Crinkles") recruited him from among the ranks of the 

"normal folks." After his initial training, Whispers jumped 

into clowning with both feet. He'd already had a terrible 

fight with cancer and lost his vocal cords to the disease (in 

about 1977), hence the clown name, Whispers . 

He joined with Lillian Martin and others in her newly 

founded Cheerful Clown Alley #166 (chartered in 1983), 

and also joined COAi and the new state group, the Texas 

Clown Association, the same year. He was very active with 

the Cheerful Clown Alley and was responsible for securing 

its non-profit status (making it one of the first alleys with 

such status). He began a monthly newsletter for the alley - 

"The Cheerful Chatter" -- in October 1984, and served as 

Editor (writing, compiling, printing, assembling and mailing 

each issue) until December 1989, when failing health 

made it impossible for him to continue . 

At the 1988 COAi Convention in Denver, Whispers 

won first place in the Auguste makeup competition , 

dressed as a toy soldier. It was a very special win for 

Whispers and his friends, as we had just learned a few 

months prior that his cancer was back and that it was 

basically untreatable. At the 1988 Texas Clown Assn. 

Convention in Kerrville he was awarded the "Ambassador 

of Clowning" title, which is given to the member who has 

most supported, promoted and exemplified the art of 

Charlie "lnka Oink" Rothweiler 

By Mary Ellen "Ma Klown" Boulware 

10259 W.Terra Ve. 

Milwaukee , WI 53224 

Milwaukee Metro Clown Alley #37 has lost a fellow 

joey: Charlie "lnka Oink" Rothweiler. He left a void to 

clowning and to humanity that cann ot be measured. 

lnka Oink was born July 22, 1914, and grew up in the 

Milwaukee area . His wife, Mamie , and a baby boy preceded 

him in death. He was a retired commercial artist for the 

Maynard Steel Co. He died Dec. 31, 1990, of cancer. 

True to his vibrant personality and dedication to 

clowning, lnka Oink requested and planned a clown wake 

and burial. He wanted every one of his clown friends , as 

well as himself, to be in costume. 

I don't know if a clown burial is a first for Milwaukee , but 

it certainly was most impressive to see this exuberant little 

man bedecked in his costume and his clown friends filing 

past his casket paying their last respects. 

As I sat in church watching the clowns in full regalia, I 

couldn't help but think lnka Oink was danc ing with glee , 

knowing how much happiness he brought to the people 

he touched with his clowning. He wanted this to be an 

uplifting occasion as evidenced by the soloist and choir, 

but I can assure you there wasn't a dry eye in the church 

when "Send in the Clowns" was played . 

God love you, lnka Oink. You will be missed . 

. . . . . 

HENRY "CHARLIE CHOO CHOO" SCHAPER , 

of Norwalk, Ohio, made his last walkaround Jan. 13, 1991. 

Friends mourns his passing. 

. . . . . 

DAVID "BOGIE" ATKINSON , JR., of Chula Vista, 

Calif ., made his last walkaround Dec. 12, 1990. Friends and 

family will miss him. 

The New Calliope 37


( Calendar of coming events J 

April 12-13: Clown Daze 1991, Macalester 

Plymouth United Methodist Church, St. Paul, MN. For 

information write Randy Christensen, 2600 Mt. Zion Ave., 

Janesville, WI 53545 or phone (608) 754-5237. 

April 24-28: COAi Annual Convention, North Holiday 

Inn, Indianapolis, Ind. 

CANCELLATION: April 26-28: Christian Clown 

Camp '91, Fort Monmouth, NJ. "Because of Operation 

Desert Storm, we find ourselves facing too many 

uncertainties and unknowns to allow us to proceed ... 

Resources previously allocated to support of our Camp '91 

have been re-allocated to Army needs:" 

May 3-5: Magical Workshop for Clowns, Lakewood 

Senior Center, Tacoma, Wash. For information , write 

Clover Park Clowns, 11102108th St. S.W., Tacoma, WA 

98498, or phone (206) 847-2436. 

May 17-19: ClownTown '91, Newark, Ohio. For 

information write Clown Town'91, 329 Cedarcrest St., 

Newark, Ohio 43055 or phone (614) 345-1022. 

COAi SALE PRICES GOOD THROUGH NAY 1991: SALE SU6, 

--------------------------------------- PRICE RETAIL 

NA61C 3-WAY COLORING BOOK ••••..•...•.••• $ 6,25 $ 8.90 

VANISHING CRAYONS ....................... I 4, 75 $ 7.00 

APPEARING CRAYONS ....................... I 3. 75 $ 5.00 

HAUNTED HANDKERCHIEF, ••••..••.••.••••••• I 4,75 $ b.00 

NENTAL NANIPULATION (Royal) ••••.••.•••.•• I 2,00 $ 2.50 

NEEDLE THROUGH THE BALLOO~ •••••••••••••• I 6,00 $ 9.00 

SEE THROUGH FINGER CHOPPER ••••.•• .••..•• 110,50 $13.00 

PROFESSORS NIGHTNARE ROPE ROUTINE, •••••• I 1,75 $ 2.50 

HOT ROD 4" ............. .......... ....... I 3,75 $ 6.00 

NULTIPLYING RABBITS ............. ...... .. I l,50 $ 3.00 

FRESH FISH TEAR ......................... I 4,25 $ 6.00 

DUBIOUS DONINOS !Royall ••••••••••••••..•• I 4,50 $ 6.00 

CHINESE LINKING RINGS 5" !Royal) •.••••••• I 5.50 $ 8.00 

INVISIBLE DECK !Bicycle Cards) •••.••••••• I 4,50 $ 6.00 

NENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY (Bicycle Cards) ••••••• I 5,50 $ 8.00 

260E QUALITEX ANINAL BALLOONS lgrossl •••• I 7.50 $ 9.50 

BALLOON HAND PUNP •••••••.. ••••••.•.•••• . I 4,00 $ 6.00 

SHIPPING: ADD IOX (CONTINENTAL U.S.) •••• t2.SO NIN, 

ADD 201 IALL OTHERS! ••.••.•••• t5,00 NIN, 

C.O.D. CASH ONLY, YOU PAY C.O.D. CHAR6ES. 

PAYNENT1 CASHIER'S CHECK, HONEY ORDER, PERSONAL CHECK. 

PERSONAL CHECKS HELD 2 WEEKS TO CLEAR. 

CATAL06UE1 SEND tl,00 (CREDITED TO FIRST ORDER! FOR LIST. 

WE CARRY A CONPLERE LINE OF NA61C & BALLOONS. 

ALWAYS BELOW SU6GESTED RETAIL PRICES' 

May 25-26: Clown Fun '91, Great West Inn, Red 

Deer, Alberta, Canada. Contact Ron Daley, Convention 

Chairman, (403) 347-5681. 

June 21, 22: Felix Adler Days, Clinton, Iowa. For 

information write or call Felix Adler Days, 1626 North 3rd, 

Clinton, Iowa 52732, Phone (319) 243-4186. 

June 17-22, June 24-28 and July 1-12: 

International Clown-Theatre Congress, Philadelphia, PA. 

For information write or call Movement Theatre 

International, 3700 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. 

Phone (215) 382-0600. 

July 16-21: Clown School, Sanford University, 800 

Lakeshore Dr., Birmingham , AL 35209-9877.Contact Col. 

Jim (Dune Buggy) Russell, P.O. Box 393 Butler , GA 

31006-0393. Ph. (912) 862-3372. 

July 25-27: Tenth Anniversary, The Funhouse Big 3 

Convention, Holiday Inn, BWI Airport, Baltimore, MD. For 

information write or call: Funhouse Big 3 Convention, c/o 

Mike Schirmer, 4333 Berger Ave., Baltimore, MD 21206. 

Phone (301) 485-7863. 

Aug. 9-11: Clown Camp on the Road, Fort Worth, 

Texas. Hosted by Cowtown Clown Alley #135. For 

information write Cowtown Clowns, 3608 Glenmont Ave., 

Fort Worth. Texas, 76133 or call Nadine Barker (817) 

923-3030. 

Aug. 22-25: 17th Northeast Clown Convention, 

Trumbull Marriott, Trumbull, Conn. For information write 

Sawdust Alley 66, Leo "Dapper" Desilets, 30 Roswell St., 

Milford. CT 06460 or phone (203) 877-3869. 

Sept. 19-21: Tenth annual "Clownfest 91," 

Seaside Heights, N.J. For information. send self 

addressed stamped business size envelope to National 

Clown Arts Council, Inc .. c/o 240 Swimming River Rd .. 

Colts Neck, NJ 07722. 

Sept. 21: 13th annual Minnesota Clown Days, 

Marriott Hotel, Bloomington. MN. Hosted by; Alley 19. For 

information write or call George Quast, P.O. Box 233, 

Hutchinson. MN. 55350 Ph.(612) 587-2300. 

Oct. 18-20: Clownaroundarama, 1991 North Central 

Regional Convention hosted by St. Louis Clowns of 

America. Details to follow. 

38 The New Calliope

Movement Theatre International 

Michael A. PedrenihDirector 

presents t e 

International Clown-Theatre Congress 

Clowning into the 21st Century! 

Join the most important artists, scholars, pedagogues, journalists, and critics 

working in the field today. 


Performances by: 

Dimitri Clown 

Bolek Polivka 

I Colombaioni 

Pierre Byland 

llkhom from Tashkent 

Balinese 

Topeng Clowns 

Zairian Buffoon 

And More 

It's Happening! Some of the best minds in the clown-theatre world will convene in 

Philade lrnia for the International Clown-Theatre Congress. The Congress 

will be the mos important gatherin_g of clowns in our time . !Vleet new people, renew old 

acquaintances and~turn your sights to the 21st Century. 

Conference/Festival 

June 24 - 28, 1991 

• Clowning in the 19th Century 

• Two decades of Contemporary Clowning (1973-1991) 

• Ancient Traditions of African and Asian Clowning 

• Tra ining Clowns for the 21st Century 

• Clown Cri ticism for the 21st Century 

• The Role of Women in Clown ing for the 21st Century 

• Humor, Health and Clowns 

• Keynote Address by Judy Finelli 

Discussants 

Yuri Belov, Hovey Burgess, Pierre Byland, Wi lliam B. Collins, Fred Curc hack, Judy Finell i, Ron Jenkins, Mohy em 

Mikanza, Laurence Senelick, Steve Smith, Cti bor Turba, Nyornen Wen ton, Maso Yamaguchi, and many more. 

Showcases 

Fifteen soloists and ensembles will be selected to showcase their clown-theatre work at the Congress. If inter ested in 

showcasing your work, contact Mike Pedretti (215) 382-0600. 

Open Mike 

An opportunity for everyone attending the Congress to perform . 

Institute I 

June 17 - 22 

Bolek Polivka"It's Easy to Make Theatre" 

Fred Curchack "Playing Comic Types" 

Study with both Teachers 

Institute 11 

July 1 - 13 

Pierre Byland "The Search for His Own Clown" 

Ctibor Turba "Classic Clow n Dramatur!,ry" 

Yuri Belov and Valery Averyanov "A Clown 

Character and a Clown Act for the Contemporary 

Clown" 

For information write: Movement Theatre International, Box C, 

3700 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 or call 

(215) 382-0600 

Performances Showcases Master Classes Workshops Discussions Open !\·like Parties and More 

Pro rnms Suh eel to Chon e 

The New Calliope 39


Typical clown and a typical hospital? Not quite : This is an 

American clown in a children's pulmonary hospital in the 

Soviet Union.See"Two weeks with Lanky the Clown',"Page 8. 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

P.O. Box 570 

Lake Jackson, Texas 77566-0570 

Forwarding & Return 

Postage Guaranteed 

BULK RATE 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Bluffton, Ohio 

Permit No.95 

40 The New Calliope

March_April_1991

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