Be A Clown – the Complete Guide to Instant Clowning

Book Reviews – Be A Clown! – The Complete Guide to Instant Clowning by Turk Pipkin, Walt Chrynwski, Chris Reed

(Editor’s note: this book should not be confused with the children’s book “Be A Clown” nor Mark Stolzenberg’s Be A Clown, and has no relation to Cole Porter’s classic song “Be A Clown”)
 Paperback – 104 pages
A very nice book – light and lively, easily read, many photos, with a good insight into the mind & heart of a clown. This lively, humorous handbook covers all aspects of clownmanship, including makeup, funny faces, costume (including inexpensive clown-size shoes), and props (including a favorite Red Skelton routine, the Bouncing Hankie). Encourages the reader to create a clown persona with many photos and suggestions. Several getting-started routines are included. Develop your own oddball walk, swallow chair legs — you’ll always have a stunt up your sleeve. Written by the towering Turk Pipkin, a 6′ 7″ professional clown.
Includes plastic clown nose (OK for starting, but you’ll want to get a “real” nose). The more I read it, the more I like it.

Table of Contents

• Introduction: Step Right Up

• A very good introduction to the book, and to clowning in general. Italicized entries are sidebars or pull-outs, discussing something of interest, typically a clown bit, skit, or piece of advice — in this instance, the classic balancing a (ping pong ball, feather, cup, etc.) on your clown nose.

• • Who Am I?

• • Balance a Ping Pong Ball on Your Nose

• • The Heart of a Clown

• • Five Great Clown Handshakes

• • Ring One: Get Ready

    • To Speak or Not To Speak

• • Will your clown speak, or be silent? Discussing the pros and cons of each, as well as non-verbal communication, which is vital for both styles of clowning. As an aside, I love the Flea Circus skit! You can see a version of that on film in Charlie Chaplin‘s Limelight.
  • Trick or Treat
    • Silent Clowns
    • Talking Clowns

• • A Flea Circus

• Your Clown Costume

• • Central to your clown character, discussing your costume. He begins with hats, which many clowns use — but as he says in Suited to You, if it doesn’t fit your character, don’t use it! You can see the Spring-loaded Hat Trick to the right. He also discusses some inexpensive (and creative) ways to get some clown shoes that match your character.
  • Start at the Top: Clown Hats

• • • • Suited to You
      • Spring-loaded Hat Trick
    • If the Shoe Fits… Don’t Wear it!

• The First Steps

• • Something overlooked by a lot of introductory clowning books is the walk, or posture, of a clown. Remember Groucho Marx? You should. Remember the distinctive walk of Carol Burnett’s ‘Mrs. H-Whiggins’?
  • Your Own Walk

• • Famous Clown Walks

• Make-Up: Creating a Unique Face

• • Using a minimalist, everyman style of make-up. If that works for you, wonderful! If not, feel free to consult a different book, such as Strutter’s Complete Guide to Clown Make-Up.
  • What Will Your New Face Look Like?

• • Make-Up Tips

• • Clown props

    • • Special Delivery
    • • The Bouncing Apple
    • • The Bouncing Hankie
    • In a Classy Joint

• Think Like a Clown

• • The essential part of clowning — how to think like a clown.

• • • • Make ‘Em Laugh
    • Running Gags

• • Ring Two: Get Set

    • Clown Skills

• • A very basic introduction to some of the better-known skills your clown might use, but covering the basics. And the classic Boxing Sketch does a good job of demonstrating how to do slapstick safely and properly.

• • • • Balancing
    • • Juggling
    • • Slap, Slap, slapstick
    • • A Clown Class: The Boxing Sketch
    • Anywhere

• • Satire and Parody

    • • The Clown Marksman
    • • The Clown Magician
    • The Sword Swallower

• • Clowning With Kids

    • • Hey Kids! Shaking hands
    • • Balloon Animals
    • • Who’s There? (Following in your Footsteps)
    • • Afghan Bands: The Story of the Circus Belts
    • • A Stunt That Wows!
    • At a Party

• Audience Participation

• • I have to admit, I’m a big fan of audience participation sketches. And a much bigger fan of the Parade of Elephants after seeing it done live at Clown Camp 1998 by Brenda Ahern — it works, and it’s hilarious!

• • • • The Parade of Elephants
    • The World’s Strongest Clown

• • The Sideshow

    • • Around the Circus
    • • More Classic Clown Turns
    • Circus Lingo

• • Ring Three: Go!

    • • Once a Clown
    • • Putting It All Together
    • Kiss You! I Hardly Know You!

• • Appendix: Sweeping Up The Sawdust

    • Where To Now?

      • • Schools for Clowns
      • Equipment and Information

• Index

I rate it 4 clowns on a 5-clown scale.