Clown Act Omnibus: Everything You Need to Know About Clowning Plus over 200 Clown Stunts by Wes. McVicar
A nice collection of time-tested clown skits (over 200), for beginners, intermediate & advanced, both individuals and for groups. Acts are classified by type, equipment needed, gymnastic skills, and practice required. I greatly appreciated this, since it allowed me to skip things either too difficult or that I simply wasn’t interested in. The book also includes instructions on the making of some basic props for clowning and magic acts as well.
The book is divided into nine sections, and they cover:
- Clowning as an Art
- Pantomime
- Clown Types
- Costumes
- Make-up
- Suggestions for Programming
- Production Ideas
- Properties and Stunts.
It should be noted that some of the skits show their age. The one that parodies Jack Benny’s movie “Buck Benny Rides Again” probably wouldn’t play well before anyone. Except, perhaps, a retirement home.
Having said that, bear in mind from the title that the book focuses on Clown Acts (& routines)—it’s not a book on how to clown, how to apply make-up, how to develop your clown character, etc—for that, I’d recommend Creative Clowning and Strutter’s Complete Guide to Clown make up. I rate this 3 clowns
I rate this 3 clowns 
on a 5-clown scale.