eople smile when they see David

Solove. In every city and every show,

his goal is the same: to be funny.

“There’s nothing like hearing 10,000

people laugh, and knowing you are the

reason why,” he says. “It’s better than

anything.” Part acrobat, part actor,

David travels the country as a circus

clown.

David performs with the Ringling

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He

and his fellow clowns portray largerthan-life characters full of exuberance. They slip, fall, juggle, flip over,

balance large objects, throw pies, spit

water, and play tricks on each other to

entertain the audience. These activities are choreographed into several

skits the clowns stage during a

performance. “Each show is 3 hours

of top-notch high energy,” says David.

“You throw yourself around the ring.”

Before performing, David pulls on a

purple wig and oversized shoes. He

paints his face—white chin and

eyelids, red cheekbones, and dark

freckles—and dons a bright,

purple suit with an orange

polka-dotted tie.

He may review a trick or

two. But because he

performs 500 shows a

year, he doesn’t need

much practice. The

clowns and circus

producers conceive

and develop the

routines every

other winter

during 3

months of

uninterrupted

rehearsal.

But

just

because

the gags are

You’re a what ?

by Olivia Crosby

Olivia Crosby is a contributing editor to the OOQ,

(202) 606-5716.

practiced doesn’t mean David can’t

improvise. Clowns are inspired by

their audiences to try new facial

expressions or add new twists to

their acts. This flexibility brings

excitement to the performance.

After a show, David scrubs off his

makeup and sometimes relaxes by

going to movies or restaurants with

other performers. He may also escort

the animals and their caretakers from

the circus grounds, answering questions and keeping onlookers a safe

distance from the menagerie.

Clowning work often extends beyond

the ring. Before each performance, David

dresses in full clown regalia to meet

early arriving audience members, pass

out stickers, pose for pictures, and offer

a glimpse behind the scenes. Other

times, he promotes the circus on local

television. And he also helps to set up

and repack props as the circus migrates

from town to town.

Circus clowns are constantly on

the move. David’s troupe performs in

more than 90 cities every year. For

David, traveling is one of the best

parts of the job but also one of the

most challenging. “Every week, we’re in

a new city,” he says. “Just finding a

grocery store becomes an adventure.”

All Ringling performers travel on a

circus train. Each of the 18 clowns has

a private apartment, complete with a

kitchen and, often, a VCR, television,

and computer. During the longest

trips, performers might spend 4 days

on the train. “The circus becomes like

a family,” says David, “and the people

are some of the most fun you’ll meet.

We laugh a lot backstage.”

Between shows, the clowns

sightsee or write letters. “You accumulate a lot of pen pals,” says David. He

38 Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Fall 1999

P

Photos of David Solove courtesy of Feld Entertainment
sends home a postcard from every

town he visits, and he writes a travel

log for the circus’ website.

Ringling clowns, like clowns in

other companies, complete training

before joining the circus. David

attended the Ringling Bros. and

Barnum & Bailey Clown College, an

experience he calls an “8-week boot

camp of comedy.” The college provided an overview of clowning skills,

including costuming, clown character

development, comic interaction, and

acrobatic falls, slaps, and flips. This

training provided essential background.

“Slapstick is strenuous,” says David.

“You’d get hurt if you weren’t trained.”

Clowns also learn from each other.

New clowns work in support positions for 1 year, performing as part of

a group in the big production numbers. As they gain experience, they

garner more of the spotlight.

There is no single prerequisite for

clown schools, but most students have

acting or acrobatic skills. “Our clowns

come from diverse backgrounds,”

David says. “Every clown has specialties. Some are great actors who

interact wonderfully with the audience. Some can’t juggle but are terrific

acrobats.” And others have unusual

abilities, such as balancing motorcycles

atop ladders they carry in their hands.

David earned a bachelor’s degree in

acting before auditioning for clown

school. But he had been a performer

long before that. During elementary

school, he created puppet shows and

once organized a benefit carnival for

muscular dystrophy research. In high

school and college, he wrote and

performed children’s theater.

It wasn’t until his senior year in

college that David learned about

clown school. He attended the school

to improve his theatrical skills, but he

soon discovered a passion for clowning. After graduating from the Ringling

school, he auditioned for and accepted

a clown position.

Most clowns work in the circus for

only a few years. Constant travel,

physical demands, and separation from

hometown friends cause high turnover. But David, a 7-year veteran,

continues to enjoy his work. “I love

the magic of the show and connecting

with the audience,” he says.

Fewer than 300 clowns work for

circuses in the United States. An equal

number of clownishly costumed

performers work for rodeos, according to the Rodeo Clowns & Bullfighters Association. The job of rodeo

clowns is, primarily, to protect bull

riders and to work with bulls, so their

training is different from that of circus

performers.

Many more clowns work alone,

entertaining at birthday parties, for

shopping mall promotions, in parades,

or at other events. Although these

clowns wear makeup and costumes

like circus performers, many of the

skills they use are different.

David points out, “You can’t

throw pies and fall down in

someone’s living room.” Instead,

event clowns paint children’s faces, tell

jokes, perform comical magic, and

twist balloon animals. Because they

work in a small space, their movement

is contained, and they rely on direct

interaction with the audience.

Like circus clowns, event clowns

need formal training to become

marketable professionals. Rex Nolan,

Education Director for Clowns of

America International, one of the

largest clowning associations, says

event clowns attend camps, conferences, and short classes to learn their

craft. Most also belong to local

organizations called clown alleys.

Many event clowns work for

themselves, often clowning part time

while maintaining full-time, salaried

professions. They see clowning as an

outlet for their creativity. They usually

charge between $40 and $150 per

hour and, like all business owners,

have expenses such as supplies,

costumes, and liability insurance.

Circus clowns, in contrast, receive

salaries, medical benefits, and housing

and have few business expenses. They

can earn up to $300 a week to start.

No matter where they work,

clowns share common traits and

motivations. “You have to have a great

sense of humor and a big heart,” says

David. “It’s hard work, but if you love

it, it’s great!”

Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Fall 1999 39