Canby Herald Online

Circus act

Canby Herald editor John Baker gets the opportunity of a lifetime —

• By: John Baker  
• Published: 9/28/2009 4:50:11 PM
• Last Updated: 9/30/2009 2:11:01 PM

Photo By: Ray HugheyClowning around
“Buddy Clown” Todd Griffith (top) applies a powdery substance that sets the makeup of editor John Baker as they prepare for the preshow.

As it turns out, kids have always understood this — clowning around is hard work.

It’s also beautiful work, the kind of work that surprises, tantalizes and energizes — even a 47-year-old hack journalist getting the chance to indulge a childhood fantasy.

By a quirk of the journalism gods, I got the chance to join Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a “guest clown” Thursday evening during one of their Portland performances.

I didn’t get to be in the main show, but was allowed to appear with a “buddy clown” during the preshow, a wonderful hands-on experience the circus offers before every performance.

It’s one of those golden nugget opportunities you get in this job that makes all the complaints, whining and irrational rants from the public a little more palatable. A clown for a day? Why not?

My “buddy clown” was Todd Griffith, a friendly sort with a passion for what he does and why he does it. As he commenced slapping paint on my face and whacking me across the schnoz with a sock filled with some powdery substance to make the makeup set, I discovered Todd had always wanted to be part of the circus and had spent a great deal of his life performing. He said it was a privilege to be part of the circus and that as a clown for Ringling Bros., he was in pretty exclusive company.

When you’re around these folks, you realize why.

A few more slaps with the sock, a bit of a brushing across the eyes and presto, I was a clown — almost. I had to pick the appropriate outfit and Todd, an obvious clown fashionista, took me to the rack — where things got interesting.

You may have noticed, but I’m a big kind of dude and after they first suggested a big, pink dress (I declined), I ended up with about the only thing that would fit me — an Oriental-themed green beauty that offered not only a svelte waistline but a shimmering ambiance.

The “clowning up” of John Baker was complete. The test of his mettle and nerve would soon follow — kids.
The beauty of this adventure was the behind-the-scenes look at the circus as a whole and the clowns in particular. I realized that Clown Alley was a fairly sacred place to the men and women who practice clowning, but I was allowed to visit and meet some of the other professionals.

I found these folks to be kind and enjoyable — consummate professionals dedicated to the craft of clowning and willing to work hard to make the experience a good one for all involved. I’m probably like a lot of people who don’t really appreciate the artistry and professionalism of the circus clown. Maybe, because it’s about entertainment, we think it’s an easy dodge of a job, one that requires little prep or talent. Wrong!

Putting on the face and wardrobe, and then talking with the other clowns, I learned a valuable lesson about the pride and passion of the performers at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was an honor to be in face paint and oversized clothes with them.

I love the concept of the “preshow” that Ringling has developed. An hour before showtime, the doors open wide and visitors get the opportunity to come down to the arena floor and mix and mingle with the clowns and other performers, as well as try their hands at some of the circus fun. It’s a very hands-on, physically real opportunity to get up close and personal with the performers and I found it a brilliant addition to the experience. It was also my time to “clown it up.”

Here’s a bit of honesty for you — making a kid smile and laugh as a clown is nothing short of an adrenaline buzz that doesn’t end. It’s a stark reminder that, after 139 years of existence, the Ringling Bros. experience can still make kids’ faces light up and the smiles extend ear-to-ear. For one night, no matter how pathetic, I got to be part of that tradition. Priceless.

Todd was a gracious host who shared some of the tricks of the trade and encouraged me to jump in and be part of the fun. I posed for pictures, signed autographs and took some good-natured ribbing about my obviously contradictory appearance.

There’s still magic in the circus, my friends. There’s still something about standing in the midst of a group of clowns that makes you feel better about yourself and the world. Ringling Bros. and Todd Griffith extended an incredible opportunity to me, one that ranks about as high as any I’ve had. It allowed a very unique glimpse into a world so few of us know or understand. I found it fascinating and fulfilling from start to finish.

It also underscored that for all the greasepaint, pratfalls and oversized pants, these clowns know what they’re doing. They’re consummate professionals in a world that’s silly, crazy and very badly dressed.
Kids have always known what we adults seem to have forgotten — it’s hard work to be so funny.

 

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