WHITEFACE CLOWN-The best clowns around? They are the top ten Shrine Whitefaces.
, photo by Patti Babcock
CHARACTER CLOWN-The clowns pictured above are ten of the best in tlae west, east, north and south.
photo by Patti Babcock
TRAMP CLOWN-Ten top tramps. Outfitted to travel, but they don't have to ride the rails no more.
photo by Patti Babcock
Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, March 6, 1997 AA15
Classic Clowns
by Patti Babcock
Gazette staff
Colorful clowns, each with unique face and
makeup, clowned around at their annual con-
vention and competition. The Four Queens
Casino in Las Vegas was the sight for the
gathering of funny folk. On Saturday, March 1,
the top ten clowns in each of the basic four
basic types were chosen.
The charming, cheerful clowns have a hierar-
chy based on the skill and intelligence of the
character. The Whiteface Clown is top clown.
He is the straight man. This clown dates back
to the mid 1700s. There are two variations, the
neat whiteface and the comedy whiteface.
Next is the Auguste Clown, pictured on the
front page. This is the slapstick clown who
plays to the whiteface's straightman act. He has
outlandish features which usually include large
red lips, a big, red nose and brightly colored
hair. This is the guy who gets the pie in the face
or drenched with a bucket of water.
The Character Clown depicts a character: a
policeman, a snowman, Robin Hood, the court
jester. This captivating character entertains
with his own version of slapstick comedy. He
is closely related to the Auguste Clown.
Even in clowndom, someone has to be at the
bottom of the social order. The Tramp Clown is
the perfect persona for this spot. Modeled
after the hobos that rode the rails during the
depression, the Tramp's white eyes and mouth
mimic the white areas created when the hobo
wiped his mouth with the back of his hand or
cleared sleep from his eyes making the white of
these areas contrast dramatically with the rest of
his soot covered face.
Tramp Clowns are happy or sad characters.
This fellow delights an audience when he opens
his coat to display an amazing array of items
inside the patchwork pockets. T-bone is tile
name of one of the top ten tramp clowns. He
has a T-bone, scavenged from a pilfered steak,
sewn on the front of his jacket.
Snap Trap carries his frying pan attached to
his tattered attire with a piece of rope. He is a
sad tramp wearing tattered clothing. He has
been a clown for 25 years and started by tag-
ging along with his clown father. He became a
mentor to T-bone who has been a clown for less
than a year. Both placed in the top ten Tramp
Clowns in the nation. They hail from an area
near Springfield, Ohio.
Clowning looks easy. Just a lot of silliness.
The Pahrump clown students are learning that
clowning can be a serious business. It takes
work, creativity and skill. Making little animals
from balloons is no easy task. The biggest
challenge is Creating the character. You can
borrow ideas or even a feature from another
clown but it is unethical and in some cases
illegal to copy a clown's face. Every clown is
unique, one-of-a-kind, just like person in the
costume.
The students visited the Shrine's Clown
Convention on Saturday. The clowns willingly
shared valuable information and gave welcome
encouragement. The students browsed the
booths of the vendors and were shocked to find
that those big, funny shoes start at about $185.
But, it takes more than that to discourage a
committed clown.
The students agree it doesn't matter if they
ever number among the top ten. To light up a
child's face or see joy in a senior's eyes will be
a big enough reward.
