Greg and Karen DeSanto
Encyclopedia
Greg and Karen DeSanto are a husband and wife comedy/clown
team currently in their third decade as professional circus clowns
.
Greg DeSanto graduated in 1985 from the acclaimed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He was the featured producing clown and created, wrote, and directed original clown material for Ringling's Blue, Red, and Gold units. His work as a performer has been featured in the center ring of Madison Square Garden
, the historic vaudeville
stage of the Sarasota Opera House
, Lincoln Center, and the White House. He was also a featured performer in the 1996-97 Big Apple Circus
tour, Medicine Show. He was inducted into the EHS Hall of Fame in 2001.
Karen graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1993 and then was featured in Ringling's Blue unit. A member of the Clown Care (SM) hospital clowning program of the Big Apple Circus
, Karen is one of the country's leading clown instructors and has developed teaching programs for the Circus's Arts-In-Education program, the National Circus Project
and Ocean Park Amusements. As a businesswoman, she created and ran a successful clown and character production company in California. Her performances have taken her to the stages of Carnegie Hall
, the State Capital of California, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
. Karen is also a published author with articles in Rosie magazine and the children's book, Star Saves the Circus.
Together, the DeSantos have served as consultants for Feld Entertainment and have directed the clown material for many editions of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. They have been featured comics on cruise lines and in circuses around the world, including a command performances for King Hussein of Morocco. For seven seasons, Greg and Karen were the resident clowns at Circus World Museum
in Baraboo, Wisconsin
, and appeared together in The Big Apple Circus’ 2005-06 production Grandma Goes To Hollywood.
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
team currently in their third decade as professional circus clowns
Circus clown
Clowns have always been an integral part of the circus, offering a source of amusement for patrons and providing relief from the array of animal acts and performances by acrobats and novelty artistes....
.
Greg DeSanto graduated in 1985 from the acclaimed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He was the featured producing clown and created, wrote, and directed original clown material for Ringling's Blue, Red, and Gold units. His work as a performer has been featured in the center ring of Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, the historic vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
stage of the Sarasota Opera House
Sarasota Opera House
The Sarasota Opera House is an historic theater, now opera house, located at 61 North Pineapple Avenue in Sarasota, Florida. The vision of a local man, A. B...
, Lincoln Center, and the White House. He was also a featured performer in the 1996-97 Big Apple Circus
Big Apple Circus
The Big Apple Circus is a circus that is based in New York City. Opened in 1977, it has become a tourist attraction as well. It has been highly influential towards the creation of Cirque du Soleil, tent-based circuses and smaller non-profit shows, such as Circus Flora.-The 1970s:The idea of...
tour, Medicine Show. He was inducted into the EHS Hall of Fame in 2001.
Karen graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1993 and then was featured in Ringling's Blue unit. A member of the Clown Care (SM) hospital clowning program of the Big Apple Circus
Big Apple Circus
The Big Apple Circus is a circus that is based in New York City. Opened in 1977, it has become a tourist attraction as well. It has been highly influential towards the creation of Cirque du Soleil, tent-based circuses and smaller non-profit shows, such as Circus Flora.-The 1970s:The idea of...
, Karen is one of the country's leading clown instructors and has developed teaching programs for the Circus's Arts-In-Education program, the National Circus Project
National Circus Project
National Circus Project is a 501 not-for-profit educational organization in the United States. The organization was founded in 1984 by JeanPaul Jenack and Meryl Schaffer to teach circus skills in school, as a way to combine physical movement and the arts.Program specialists are recruited from the...
and Ocean Park Amusements. As a businesswoman, she created and ran a successful clown and character production company in California. Her performances have taken her to the stages of Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, the State Capital of California, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
. Karen is also a published author with articles in Rosie magazine and the children's book, Star Saves the Circus.
Together, the DeSantos have served as consultants for Feld Entertainment and have directed the clown material for many editions of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. They have been featured comics on cruise lines and in circuses around the world, including a command performances for King Hussein of Morocco. For seven seasons, Greg and Karen were the resident clowns at Circus World Museum
Circus World Museum
The Circus World Museum is a large museum complex in Baraboo, Wisconsin devoted to circus-related history. The museum, which features not only circus artifacts and exhibits, but also hosts daily live circus performances throughout the summer, is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and...
in Baraboo, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and appeared together in The Big Apple Circus’ 2005-06 production Grandma Goes To Hollywood.