Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College
Encyclopedia
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (originally located in Venice, Florida
, then relocated to Baraboo, Wisconsin
and finally Sarasota, Florida
) trained around 1,400 clown
s in the "Ringling style" from 1968 to 1997.
College was the brainchild of Irvin Feld
, the owner of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and longtime Ringling clown and front man Bill Ballantine. In 1968, Ringling had only a handful of clowns in their alleys, most of them over fifty years of age. It was clear that these performers wouldn't be able to go on forever. But there was a dearth of suitable replacements at that time. So Feld decided to create a school to train a new generation in this ancient artform.
Feld also saw the potential public relations
opportunity in having a place that could become the Mecca of clowning in America. In addition, he wanted to use the school as another way of keeping his show more attractive to audiences than his competition, and have a place where he could guarantee getting an endless supply of new talent.
In 1984, after Feld's death, Kenneth Feld
, his son, took over production of Feld Entertainment and the Ringling shows. He continued to operate the school through the 1997 session, and then closed Clown College because the needs of the show had changed; the school was no longer profitable, nor necessary, as clowning had moved back into the mainstream of performing arts. Also, with nearly fifteen hundred graduates, many of whom were teaching others the lessons they had learned, and with a home videotape produced by Ringling and made at Clown College in 1986 titled "Be A Clown," which featured many of the techniques used in the school's training sessions, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus officially discontinued their Clown College just shy of its 30th year. Currently, clowns for the Ringling shows are hired based on standard auditions, much like any theatrical production.
Two notable national events took place involving RBBB Clown College. The first occurred on February 17, 1988, when CBS
Television broadcast the "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College: 20th Anniversary" special. This hour long program was hosted by Dick Van Dyke
and it featured a cadre of clown alumni, performing their favorite routines, as well as Mr. Van Dyke, in character as the school custodian "Burford," who was trying to pick up some of the "course material" on the sly.
The second was on August 4, 1992, when Ringling created "Smiles Across America," an event done locally in cities and towns across the country to raise awareness of various issues and to help make people happier. Clown College graduates performed such civic duties as visiting hospitals and parks and appeared for photo ops and did "meet & greet" with the media and the general public.
Van Dyke and long time Today Show weatherman Willard Scott
, the first person to portray Ronald McDonald
in a television advertisement, are both honorary graduates of the school.
The college moved from Venice, FL to Baraboo, WI in the 1990s after Sarasota County would not extend the railroad 12 miles from Sarasota to the winter headquarters of the circus, also the site of Clown College. Later still, it was moved back to Sarasota where it remained until Feld Entertainment Inc. finally closed it in 1997.
Next, tuition was free (though students were responsible for their own room and board, as well as any other incidental expenses incurred), and a graduate from the school finished the term with a full "Agent Suit" or specific clown costume, including a wig and proper clown shoes and a complete make-up kit, as well as the training needed to be a good clown performer.
Each yearly session was held in the fall. The number of students admitted to any year's session varied but it ranged from thirty to fifty, with the vast majority being men. The ratio of men to women in a Clown College class was roughly 8 to 1. It was also said that admission to the institution was more challenging than being accepted to Harvard Law School
. (By way of example, in the 1974 session 48 students were selected from slightly over 5,000 applicants.).
The Clown College session over the years ranged from approximately thirteen weeks down to ten and a half weeks before it was eventually scaled back to an eight-week course in its final years. Students would work together or "play off" each other 8 hours a day, six days a week preparing material for the "Big Show" (Clown College served as a think tank to create new gags for the circus) and learning all of the basics of clowning. Typical classes included make-up application, costume design
, acrobatics
, juggling
, stilt walking, pantomime
and other skills training. Films of classic performers like Charlie Chaplin
, Buster Keaton
and The Three Stooges, and the cartoon work of Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny
were also studied.
The entire session was one long audition for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, as the instructors took note of which students had what they were looking for to fill the positions for the new season's show, which began several weeks after the Clown College session ended. Chosen graduates received a one year contract to travel with "The Greatest Show on Earth," which they were obliged to accept. (This was Ringling's only stipulation for all students who agreed to receive the school's free training, but was only added after several students declined job offers at the end of the session. The first person to do so, in 1974, was Bill Irwin
.) Grads not selected to tour were often given opportunities to perform in other capacities within the Feld Organization, sometimes were added to the show's clown alley
at a later date, or became a member of any of a collection of other circuses that sought well-trained clowns for their shows.
type humor, as opposed to the "European" approach which was typically more stylized and elegant. Because of the "three ring" configuration of the Ringling show, and the bigger arenas that were needed to present such an attraction, audiences were larger and many patrons sat in balconies or upper decks, far above the action. In order to reach the people in every area of these larger arenas, clowns on the Ringling show had to design their make up to be seen at a distance, and use their props and clear physical movements to show the audience what was happening during a gag, no matter where in the house they were seated. The training given here was tailor made for the Ringling show, but could be transferred to other circus styles.
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
, then relocated to Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo is the largest city in, and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. It is situated on the Baraboo River. Its 2010 population was 12,048 according to the US Census Bureau...
and finally Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
) trained around 1,400 clown
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...
s in the "Ringling style" from 1968 to 1997.
History
ClownClown
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...
College was the brainchild of Irvin Feld
Irvin Feld
Irvin Feld was the head of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and founder Feld Entertainment. He was a music promoter who is credited with discovering Paul Anka.-Biography:...
, the owner of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and longtime Ringling clown and front man Bill Ballantine. In 1968, Ringling had only a handful of clowns in their alleys, most of them over fifty years of age. It was clear that these performers wouldn't be able to go on forever. But there was a dearth of suitable replacements at that time. So Feld decided to create a school to train a new generation in this ancient artform.
Feld also saw the potential public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
opportunity in having a place that could become the Mecca of clowning in America. In addition, he wanted to use the school as another way of keeping his show more attractive to audiences than his competition, and have a place where he could guarantee getting an endless supply of new talent.
In 1984, after Feld's death, Kenneth Feld
Kenneth Feld
Kenneth Jeffrey Feld is the CEO of , which owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice!, and He is also the producer of several Broadway plays. The business was started by his father Irvin Feld and Ken became CEO upon his father's death in 1984. He has three daughters, two...
, his son, took over production of Feld Entertainment and the Ringling shows. He continued to operate the school through the 1997 session, and then closed Clown College because the needs of the show had changed; the school was no longer profitable, nor necessary, as clowning had moved back into the mainstream of performing arts. Also, with nearly fifteen hundred graduates, many of whom were teaching others the lessons they had learned, and with a home videotape produced by Ringling and made at Clown College in 1986 titled "Be A Clown," which featured many of the techniques used in the school's training sessions, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus officially discontinued their Clown College just shy of its 30th year. Currently, clowns for the Ringling shows are hired based on standard auditions, much like any theatrical production.
Two notable national events took place involving RBBB Clown College. The first occurred on February 17, 1988, when CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television broadcast the "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College: 20th Anniversary" special. This hour long program was hosted by Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
and it featured a cadre of clown alumni, performing their favorite routines, as well as Mr. Van Dyke, in character as the school custodian "Burford," who was trying to pick up some of the "course material" on the sly.
The second was on August 4, 1992, when Ringling created "Smiles Across America," an event done locally in cities and towns across the country to raise awareness of various issues and to help make people happier. Clown College graduates performed such civic duties as visiting hospitals and parks and appeared for photo ops and did "meet & greet" with the media and the general public.
Van Dyke and long time Today Show weatherman Willard Scott
Willard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:...
, the first person to portray Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
in a television advertisement, are both honorary graduates of the school.
The college moved from Venice, FL to Baraboo, WI in the 1990s after Sarasota County would not extend the railroad 12 miles from Sarasota to the winter headquarters of the circus, also the site of Clown College. Later still, it was moved back to Sarasota where it remained until Feld Entertainment Inc. finally closed it in 1997.
Operation
Clown College was a unique institution for several reasons. First, the method to apply to the school was an extensive written personality profile that gave the directors an opportunity to have an understanding of the applicant's psychology, interests and previous experience. The circus also held in-person auditions at most stops along the route to drum up interest in the show and to get a range of people from all over the United States to apply.Next, tuition was free (though students were responsible for their own room and board, as well as any other incidental expenses incurred), and a graduate from the school finished the term with a full "Agent Suit" or specific clown costume, including a wig and proper clown shoes and a complete make-up kit, as well as the training needed to be a good clown performer.
Each yearly session was held in the fall. The number of students admitted to any year's session varied but it ranged from thirty to fifty, with the vast majority being men. The ratio of men to women in a Clown College class was roughly 8 to 1. It was also said that admission to the institution was more challenging than being accepted to Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. (By way of example, in the 1974 session 48 students were selected from slightly over 5,000 applicants.).
The Clown College session over the years ranged from approximately thirteen weeks down to ten and a half weeks before it was eventually scaled back to an eight-week course in its final years. Students would work together or "play off" each other 8 hours a day, six days a week preparing material for the "Big Show" (Clown College served as a think tank to create new gags for the circus) and learning all of the basics of clowning. Typical classes included make-up application, costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
, acrobatics
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
, juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
, stilt walking, pantomime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
and other skills training. Films of classic performers like Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
and The Three Stooges, and the cartoon work of Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
were also studied.
The entire session was one long audition for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, as the instructors took note of which students had what they were looking for to fill the positions for the new season's show, which began several weeks after the Clown College session ended. Chosen graduates received a one year contract to travel with "The Greatest Show on Earth," which they were obliged to accept. (This was Ringling's only stipulation for all students who agreed to receive the school's free training, but was only added after several students declined job offers at the end of the session. The first person to do so, in 1974, was Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin
William Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
.) Grads not selected to tour were often given opportunities to perform in other capacities within the Feld Organization, sometimes were added to the show's clown alley
Clown alley
The clown alley in a circus is a backstage area, usually very near the animal pens, where clowns change into their costumes and apply makeup. Generally, the clowns' personal props, costumes, and other items are stored in this area as well...
at a later date, or became a member of any of a collection of other circuses that sought well-trained clowns for their shows.
Clown style
The particular "Ringling Style" of clowning taught at Clown College was rooted in the "American" type of clown performance, with an accent towards broad and slapstickSlapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
type humor, as opposed to the "European" approach which was typically more stylized and elegant. Because of the "three ring" configuration of the Ringling show, and the bigger arenas that were needed to present such an attraction, audiences were larger and many patrons sat in balconies or upper decks, far above the action. In order to reach the people in every area of these larger arenas, clowns on the Ringling show had to design their make up to be seen at a distance, and use their props and clear physical movements to show the audience what was happening during a gag, no matter where in the house they were seated. The training given here was tailor made for the Ringling show, but could be transferred to other circus styles.
Alumni
- Steven BanksSteven BanksSteven Banks is an American musician, comedian, actor, mime and writer of television, plays, books and cartoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants.Banks attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus clown college...
- Bill IrwinBill IrwinWilliam Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
- Penn JillettePenn JillettePenn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...
(1974 graduate)
- Michael GoudeauMichael GoudeauMichael Carey Goudeau is a juggler and an ex-circus clown who graduated from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College...
- Stephen "Steve-O" GloverSteve-OSteve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies....
(1997 graduate)
- Steve "TJ Tatters" Smith
- David StrathairnDavid StrathairnDavid Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
- Nick BerryNick BerryNicholas "Nick" Berry is a British television actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in the British soap opera EastEnders from 1985 to 1990 and as PC Nick Rowan in the British drama television series Heartbeat from 1992 to 1998.-Career:Berry started acting at the age of...
- Greg and Karen DeSantoGreg and Karen DeSantoGreg 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...
- GG AllinGG AllinKevin Michael "GG" Allin was an American punk rock singer-songwriter, who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. GG Allin is perhaps best remembered for his notorious live performances, which often featured transgressive acts, including coprophagia, self-mutilation, and...
(but only for one year)
Instructors
- Bill IrwinBill IrwinWilliam Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
- Lou JacobsLou JacobsJohann Ludwig Jacob was an auguste clown who performed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for more than 60 years. He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989...
- Barry LubinBarry LubinBarry Lubin, recently inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame, is a physical comedian most familiar to circus audiences as "Grandma", the star of the Big Apple Circus....
- Philippe PetitPhilippe PetitPhilippe Petit is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, on 7 August 1974...
- Rob MerminRob MerminRob Mermin is the founder of the award-winning international touring youth circus Circus Smirkus.Rob Mermin ran off to join the circus in 1969...
- Glen "Frosty" LittleGlen "Frosty" LittleGlen "Frosty" Little was a circus clown who served with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for over 20 years...
Directors
- Mel MillerMel Miller (comedian)Mel Miller is a South African stand-up comedian and celebrity.With friend Mel Green, Mel Miller began his career in 1963 as the comedy duo Mel and Mel...
- Bill BallantineBill BallantineBill Ballantine, a well-respected illustrator of circus subjects, was also a professional clown and a prolific writer who contributed circus and travel essays to major magazines...
- Steve "TJ Tatters" Smith