The Sense of Wonder - Clown Development
by Rev. Randy Christensen - Written on 12-26-01
There’s a wonderful gospel song titled “The Wonder of It All.” It is a wonder that God showed his love to us through his son Jesus coming to earth. When one stands under the starlit sky, it creates a sense of wonder in one’s soul. When we view something beyond our normal selves, something magnificent, something seemingly impossible, it does create a sense of wonder in us.
Recently my daughter and I watched a rendition of “The Nutcracker.” We were awestruck as we viewed the magical set transformations, observed the characters from another era, and had our attention wrapped by the music and movement. This was not “normal” pedestrian movement. The trained ballet technique exhibited by the dancers evoked a feeling of “other-world” reality as they glided and floated across the stage. For that brief time, my daughter and I were transported to a different world.
These “other worlds” painted by artists, and often by our own imaginations, create a sense of wonder in us. The “...merry ol’ land of OZ,” C.S. Lewis’ “Narnia,” Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and Santa’s North Pole are all places where normal people, such as you and I ,enter into a fantasy land. These places are beyond the commonplace. Each experience in these lands were new and vibrant to it’s observers. People are awestruck as they visit different lands.
It seems that as people grow older they lose their childlike wonder. The experiences and observations of everyday life become mundane for many. Albert Einstein shares a strong warning, “The man who has lost his power of wonder is a dead man.”
In the book “Magic and Meaning” by Burger and Neale it quotes C.E.M. Joad as saying, “I think one of the secrets of life consists in keeping alive a sense of wonder and awe, so that you look upon the world at least in part with the eyes of a child.” Though I don’t agree with some of their theological points, I’ve found much of the book to be fascinating. They record S.H. Sharpe stating, “The underlying purpose of magic in its many aspects is not to decieve people but to encourage them to approach Life and Cosmos in a state of Wonder.”
How does this apply to our clowning? I recommend that you ask yourself, “In my clowning, am I satisfied with trying to be funny, or may I create WONDER in my audience as I bring them into the unique other-world of the clown?”
Recently I was clowning for a family audience and a three year old boy would not leave me. He was mesmerized. He was in awe. As I interacted with the child, I could tell that the sense of wonder he was experiencing was actually being transferred to others in the audience. They were sensing his emotion, and then allowed themselves to experience the wonder with him. It was what I call, “a magic moment.”
Humor is fun. But this went beyond one-liners and comedy props. There was a connection here not based upon an impressive performance, but simply upon an attitude of childlike wonder.
That begs the question, “How can each of us create that sense of wonder?” Here’s a number of areas that may be of help.
First, I strive to have fully consistent character. I believe that Ken Johanson says it clearest. “Don’t DO magic, BE the magic.” Every aspect of wardrobe, make-up design, hair, props, movement and voice coincide to create a fully believable character.
After having built my own confidence in these areas, I don’t have to focus on them while in performance. I know that I’ve already taken care of that, so now I can focus on my audience and respond to them. Consider the ballet dancer in “The Nutcracker.” The dancer has mastered the movement, and now is able to perform it without having to strain at the technical aspect of it. He may confidently perform, now expressing emotion, not just nervousness.
That takes me to the second point. Allow your character’s emotion to fluctuate just like people in everyday life. My emotional reactions are not faked. They are expressed. This continues to make my character believable.
I also express wonder at the small things of life. I pause and gaze mesmerized at a picked flower, or a small stone, or a ball that vanished and then appeared. I demonstrate a sense of wonder so that my audience may join me in exactly that.
Lastly, when I find a child that has that sense of wonder, I pause and give time for those moments of wonder. Adults love to watch children. I believe that many adults want to connect with bygone childhood memories and moments. I give opportunity for that.
In the late 1980’s I performed a clown presentation in the middle of a large church’s Christmas chorale presentation. There was a dress rehearsal and three performances. My segment went like this.
Two preschool children in pajamas came to the platform and saw numerous large presents. They ran to the largest box and opened it, finding me inside. I came out of the box and played with the children on platform while the music played. My goal was to make the children the stars. I simply wanted to facilitate a sense of wonder in the children. I wanted my audience to experience the wonder along with the children. In order to do that, I planned different surprises for the children every evening during the performance. That way, each presentation would be new and fresh for the children. One evening, I and the children unwrapped another gift and a dove appeared. You should have seen their faces. Another evening we blew soap bubbles. I had numerous things I did each performance with the children and we had a wonderful response from the audience.
I encourage you to not be satisfied with just bringing a couple laughs to your audience. There is a sense of wonder that the clown may nourish. This is a spiritually based reaction to “something beyond.” People need to see beyond their normal self-controlled lives and wake up to the truth that there is a reality beyond the one they experience through their senses. They must also once again see the magnificence that may be found in the simple “taken-for-granted” things of life. The clown may be the analogy illustrating just that as he shares that sense of wonder.
There’s a wonderful gospel song titled “The Wonder of It All.” It is a wonder that God showed his love to us through his son Jesus coming to earth. When one stands under the starlit sky, it creates a sense of wonder in one’s soul. When we view something beyond our normal selves, something magnificent, something seemingly impossible, it does create a sense of wonder in us.
Recently my daughter and I watched a rendition of “The Nutcracker.” We were awestruck as we viewed the magical set transformations, observed the characters from another era, and had our attention wrapped by the music and movement. This was not “normal” pedestrian movement. The trained ballet technique exhibited by the dancers evoked a feeling of “other-world” reality as they glided and floated across the stage. For that brief time, my daughter and I were transported to a different world.
These “other worlds” painted by artists, and often by our own imaginations, create a sense of wonder in us. The “...merry ol’ land of OZ,” C.S. Lewis’ “Narnia,” Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and Santa’s North Pole are all places where normal people, such as you and I ,enter into a fantasy land. These places are beyond the commonplace. Each experience in these lands were new and vibrant to it’s observers. People are awestruck as they visit different lands.
It seems that as people grow older they lose their childlike wonder. The experiences and observations of everyday life become mundane for many. Albert Einstein shares a strong warning, “The man who has lost his power of wonder is a dead man.”
In the book “Magic and Meaning” by Burger and Neale it quotes C.E.M. Joad as saying, “I think one of the secrets of life consists in keeping alive a sense of wonder and awe, so that you look upon the world at least in part with the eyes of a child.” Though I don’t agree with some of their theological points, I’ve found much of the book to be fascinating. They record S.H. Sharpe stating, “The underlying purpose of magic in its many aspects is not to decieve people but to encourage them to approach Life and Cosmos in a state of Wonder.”
How does this apply to our clowning? I recommend that you ask yourself, “In my clowning, am I satisfied with trying to be funny, or may I create WONDER in my audience as I bring them into the unique other-world of the clown?”
Recently I was clowning for a family audience and a three year old boy would not leave me. He was mesmerized. He was in awe. As I interacted with the child, I could tell that the sense of wonder he was experiencing was actually being transferred to others in the audience. They were sensing his emotion, and then allowed themselves to experience the wonder with him. It was what I call, “a magic moment.”
Humor is fun. But this went beyond one-liners and comedy props. There was a connection here not based upon an impressive performance, but simply upon an attitude of childlike wonder.
That begs the question, “How can each of us create that sense of wonder?” Here’s a number of areas that may be of help.
First, I strive to have fully consistent character. I believe that Ken Johanson says it clearest. “Don’t DO magic, BE the magic.” Every aspect of wardrobe, make-up design, hair, props, movement and voice coincide to create a fully believable character.
After having built my own confidence in these areas, I don’t have to focus on them while in performance. I know that I’ve already taken care of that, so now I can focus on my audience and respond to them. Consider the ballet dancer in “The Nutcracker.” The dancer has mastered the movement, and now is able to perform it without having to strain at the technical aspect of it. He may confidently perform, now expressing emotion, not just nervousness.
That takes me to the second point. Allow your character’s emotion to fluctuate just like people in everyday life. My emotional reactions are not faked. They are expressed. This continues to make my character believable.
I also express wonder at the small things of life. I pause and gaze mesmerized at a picked flower, or a small stone, or a ball that vanished and then appeared. I demonstrate a sense of wonder so that my audience may join me in exactly that.
Lastly, when I find a child that has that sense of wonder, I pause and give time for those moments of wonder. Adults love to watch children. I believe that many adults want to connect with bygone childhood memories and moments. I give opportunity for that.
In the late 1980’s I performed a clown presentation in the middle of a large church’s Christmas chorale presentation. There was a dress rehearsal and three performances. My segment went like this.
Two preschool children in pajamas came to the platform and saw numerous large presents. They ran to the largest box and opened it, finding me inside. I came out of the box and played with the children on platform while the music played. My goal was to make the children the stars. I simply wanted to facilitate a sense of wonder in the children. I wanted my audience to experience the wonder along with the children. In order to do that, I planned different surprises for the children every evening during the performance. That way, each presentation would be new and fresh for the children. One evening, I and the children unwrapped another gift and a dove appeared. You should have seen their faces. Another evening we blew soap bubbles. I had numerous things I did each performance with the children and we had a wonderful response from the audience.
I encourage you to not be satisfied with just bringing a couple laughs to your audience. There is a sense of wonder that the clown may nourish. This is a spiritually based reaction to “something beyond.” People need to see beyond their normal self-controlled lives and wake up to the truth that there is a reality beyond the one they experience through their senses. They must also once again see the magnificence that may be found in the simple “taken-for-granted” things of life. The clown may be the analogy illustrating just that as he shares that sense of wonder.
Labels: clown development
posted by Randy | 1:38 PM
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