FREE ESSAY ON GENRE OF CLOWNING

GENRE OF CLOWNING

The Genre Of Clowning
The genre of clowning actually originates from Greece, where satires had begun
originating slowly as time went by. The art of satire was challenged throughout the years
to form the various forms of clowning we have today. A clown must have certain abilities
or skills to master its comedy upon the audience. It is a profession that requires
delicate detail, precise movements, and of course a reaction. 
The costume for every type of comedy is extremely different. Commedia Dell'Arte for
example required masks for each of the characters, the masks obviated the use of face
expression and communication, therefore making the characters more puppet like; relying
more upon the use of voice and gesture. Masks were not only used in Commedia Dell'Arte
but also in other forms of Greek and Roman dramas. Other forms of comedy usually consist
of costumes focusing on the clown's main faults and/or pertaining the clown's own
personality.
Not only is costume used to make an impression on the audience when first sighting the
clown; but also the make-up must be done right to enhance whether the clown is happy,
sad, evil, or falls into another category of personality. The make-up also provides great
detail, and in a way is a more modern format of the masks used in Greece and Rome during
the 15th Century.
When one thinks of clowning, the instant image in mind is the thought of clowns in a
circus; performing acrobatic acts and leaving the crowd in awe. This is usually most
typical for more 'physical' clowns, such as The Three Stooges. Though they do not look
like the everyday circus clowns, they perform back flips, somersaults, and portray it all
as clumsiness. A clown does not always need to impress an audience by acrobatics, but
just by wit; though some audiences are more captivated by the appearance of a physical
act. A physical act adds more stamina and energy to a scene, and can leave an audience
laughing for hours. 
To make an audience laugh a voice is needed to speak and attract attention. Such
attention can be provoked by the forms of an accent, exaggeration of the voice, or even
silent mime. Though with a mime, more physical action is needed to involve the audience.
Modern day clowns tend to stray more so towards no noise and a variety of sounds,
exhorted from time to time. I.E; Mr. Bean
A voice shows us all a clown's own personal traits. The walk of a clown is usually
conducted in such a way that the audience can relate to, or in such a hilarious manner
that laughter sounds throughout the theatre. A walk is part of a clown's personality, and
as you may have noted, every clown walks their own walk, stating their individuality and
independence. 
All in all, clowns have formed throughout the years to meet the requirements of a modern
day society, but have still managed to hold the descent of Greece and Rome comedy within
them.