Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Circus school (1968–1997)}}

{{merge|Clown college}}

{{redirect|Clown college|similar institutions|Circus school}}{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use American English|date=September 2024}}

'''Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College''' (Originally located in [[Venice, Florida]], then relocated to [[Sarasota, Florida]]) trained around 1,400 clowns in the "Ringling style" from 1968 to 1997. This particular style of clowning was rooted in the "American" style, with an accent towards broad and [[slapstick]] type humor, as opposed to the "European" style 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.

{{more citations needed|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College

| type = Private vocational

| established = {{start date|1968}}

| closed = 1997

| founder = [[Irvin Feld]]

| parent = [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus]]

| city = {{bulletlist|[[Venice, Florida]] (1968–1993)|[[Baraboo, Wisconsin]] (1993–1995)|[[Sarasota, Florida]] (1995–1997)}}

}}

'''Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College''' was an American [[circus school]] which trained around 1,400 [[clown]]s in the "Ringling style" from its founding in 1968 until its closure in 1997.

==History==

[[Irvin Feld ]], then the owner of [[Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, opened the school because, at the time, there were only a handful of clowns in the show's alleys and most of them were over fifty years of age. In an effort to preserve the art, and to pass the torch on to a newer generation of buffoons, Clown College was founded.

Clown College was the brainchild of [[Irvin Feld]], the owner of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, and longtime Ringling clown and front man [[Bill Ballantine (illustrator)|Bill Ballantine]]. In 1968, Ringling had only a handful of clowns, most of them over fifty years of age. It was clear that these performers would not 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 art form.<ref name=ht0>{{cite news|last1=Handelman|first1=Jay|title=Ringling Bros. returning to Southwest Florida|url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120131/ARTICLE/120139915?p=2&tc=pg|access-date=August 4, 2015|work=Herald-Tribune|date=January 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217214014/https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120131/ARTICLE/120139915|archive-date=February 17, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ppl>{{cite news|last1=Langdon|first1=Dolly|title=Lord of the Rings' Irvin Feld Has Made a Fading Circus the Greatest Show on Earth Again|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076452,00.html|access-date=August 4, 2015|work=People|date=May 12, 1980|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110175056/https://people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076452,00.html|archive-date=January 10, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Feld also saw the potential PR[[public relations]] opportunity in having a place that could become the Mecca of clowning in Americathe United States. In addition, andhe 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.

[[Circus World (theme park)|Circus World]] was planned in September 1972 to have the clown college's campus on site.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fiero|first1=Peter|title=Gulf Oil Subsidiary To Buy Circus World|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19740123&id=hBpXAAAAIBAJ&pg=2719,6177973&hl=en|access-date=August 4, 2015|work=Lakeland Ledger |issue=99|date=January 23, 1974|volume=67}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fiero|first1=Peter|title=Hurry, Hurry!|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Re8vAAAAIBAJ&pg=6271%2C5745967|access-date=August 4, 2015|work=Lakeland Ledger |issue=126|date=February 21, 1974 |volume=67|pages=1A, 3A}}</ref>

[[Kenneth Feld]], Irvin Feld's son, eventually closed Clown College because the needs of the show had changed, and continuing to run the school was no longer profitable. Currently, clowns are hired based on auditions, much like any theatrical event.

In 1984, after Feld's death, [[Kenneth Feld]], his son, took over production of Feld Entertainment and the Ringling shows. In 1993, the clown college was moved from the Venice Arena to Baraboo, Wisconsin.<ref name=ht0 /> He continued to operate the school through the 1997 session, and then closed Clown College because it was no longer necessary: 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 Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus officially discontinued their Clown College just shy of its 30th year.

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.

Two notable national events took place involving RBBBRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. The first eventoccurred wason inFebruary 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 hostcadre of graduatesclown 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.

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 typically finished with a full "Agent Suit" or specific clown costume, including a wig and proper clown shoes and full make-up kit, as well as the training needed to be a good clown performer. 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]].

The second was inon August 4, 1992, when RingingRingling 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.

The school's session over the years ranged from approximately thirteen weeks down to ten and a half weeks before it was eventually scaled down to an eight-week course in its final years. Students would work together or "play off" each other 8 1/2 hours a day, six days a week preparing material for the "Big Show" (Clown College served as a think tank to come up with 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]] as well as the cartoon work of [[Wile E. Coyote]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] were also studied.

Van Dyke and long time ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]'' weatherman (and Original [[RonaldWillard McDonaldScott]]), the first person to portray [[WillardRonald ScottMcDonald]] in a television advertisement, are both honorary graduates of the school.

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," and grads not selected to tour were often given opportunities to perform in other capacities within the Feld Organization, or with other circuses that sought well-trained clowns for their shows.

After 25 years the college moved from Venice, Florida to Baraboo, Wisconsin, hometown of the [[Ringling Bros.]] After three years in Baraboo, the clown college operated at the [[Sarasota Opera House]] in [[Sarasota, Florida|Sarasota]] until 1998 before the program was suspended.<ref name=ht0 /> The college continued to operate after closing the facility, albeit in a different form. It was run in different locales in and around [[Rosemont, Illinois]] until 2015. In 2017, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus folded, but returned in 2023, no longer featuring any animal performances.

Two notable national events took place involving RBBB Clown College. The first event was in 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 host of graduates 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.

==Operation==

The second was in 1992, when Ringing 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 "meet & greet" with the media and the general public.

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.

Van Dyke and long time [[Today Show]] weatherman (and Original [[Ronald McDonald]]) [[Willard Scott]] are both honorary graduates of the school.

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 typically finished the term with a full "Agent Suit" or specific clown costume, including a wig and proper clown shoes and fulla complete make-up kit, as well as the training needed to be a good clown performer. 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]].

==Alumni==

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.

The school'sClown College session over the years ranged from approximately thirteen weeks down to ten and a half weeks before it was eventually scaled downback to an eight-week course in its final years. Students would work together or "play off" each other 8 1/2 hours a day, six days a week preparing material for the "Big Show" (Clown College served as a think tank to come up withcreate 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]], [[Mime artist|pantomime]] and other skills training. Films of classic performers like [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Buster Keaton]], and [[The Three Stooges]] aswere wellstudied, as were the cartoon work of [[Wile E. Coyote]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] were also studied.

The entire session was one long audition for the Ringling BrothersBros. 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 two to do so were [[Penn Jillette]] and grads[[Bill Irwin]] in 1973 and 1974, respectively.) 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 withbecame 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 [[slapstick]] type humor, as opposed to the European approach which was typically more subtle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Not! |first=Ripley's Believe It or |title=International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center |url=https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/07/07/international-clown-hall-of-fame-and-research-center/ |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=Lethbridge News Now |language=en}}</ref> 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 makeup 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 tailored for the Ringling show, but could be transferred to other circus styles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collecting Recollections: Clown College: 50 Years of Serious Fun |url=https://www.ringling.org/events/collecting-recollections-clown-college-50-years-serious-fun |access-date=September 27, 2024 |publisher=[[John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203221303/https://www.ringling.org/events/collecting-recollections-clown-college-50-years-serious-fun |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable alumni==

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

*[[Albert Alter]]

*[[Steven Banks]]

*[[Morton Dean]] (honorary degree)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Marks|first1=Alexandra|title=Why One Respected Newsman Keeps On Clowning Around|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0606/060696.feat.feat.1.html|access-date=14 October 2023|work=Christian Science Monitor|date=June 6, 1996}}</ref>

*[[Bill Irwin]]

*[[Penn Jillette]] (1973 graduate)

*[[Steve-OMichael Goudeau]]

*[[Steve-O]] (1997 graduate)<ref>{{cite news | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/272613411.html?dids=272613411:272613411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+31%2C+2002&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Steve-O%3A+Jackass+in+the+Flesh%2C+and+Blood&pqatl=google | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106070918/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/272613411.html?dids=272613411:272613411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+31%2C+2002&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Steve-O%3A+Jackass+in+the+Flesh%2C+and+Blood&pqatl=google | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 6, 2011 | title=Steve-O: Jackass in the Flesh, and Blood |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] | date=December 31, 2002 | access-date = 2009-10-15}}</ref>

*[[Steve "TJ Tatters" Smith]]

*[[David Strathairn]]

*[[Greg and Karen DeSanto]]

*[[Boswick The Clown]]

*[[Michael Davis (juggler)|Michael Davis]]

*[[Skeeter Reece]]

{{div col end}}

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

==Instructors==

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

*[[Bill Irwin]]

*[[Jim Donlon]]

*[[Lou Jacobs]]

*[[Barry Lubin]]

*[[Philippe Petit]]

*[[Rob Mermin]]

*[[Glen "Frosty" Little]]

*[[Sarah Nash Gates]] (costume design, Class of 1976)

{{div col end}}

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

==Directors==

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

*[[Danny Chapman]]

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

*[[Bill Ballantine]]

*[[Mel Miller (circus)|Mel Miller]]

*[[Ron Severini]]

*[[Bill Ballantine (illustrator)|Bill Ballantine]]

*[[Steve "TJ Tatters" Smith]]

{{div col end}}

<!-- Do not add people that do not have Wikipedia articles. Write the article first. -->

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

==External links==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090328094701/http://www.ringling.com/TextContent.aspx?id=17084&parentID=390&assetFolderID=708 Official Website of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College]

{{Clowns}}

{{Feld Entertainment}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ringling Bros. And Barnum and Bailey Clown College}}

[[Category:Clowning]]

[[Category:Circus schools]]

[[Category:Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus]]

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1968]]

[[Category:Organizations disestablished in 1997]]