953 nut 52,186 #1 Posted September 1, 2016 9-1-1968 Clown College opens 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. 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 art form. 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 Bros and Barnum & 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. After 25 years the college moved from Venice, FL to Baraboo, Wisconsin, hometown of the Ringling Bros. After three years in Baraboo the college moved to Sarasota where it was based for two years, closing after the graduation of the 1997 class. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 47,026 #2 Posted September 1, 2016 Me thinks you need to quit clowning around Dick! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roadapples 6,981 #3 Posted September 1, 2016 I think we`ve got a few graduates on this site.... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 52,186 #4 Posted September 1, 2016 1 hour ago, roadapples said: few graduates on this site Bring in the clowns. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
