Your costume is an expression of your character, but it is not your character.
Last summer an article appeared in a magazine published for clowns in which the author stated his opinion that you should not deviate from your approved costume when working for a client. I disagree with that opinion.
First, in 42 years of clowning I have never had somebody ask me to submit photos of my costume for approval. I have worked some large events, like the grand opening of Disneyland's Toontown, where I was provided a costume that I needed to wear. Otherwise clients trust me to provide a professional quality costume.
Second, sometimes it is necessary to make changes. This past weekend I performed two indoor stage shows for a community tree lighting festival on Friday night. I wore my eighteen-inch long clown shoes for the performances. I wore a blue vest over a white dress shirt with thin blue and brown stripes. I also wore my fedora clown hat that has a lot of holes cut into it.
Saturday morning, I returned to the same community to participate in a regional food drive. I was two blocks from where I had performed the evening before. However, I was outside in a parking lot during a cold driving rain. I wore what I figured Charlie would wear in the rain. I substituted a pair of rubber boots for my clown shoes. I wore an old long black overcoat on top of a heavy blue work shirt. I wore a wide brimmed hat without holes. My contact person gave me two hand warmers that I kept in pockets of the coat.
At the food drive several people, who had seen me perform the night before, stopped to comment on how much they had enjoyed my entertainment. Nobody mentioned the changes to my costume. Nobody looked down at my feet so I don't think they noticed that my shoes were different.
The changes I made to my costume kept me reasonably comfortable for two hours so I could concentrate on my interactions with people dropping off donations. I was able to do a better job as a result. The changes allowed my audience to be relaxed. If I had dressed on Saturday like I had on Friday, I would have quickly been soaked which would cause people to be concerned for me instead of being able to enjoy my entertainment. During the years that I worked at the Raging Waters amusement in the summer heat, I experienced guests expressing concern for my well-being if they thought I looked hot.
I have had experiences over the years that convince me audience members, including clowns, are not as observant in terms of costuming as many performers assume. One time I discovered that I had forgotten my clown shoes when I reached the performance venue. There wasn't enough time to return home to get them so I performed wearing tennis shoes. Afterwards I apologized to my contact person, who was himself a clown, for not having the right shoes. He hadn't noticed. There were several clowns in the audience and none of them realized that I was not wearing my oversized shoes during the show.
On another occasion I was booked by a large barber shop chorus to provide a variety act during two performances of a circus themed concert. Because it was a long drive from my home I got into makeup and costume at the theater. The first night I wore my vest over a blue long sleeved shirt. When I arrived the second night I discovered that I had forgotten to pack a long sleeved shirt. I normally wear a coordinated color t-shirt under my long sleeve shirt. So I wore my vest over a blue t-shirt for that show. None of the 150 members of the chorus noticed that I was wearing a different style shirt from the previous night. There were four clowns in the audience. Two of them did not notice that I was wearing short sleeves, while the other two commented that they liked my new appearance and thought it looked comfortable.
I prefer to get into makeup and costume at home. After that concert experience I will often travel on hot days wearing a blue t-shirt instead of my long sleeve shirt. Sometimes I put my vest on over the t-shirt to enter the venue looking for my contact person. Then when it is time for me to perform, I put on my fresh long sleeve shirt and tie.
Sometimes I will make a change to my costume to fit a special occasion. I was hired by a mall to perform at a "pajama party" that was part of a family fun night series. I opened the show with my juggling and magic act, and then a story teller finished the evening's entertainment. The kids were invited to wear their pajamas to the show. So, Charlie wore his pajamas. I performed the show while wearing red and white striped knee socks, a red and white night shirt that came down past my knees, and a floppy pointed night cap. That costume restricted my movements a little so I had to make adjustments to my act, but the reaction when the kids saw the clown in his pajamas was well worth the effort.
Just as normal people wear a variety of clothing, your clown character can wear a variety of costumes. The important thing is the personality making the choice of what to wear. It is okay as long as the changes are appropriate to the occasion and to your character's personality.
How can you adjust your costume to meet special circumstances? What accessories do you have that can be used to meet different themes?
