4-H students learning art of clowning at Extension program

Marie Shafer demonstrates how to apply clown makeup Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 at the second annual Clowning Workshop in the Cole County Extension Center. Students in 4-H learned clowning makeup and skill sets during the workshop.
Marie Shafer demonstrates how to apply clown makeup Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 at the second annual Clowning Workshop in the Cole County Extension Center. Students in 4-H learned clowning makeup and skill sets during the workshop.

Ten Missouri 4-H students spent seven hours Saturday at the Cole County Extension Center learning about being a clown.

"We have lots of kids in clowning that do not have the opportunity to get together and clown with other kids," organizer Marie Shafer, of Jefferson City, explained. "This is a chance for them to get together and learn - and know that there are other people out there clowning."

Many think of agriculture when they think of 4-H, but the program has 33 students around the state who are involved in clowning.

"Clowns bring laughter, the best medicine," Shafer said. "Clowns have been around since the beginning of time."

Marie's daughter, Eileen Shafer, 14, has been clowning for more than five years.

"I seriously don't know what got me started," Eileen told the News Tribune. "I figured I already like to be silly, so I guess I'll try it.

"I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. But I liked it, and I've kept with it."

Although many people may associate clowns with the circus, there actually are many kinds of clowns and clown costumes.

Eileen said her main goal in clowning is "being able to make people laugh and just get their minds off their troubles in their lives for a little while. I know from personal experience that just that little laugh can help for weeks during a difficult time.

"It's very important to have some laughter."

One of the skills a clown needs is "being willing to make a total fool out of yourself sometimes in public and being able to laugh at your mistakes," Eileen said.

She prefers stage performances to working with small groups.

So does Samuel Bearden, 14, who came from Piedmont - nearly 200 miles from Jefferson City - to attend Saturday's workshop after coming last year to the first event.

He was attracted to "being able to meet with other clowns my age and learning new tricks, like the magician's magic stuff," he said, adding: "There are more kids out there who are clowns than people think - who want to do clown work."

He enjoys clowning because he likes "to see the smiles on kids' faces."

His best skill is working with balloons, including creating shapes and decorations.

The hardest part of clowning is being entertaining, he said.

Lynn Bearden, Samuel's mom, said stage-work may be easier "because you're not looking somebody in the eye. It's easier to perform and not be on that personal" level.

Some clowns work to provide laughs while others - think rodeo clowns - also work to save lives.

"We do all kinds of things, from birthday parties to corporate events," Shafer said. "We entertain everywhere.

"Some do it for fun. Some do it for hire."

One of Samuel's goals is to earn enough money to attend the Clowns of America International gathering in Kansas City this year.

Shafer said the 4-H program attracts "outgoing children who want to be out there and goof-around, but it's controlled goofing-around."

However, some people are afraid of clowns - and last fall's "scary clowns" series of news events around Halloween didn't help.

"When somebody is really scared, you just keep your distance," Eileen said. "We've had little kids that have been scared and on the other side of the room crying their eyes out at the beginning of the gig, and at the end, they're giving us big hugs of good-bye and saying, 'Please don't go yet.'"

Lynn Bearden said her small group of 4-H clowns in Piedmont has done many events in regular clothes instead of clown costumes because of the "scary clowns" scare.

"We kind of toned it down a bit," she said, "but we really haven't seen a problem with it now.

"So, it's kind of passed."

They began clowning as a service.

"We originally started as a nursing home ministry," Bearden explained. "Then we went to a shooting sports event at the Lake of the Ozarks" and encountered a woman doing ballooning.

"We exchanged cards, and she actually came to my house and did some workshops for our 4-H group on all of clowning."

Watching Samuel's interest in clowning grow has been awesome, Bearden said.

"He has gotten to talk with people. His public speaking skills, interacting with others, learning how diverse people are, meeting professional people - it's been pretty awesome, and not what I expected."

Bearden said: "We clown to bring joy to others and bring a smile - and it gets the kids to interact with other people."

Saturday's event was the second annual statewide 4-H training session, and it attracted six more students than the four who came to Jefferson City last May for the first event.

The program was intended to teach basic skills and give those already involved a chance to explore new areas of clowning.

The day-long workshop included sculpting with balloons, general face-painting, working with grease-paint make-up, juggling and other clown tricks.

Shafer, 44, has been involved in clowning for only about five years.

"My daughter's the one who brought me into it," she explained.

Before moving to Cole County, the Shafers lived in the Hannibal area and had several 4-H members involved in clowning - but none here when they moved about five years ago.

"She didn't want to clown by herself, so I became 'Freckles the Clown' and have been enjoying it and learning along with her ever since," Shafer said.

Eileen said learning is the important part.

"Clowning is not just jumping around and acting goofy in public," she said. "Whenever you see a clown out there performing - or any other performer, for that matter - you've got to remember that they have spent countless hours of their lives practicing."