CLOWNING AND CIRCUS

PRINT SOURCES:

Bacon, R. W. The Juggler’s Manual of Manipulative Miscellanea. Newburyport, MA: Variety Arts Press, n.d.

Barner, Pat and July Vermillion-Witt. The Center Ring. Norfolk, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. 1-878901-31-1

Burgess, Hovey. Circus Techniques: Juggling, Equilibristics, Vaulting. New York: Drama Book Specialists, 1977.

________. “Circus and the Actor,” The Drama Review, Vol. 16, no. 1, 1972: 36-46.
Well-known teacher of circus arts discusses teaching circus skills to actors.

Carlo. The Juggling Book. New York: Random House, 1974.

Cassidy, John and B. C. Rimbeaux. Juggling for the Complete Klutz. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Press, 1988. 0-932592-00-7

Disher, M. W. Clown and Pantomimes. New York: Benjamin Blom 1968.

Fife, Bruce et al. Creative Clowning. Colorado Springs, CO: Java Publishing Company, 1988. 0-941599-03-5

Kelly, E. Clown. New York: Prentice Hall, 1954.

Kerr, W. The Silent Clowns. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975.

Liebmann, Adrienne. Women’s Circus: Leaping off the Edge. LPC InBook, 1997. ISBN 1875559558
Established in 1991 as a community theatre project to work with survivors of sexual assault, the Women’s Circus toured Beijing in 1995. Jugglers, acrobats, tricksters, aerialists, technicians, administrators, musicians, designers and trainers tell their story.

McKechnie, Samuel. Popular Entertainment Through the Ages. New York: Blom, 1969.

McVicar, Wes. Clown Act Omnibus. Colorado Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing, 1960. 0-916260-41-0
200 workable clown acts for all levels.

Perkins, Catherine and Rob Shone (Illustrator). The Most Excellent Book of how to be a Clown. Millbrook Press, 1997. ISBN 0761304991
Introductory book featuring step-by-step instructions on how to create clown personas, including traditional characters like the “auguste” or the “whiteface.”

Pipkin, T. Be a Clown! New York: Workman Publishing, 1989.

Remy, Tristan and Bernard Sahlins (Translator). Clown Scenes. Ivan R. Dee Publisher, 1997. ISBN 1566631440
Written by a French circus historian, this book presents 48 classic routines by clowns working in the old tradition of the one-ring circus. Includes spoken words, the manner of line delivery and the physical turns. Scenes are suitable for performance, and require three actors and no sets.

Robinson, Davis Rider. The Physical Comedy Handbook. NH: Heinemann, 1999. ISBN 0325001146
Preparation, solos, duets, trios, group exercises, skills (e.g. the trip, the take, difficulty with objects, interruptions).

Schechter, Joel. Durov’s Pig. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1985.
Clowns, politics, theatre.

Stolzenberg, Mark. Clowns for Circus and Stage. New York: Sterling Publishers, n.d.
Simple techniques simply presented. Good for kids.

Toole-Stott, Raymond. Circus and the Allied Arts: A World Bibliography. 4 Vols. Derby, UK: Harper & Sons, 1958 and 1971.

Towsen, John. Clowns. New York: Hawthorne, 1976.

Wiley, Jack. Basic Circus Skills. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1974.

Wilmeth, Don B. The Language of American Popular Entertainment, n.c.: n.p., 1981.
Argot and slang of circus, vaudeville, burlesque, etc.