Do you know what thing that can make children’s party more interesting? That is a clown! Yes, clowns can give you a funny entertainment. They perform magic tricks, coordinate activities and games, juggling, encourage people to be part of the event and make the events lively. Not only that, clown also act as "emcee", from M.C. or Master of Ceremonies. In some circuses, clowns often show; walk a tightrope, a high wire, a slack rope, or a piece of rope on the ground. Sometime they also ride a horse, a zebra, a donkey, an elephant, or even an ostrich. They also substitute himself in the role of "lion tamer”, and act the preferred term for a clown taking on the role of "Ringmaster”. “Sit in" with the orchestra, perhaps in a "pin spot" in the center ring, or from a seat in the audience. Anything any other circus performer might do. It is not uncommon for an acrobat, a horse-back rider, or a lion tamer to secretly stand in for the clown, the "switch" taking place in a brief moment offstage.
There are many types of clown. Every types has different characters and functions. The first type is Whiteface. Traditionally, the whiteface clown uses "clown white" makeup to cover his or her entire face and neck with none of the underlying flesh color showing. In the European whiteface makeup, the ears are painted red. Features, in red and black, are delicate. He or she is traditionally costumed far more extravagantly than the other two clown types, sometimes wearing the ruffled collar and pointed hat which typify the stereotypical "clown suit".The whiteface character-type is often serious, all-knowing (even if not particularly smart), bossy, and cocky. He is the ultimate authority figure. He serves the role of "straight-man" and sets up situations that can be turned funny..
1. Whiteface
2. Auguste
The auguste character-type is often an anarchist, a joker, or a fool. He is clever and has much lower status than the whiteface. Classically the whiteface character instructs the auguste character to perform his bidding. The auguste has a hard time performing the task given which leads to funny situations. Sometimes the auguste plays the role of an anarchist and purposefully has trouble following the whiteface's directions. Sometimes the auguste is confused or is foolish and is screwing up less deliberately.
3. The contra-auguste
The contra-auguste plays the role of the mediator between the whiteface character and the auguste character. He has a lower status than the whiteface but a higher status than the auguste. He aspires to be more like the whiteface and often mimics everything the whiteface does to try to gain approval. If there is a contra-augustecharacter, he often is instructed by the whiteface to correct the auguste when he is doing something wrong.
4. "Character clown"
The “character clown” adopts an eccentric character of some type, such as a butcher, a baker, a policeman, a housewife, etc. The character clown makeup is a comic slant on the standard human face. Their makeup starts with a flesh tone base and may make use of anything from glasses, moustaches and beards to freckles, warts, big ears or strange haircuts.
5. Rodeo
A rodeo clown is a cowboy, or animal wrangler, dressed in wild costumes — almost always oversized and consisting of loose fitting layers of clothing to protect them from, and to distract, rodeo bulls, broncos, etc. The looseness of the layers allows a rodeo clown to shed portions of their attire in the event of its being snagged -- as on an enraged bull's horn.
6. Commedia dell'Arte
There are two distinct types of clown characters, which originated in Commedia dell'Arte but which still hold some favor today, Pierrot and Arlecchino.
The Pierrot, or "French clown", derived from the commedia dell'arte character Pedrolino - the youngest actor of the troupe, deadpan and downtrodden. Although Pedrolino appeared without mask, Pierrot usually appears in whiteface, typically with very little other color on the face. Like Arlechinno, Pedrolino's character changed enormously with the rising popularity of pantomime in the late 19th century, becoming Pierrot. This clown character prefers black and white or other a simple primary color in his or her costume.
The Arlecchino is a character originally from Commedia dell'Arte, is a "motley" clown . Arlecchino always carries a cane to "whack" the other performers, however this is normally taken from him by the other performers and used against him. This is believed to be the origin of "slapstick" a form comedy. A slapstick (battacio in Italian) is a prop with two flat flexible wooden pieces mounted in parallel, the two sticks slap together when the implement is struck, causing a slapping sound, exaggerating the effect of a comedic blow. Despite the slapstick, Arlecchino is not malicious, but mischievous, the slapstick being a classic example of carnivalesque phallic imagery (see also the commedia masks' noses). Like a cross between the characters of Puck and Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Arlecchino is spritely and adept at the same time as being clumsy and dim, and is normally the 'messenger' character in a comedy — the catalyst for mayhem. Arlechinno has a female counterpart, Arlechinna, or Rossetta, however more often he is in love with the character of Columbina, a straightforward and intelligent maid, who is usually given the prologue and epilogue. Arlechinno has other derivatives with slightly different features: Traccagnino, Bagattino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Naccherino, Gradelino, Mezzettino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino, Fagiuolino, Trappolino, Zaccagnino, Trivellino, Passerino, Bagolino, Temellino, Fagottino, Fritellino, Tabacchino, whose names could all be considered funny-sounding names, even to an Italian. Arlechinno's name is probably from "hellech" "inno" - little devil, "inno" is little, so "Trufflino" is little Truffler, Trivellino is (Arlechinno's) "little Brother". The Harlequin often loses much of Arlechinno's character during pantomime, as he becomes more of a ballet character, stripped of dialogue and subversive content to a wide extent.
source: wikipedia.com
writer note:
Pada saat menulis ini, saya masih di semester 1 jurusan S1 Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Saat itu, ide menulis tentang pekerjaan yang unik benar-benar buntu. Masalahnya adalah banyak tugas selain dari tugas Writing yang sedang saya kerjakan (biasa, nge-les :D ). Tapi untung ada Mbah Google yang menolong. Aku banyak terbantu oleh si Mbah. Saya kutip beberapa, dan sebagai penulis yang beretika, saya cantumin source dimana saya mengutip isi bacaan tersebut.
