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Props: the Clown's Bag of Tricks

© Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt

You've applied your clown face, dressed in your best clown garb, and are ready to dazzle the world. What's missing? Your props!

Okay, if your mega-watt smile is in place, you've got the only real prop you need. But there are so many little gadgets, gizmos, and slight-of-hand tricks with which you can wow your audiences that not incorporating them into your act should be a crime!

Would you like a little creative help? You're in luck! I have some great ideas for you, courtesy of some zany clowns, members of the World Clown Association (www.worldclownassociation.com). Their tips, highlighted in the August/September issue of Clowning Around, the association's member magazine, are guaranteed to build instant rapport with your audiences:

Debbie Henry -- "Odessey the Clown" -- has some great suggestions. She uses these frequently in hospitals and nursing homes.

Odessey's Favorite Hospital Props:

Stool sample: This is hilarious! - a tiny stool is placed inside a medicine bottle. For patients too familiar with having to provide stool samples, this can be a gas!

Bear aspirin: To create this prop, glue a bear onto a round piece of white craft foam. Have fun with this by creating several sizes of this prop. You can whip out the first one, and then follow it with a larger one, if the audience says they need more pain relief.

Prescription glasses: Find the craziest clown glasses you can. But don't stop there! Glue an empty prescription bottle to each lens. HA!

Odessey's Favorite Nursing Home and Senior Center Props:

Handbag: Here's a prop that will really grab your audience -- it's a purse in the shape of a hand! You can easily craft this yourself. The added benefit? You have a "handy" place to hide the stool sample and bear aspirin.

14-karat necklace: String 14 plastic or fabric carrots together to hang around your neck. Of course, you can also use real baby carrots - and even nibble on them during your performance - if you're willing to make new necklaces. You could also make "karat" rings or earrings with baby carrots.

Butterfly collection:Here's a prop the boys in your audience will love! Take a clean butter wrapper - and glue lots of tiny plastic flies on it. Or use the butter box, and glue the flies to the inside of the box, surprising your audience as you open it. This prop also works great as a walk-around, at corporate events or picnics, where small audiences are closely clustered around you.

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