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What do we teach at
Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp?
Maybe a better question would be "What don't we teach?"
Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp?
If you're willing to learn it, we're willing to teach it!
We offer our curriculum much in the same way as a university does: one major and many electives. Your major is the COURSE and your electives are the AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS.
COURSES: You will meet with the same instructor each morning from 9 - 6 am and study one of the nine topics below. You can choose only one Morning COURSE for the entire week.
WORKSHOPS : After lunch, you can choose from many different Afternoon Workshops each day! Each Workshop lasts an hour and 15 minutes each, and will cover every aspect of clowning, children's entertainment, and performing. Sometimes the staff will be teaching portions of their course in a shorter Workshop format. We recommend you try all our staff. If you like them, then perhaps next year you will want to take a course from another staff on another subject!
Don't know which Course to choose? Relax, we've gotcha covered. As part of your registration, you will receive a free PEP (Personal Education Plan) Talk by way of a phone call from Tricia Manuel (aka "Pricilla Mooseburger"). Your PEP Talk will help you get the most out of your time at Moose Camp. After getting to know what sort of clowning you wish to do, Tricia will give you the best suggestions for which Course and Workshops to take. For more information about your PEP, go to the "What Makes Us Different" section.
Here are the 6 COURSES:
Birthday Parties and Show Routines.
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Rex Nolen has worked everything from living rooms to circus arenas. Put your shows together using practical business tips, comedy magic, routining, child management skills, adapting your character, and much more. This course will teach you routines you can really use. Rex's tried-and-true methods and wide range of experience make your business bloom! Learn and laugh your way to success! Be prepared to go home with a ton of useful material. |
Clowning 101
Learn the funny art of clowning from two of the best clowns/educators in the business. Tricia Manuel (Pricilla Mooseburger) and Brenda Marshall will gently introduce you to make-up, costuming, character development and much needed performance skills. Their holistic approach will seamlessly interweave the skills that will start you on the road toward being a great clown. Their extensive clowning backgrounds, sharing and caring style will teach you volumes in a short time!Comedy Magic
Face Painting
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No where in the US can Clowns get a better education in Face Painting than through this course! Marcela Murad will give you 7 hours of hands on instruction. We provide the Paradise Paints! You will learn how to paint, entertain, set up your business and more important tricks of the trade from the best in the business. |
Hospital and Caring Clowning
Performance Skills and Gag Writing
On to the Afternoon Workshops! There are many, many workshop offerings to choose from. Our staff is so talented it is tough trying to find room in the schedule for all the classes this bunch has to offer! The exact list of workshops offered may change prior to Moose Camp, but at least you'll get a pretty good idea of what each instructor's specialties are and how they can help you! Fred Baisch:
Publicity and Brochures - Learn how to put together promotional material that will get you noticed. Fred will work on a computer in the classroom to show you what works, and what does not. A real brochure will be created for a clown club plus other materials you can adapt for your own use.
Routine-ing Magic - O.K. you have this great magic prop..but how do you make it funny? Fred will show you how. His years of experience will make being funny with magic look easy. Remember, it's just that simple once you know the secret! Fred is the king of comedy magic!
Birthday Party Magic -Fred will show what it takes to put comedy magic into your birthday party routines. Perfect for those of you who use magic, ideal for clowns wondering what it is all about! Learn how to be a funny magical clown from one of the best in the business.
Makin' Magic! - Professional magician and clown Fred Baisch will teach you how to make your own magic props! A terrific opportunity for all you clown magicians or those thinking about adding a little magic to their act.
Karen Bell:
How to Use a Clown Hat -Ever end up someplace with nothing to do? Use your hat! There are great tricks and illusions that can be done with a simple felt hat. Let her show you how to make your hat a clown partner! This class includes lots of student participation and belly laughs!
Music in Your Act - Learn how to use music effectively in your routines. From background music to playing a simple instrument, music can create a mood and rhythm to help your performance.
Nursing Home Clowning - Karen's work with Laughter Unlimited provides a wellspring of practical knowledge for clowning for seniors. You will find this kind of performance rewarding and inspiring. Not as regulation-laden as hospital clowning, learn the inside tips that will open the door for a great performance opportunity. Perfect for Beginners!
Greg Desanto
How to Use a Clown Hat -Ever end up someplace with nothing to do? Use your hat! There are great tricks and illusions that can be done with a simple felt hat. Let her show you how to make your hat a clown partner! This class includes lots of student participation and belly laughs!
Music in Your Act - Learn how to use music effectively in your routines. From background music to playing a simple instrument, music can create a mood and rhythm to help your performance.
Nursing Home Clowning - Karen's work with Laughter Unlimited provides a wellspring of practical knowledge for clowning for seniors. You will find this kind of performance rewarding and inspiring. Not as regulation-laden as hospital clowning, learn the inside tips that will open the door for a great performance opportunity. Perfect for Beginners!
Karen Desanto
Gag Writing - Clowning is very much like a live action cartoon, with a beginning, middle and end. Those three elements are at the heart of all clown routines. Whether called gags, routines, entrees, or skits, they are the framework that you will hang your comic bits of business onto. Greg and Karen will take you through the process of creating a story that relates to your clown character, builds the comedy and finishes with the "blow-off."
Robin Eurich
Robin hails from California. He attended Ringling Brothers Clown College in 1975. Returning to California to pursue an acting carrier he worked at several Improv venues including the Comedy Store from 1977-81. He worked with many comedians we know from movies and TV, including Saturday Night Live.
Robin was asked to teach at Ringling Bros. Clown College in 1885-86, 1993-94 and again in 1997. He taught improvisation, movement and juggling as well as directed the students' clown gags. In 1994 Mr. Eurich auditioned for The Bozo Show out of Chicago and became Bozo's goofy sidekick, Rusty the Handyman, for the next eight years until the Bozo show went off the air (not because of anything Robin did!).
Throughout his illustrious career Robin has also acted and performed in feature films, TV, radio and voice over. He has an extensive background in improv, and continues to be a professional performer in Sarasota working with fellow Moose Camp staff Karen Bell.
As our "Guest Star", Robin will be floating from course to course, sprinkling his wisdom around camp. He will also be teaching a hefty helping of Comic Routines in the Afternoon Workshops. Don't miss this chance to learn from our 2009 Guest Star!!
Comic Movement and Character Development - Exaggeration, double-takes, facial expressions, and lots more. Get used to moving your body in a clowny way - it's a tool, use it! Learn how to develop your clown character while staying true to yourself. Lots of ideas and discussion in this workshop!
Gag Writing - How do you start? What are the guidelines of a great gag? Robin will outline the key parts of any classic gag or skit, and then help you to develop your own. Bring a notebook and put on your thinking cap!
Clown Dance - Get ready to shake a tail feather! He'll show you how to be comfortable in your own skin while looking funny doing it. Be prepared to limber up and laugh out loud - this is great practice for the All Star Clown Show dancing!
Christopher Hudert:
Physical Comedy and Bit's O Business - Physical Comedy doesn't just mean falling down or getting beat up. Learn how to move and use your body within your physical limitations for the best comic results. Walks, takes, pacing, postures, gestures, timing, shifts, reactions, levels, and so on, can all add to your performance without injury. We'll examine facial, body, and vocal expressiveness, pacing, energy, and physical levels, and how movement makes our actions speak louder than our words.
Library Show Know How : Every city or every town has a library! Clowning, storytelling, puppetry, and magic are qualities that you can use to work in your local library. Have you ever thought about doing library shows, but aren't sure where to start? Come and find out how you can expand your clientele in a more literary fashion!
Puppetry Basics - Make 'em move, make 'em live! How to work puppets, from simple to complex, to add them to your performance so that they are alive and real. We'll cover entrances, exits, basic movements, manipulation do's and don'ts, and the most important aspect of all - static life.
Storytelling for Clowns - Learn from one of the best story tellers in the business. Christopher will teach you how to choose the right material, use props, employ different voices, etc. Soon you'll be mesmerizing audiences of all ages!
Juggling for Beginners - Klutzes welcome! If you've never tried juggling before, then this is the right place to be! Christopher will take you through the basic process and help you with any trouble spots. PRACTICE is the key - practice, practice, practice!
Juggling Lab - Come to work on your weak points and get help from staff, alumni, and fellow campers. Bring your own juggling stuff, or borrow from the staff.
Connie Kennedy:
Successful Techniques of Beginner Make-up: Mark Renfro and Sweet Connie will assist you in learning the tips you need to create an individual clown face. Perfect for those who are new to make-up or want to brush up on basic skills.
Hospital Clowning -Nurse Stitches will teach the ins and outs of hospital clowning. From rules and regulations to hospital humor, you will get an inside look at this difficult yet rewarding type of entertainment. This class is a great way to find out if hospital clowning is for you!
Face Paint Lab Full Faces - Here is your chance to learn the art of fun face painting from Connie Kennedy. This is more than cheek art, it is character transformation! From butterflies to tigers, bunnies and kittens and much more! Learn how to do it fabulous and fast and make money doing it! Small lab fee required, paints provided.
Hobby to Business - Having trouble making that leap from hobby to business? Don't be a "chicken" and take that first step. Connie has taken her clowning from a hobby to a home-based business. Find out little "chicken nuggets" to get you on the road to having fun and making a little extra $$ from your clowning passion.
Dan Langwell:
Novice Balloons & Hats - Dan will give you the extra help you need to create simple balloon creations and easy hats to please everyone. Learn the stuff you need to "do" balloons for parties and festivals.
Balloon Jam - Dan will host an open Balloon Jam to give you "balloonatics" unstructured time to do your stuff, plus offer help to beginners or show some advance tricks - bring your own balloons!
Skits! - Need some ideas on easy-to-do skits to bring back to your alley? Dan and other staff members will act out a few skits and then break them down step-by-step so you can learn them yourself for future use.
Tricia Manuel :
Avoiding Make-up Design Disasters - Learn the art of make-up design, disasters and fundamentals. Tricia will present the tips you need to design a face that really works for YOU.
Posing for Pictures - Tricia will show you the trick to taking a great picture every time. Everything from posture, to poses, to using your costume as a prop, to valuable tips (don't hold the screaming baby!), you'll walk out of this workshop looking like a pro!
Comic Movement & Character Tips - Learn to move like a cartoon! This class is great for clowns of all ages and body types! You will learn how to present yourself like a pro and feel funny doing it. Tricia unlocks the mystery with simple, useful ideas that allow you to become the clown character you have always wanted to be!
Brenda Marshall:
You Character, You! Clown Character Development -Developing a clown character is probably the most difficult, most overlooked, and yet the most important part of being a clown. Get some tips, ideas, and exercises for finding the clown in YOU!
Clown Ministry: Skits - Constructing skits that convey a message will be the focus of the class. We will look at the basics of skit construction and performance techniques. We will also look at the importance of props in a ministry program.
Clown Ministry: Storytelling & Magic - This session combines storytelling with a message and magic. We will explore the basic techniques of storytelling as well as some simple magic that you can make yourself. Then we'll look at combining the two to reinforce the message.
Balloon Jam - Brenda and Dan will host an open Balloon Jam to give you "balloonatics" unstructured time to do your stuff, plus offer help to beginners or show some advance tricks - bring your own balloons!
Marcela Murad:
Make-up Lab - Lite and Easy Auguste Faces - Some performance styles call for a lighter look. Learn how to use less make-up and still look like a clown. Perfect for caring clowns and those looking for a more theatrical look.
Storytelling For Clowns - Learn from one of the best story tellers in the business. Mama Clown uses storytelling to keep children of all ages mesmerized during her performances.
Silk Magic - Own a change bag? This class is for you! Mama Clown will share with you lots of fun ideas for silk magic using a change bag, many of which you can easily make yourself. Filled with audience participation and storytelling. Everything you learn in this class packs small and plays BIG. Come join the fun!
Face Painting: Beginner/Intermediate - This lab is set up to allow you access to the paints. Try them out and get some hands on experience. It is a perfect way for you to find out if you like face painting, gain some new skills, and learn some pointers from this world famous face painter! Small lab fee required.
Face Painting: Advanced - So you've been painting for a while, and want to know "What's next?" Marcela will give you all the tips and tricks you need to advance your skill and take your business to new heights! Small lab fee required for use of materials.
Rex Nolen:
Live Birthday Party - What a treat! You get to watch and learn as Rex performs one of his signature birthday parties. Observe and take notes, and then ask questions when the party is over. Talk about real-life training
Outdoor Entertaining - It is not always about the magic show. Learn fun games and activities that entertain all ages, and is appropriate for company picnics and family events. Outdoor entertainment is fun and easy once you learn the games that work for clowns. Come ready to PLAY!
Be More - Clown More! How to Clown all year - Rex will give you the tips you need to transform your existing material into specialty routines for many different occasions, all year 'round, from seasonal events, to holidays, to birthday parties. These are the ideas that will keep them booking you again and again!
Dress-down and Make-up: Hobo Style - Need to get ready for the Hobo Stew, but you don't know the first thing about tramp makeup? No problem! Rex will show you the quick and easy way to apply the right stuff. We'll even have extra hobo costume pieces for you to borrow!
Juggling Lab - Come to work out your weak points and get help from staff, alumni, and fellow campers. Bring your own juggling stuff, or borrow from the staff.
Terry Ricketts:
Parade Props: Build 'em and use 'em right! - Terry's years of experience will prove invaluable when he shows even the most seasoned pros new ideas for building Parade Props. From design, to construction, to presentation - this class will provide tons of ideas and practical applications! Put on your thinking cap!
Manic Mania Part 1: Props with Everyday Objects - Get ready for a wild ride! Terry is the king of make-it and take-it, cheap but easy, fun and frolic! You will love this class if you want to laugh, make your own stuff, and stay on a budget!
Manic Mania part 2: Props with Everyday Objects - OK we started with one hour and have expanded to two! There is just too much information to squeeze into one hour of fun with props. You do not have to attend both hours.
New & Improved Prop Lab - We have created the perfect prop workshop! This will be open every day, all day long so you can work at your own pace. We have the supplies, the ideas, and the expert staff to help you create wonderful props. The price is minimal; the experience is fabulous! This year our prop shop will be filled with Make It and Take it props. You will be able to purchase kits with all the needed supplies to make a number of great props, such as: Parade boards, Third-Arm Puppets, and Crazy Clown Kazoo Horns!
LABS and EXTRA FUN STUFF:
New & Improved Prop Lab - We have created the perfect prop workshop! This will be open every day, all day long so you can work at your own pace. We have the supplies, the ideas, and the expert staff to help you create wonderful props. The price is minimal; the experience is fabulous! This year our prop shop will be filled with Make It and Take it props. You will be able to purchase kits with all the needed supplies to make a number of great props, such as: Parade boards, Third-Arm Puppets, and Crazy Clown Kazoo Horns!
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Terry Ricketts is the master of props, with his wacky and zany ideas, from using everyday objects to great parade props! His enthusiasm is sure to spark a few great ideas of your own. Terry will be keeping the creativity going in the "New & Improved Prop Lab", so be sure to check it out and ask him for help on your projects. |
Juggling Labs & Balloon Jams - These take place every day at different times and locations. Bring your own balloons, pump, and juggling props. Laugh while you learn from the staff and from each other. Christopher, Dan, Brenda, and Rex will be there to lend a helping hand. Stop in to brush up on skills or start from scratch. Juggling Labs and Balloon Jams are great opportunities to share ideas and pass around tips!
Staff Show - Bring a camera, because this will be your only chance to see the staff in their costumes and makeup. They'll be performing pieces that will showcase their specialties, plus other crazy fun stuff to entertain you and display all different aspects of the Art of Clowning. It's a fun way to kick off Moose Camp!
Coffee Chat w/Staff - Every morning before breakfast, you are welcome to get up early and join us in the Blue Room for an informal chat about clowning. Each morning will feature a different team of staff members. You'll get inspired and learn a lot! Pour a cup of coffee and sit in for this "early bird" special!
Nighttime Chat w/Staff - Every night, we have a cozy little "Story time", where we invite one or two of our staff to share their experiences in clowning and life. Feel free to ask them any question. This is a rare chance to really get to know our staff in a more personal way. What they choose to do is up to them - we've seen everything from puppet shows, to heart-warming tales to inspire you, to strings of jokes that made us laugh until we cried. Sometimes these chats go late, so feel free to come in your PJs!
Good Morning Stretches w/Alumni - Rise and Shine! Nothing gets you in a good mood better than a joyful, pumping heart. Start the day off right and limber up! Moose Camp Alumni will put you through easy and fun stretches to help you get ready for the rest of the day. Low-impact enough for any age; no experience required. Wear comfy clothes and bring a water bottle.
An Evening with Pricilla Mooseburger - This is a special event that is relatively new to the schedule. When Master Clown Frosty Little was on staff, we would feature him putting on his makeup and costume, all the while regaling us with stories of what it was like in Clown Alley on the circus. Since his retirement, we've replaced his event with a similar one featuring Pricilla. She has some great stories to tell, some funny, some touching, all inspiring. Bring a camera!
Hobo Stew - A favorite tradition of Moose Camp is the Hobo stew dinner. A tramp/hobo/bag-lady costume and face are greatly encouraged, but go to no great expense (try not to spend more than $5); be creative and have fun! Tramp clothes can be easily found at thrift stores or yard sales. From washed-up lounge act singers to a grubby tooth fairy, we've had every kind of weirdo show up. The idea of the Hobo Dinner is to get you think "outside the box" when it comes to characters. Try a costume and makeup style that is completely different to your usual clown character. Rex Nolen will be on hand with makeup to help you create a new Hobo face. We will serve a Hobo stew style dinner (no actual hobos will be harmed in the making of the stew), for both vegetarian and carnivorous types. Besides the delicious dinner, there may even be surprise entertainment!
Clown Game Show - Take a chance at "fame, fortune, and fabulous prizes". There will be no limit to the fun, all had at the staff's expense, of course! The Clown Game Show this year is NEW and IMPROVED - well, it's new, anyway..
Great American Pie Fight - Greg & Karen DeSanto are masters of the Pie Fight, and we couldn't pass up the chance to hold a good old-fashioned pie fight. We had such a good time with this event last year, that we wanted to make sure EVERYBODY got a piece of the action this time. So practice your aim and be prepared to get soapy. And hey, you might even learn something!
Late Night Movies - If you're still not tired by the time the Nighttime Chats with Staff are over, we'll be showing movies and videos in the Red Mezz. You'll see Cartoons, Comedy Magic, Circus footage, and Stage & TV Comedians. Come in your pajamas and bring a pillow!
Pizza and Dance Party - After the All Star Clown Show is over, you'll be hungry - and hyper! So we'll be bringing in pizzas for you to munch on, and playing lots of fun music for you to dance to.
Dealers Room - In the coffee room, you will find all the supplies you need to clown around! See this stuff up close and personal. The staff will be on hand to demonstrate their wares in a low-pressure, hands-on shopping experience. Ask questions and try things on - We want you to "try it before you buy it"! Stock up on needed supplies or make a wish list. MasterCard, Visa, Discover Card, travelers' checks and personal checks may be accepted by most vendors - call them first to verify. The following businesses will be on hand with a variety of products for your clowning delight:
Pricilla Mooseburger Originals - costumes, wigs, accessories, noses, make-up, books
Twin Cities Magic - magic tricks, juggling props, comedy magic supplies, puppets
Silly Farm/Mama Clown - face paints, painting supplies, instructional materials
The Gag Bag - stickers, gags, pocket magic, props, comedy magic supplies
Spears Specialty Clown Shoes - ready-to-wear and custom-designs
...and there may be even more still signing up later!