Learn to use your clown nose for optimal effect.
It is the clown's job to create humor by linking two disparate things; on the most basic level this is accomplished by acting as a clown for an audience of non-clowns: you are a clown and they are not. A participant of Contemporary Clowning Projects workshops notes the emotions a clown portrays are the clown's. These emotions are about the clown and her unique perspective. In Shakespeare's plays, fools, or clowns, challenged authority by drawing attention to uncomfortable truths. Modern day clowns, too, challenge authority and draw attention to their unique perspective. The clown's nose is a tool to highlight a joke and thus highlight a perspective. Honking a clown nose is an art of timing.
Instructions
1. Rehearse your skit without makeup or costume. Map out how your makeup and costume can highlight your skit. Plan honking your clown nose to coincide with a joke's punch line: either to foreshadow a coming joke or to encourage people to laugh after the joke has been executed.
2. Practice honking your clown nose. Each nose has its own peculiarities. It is essential for you to know exactly how hard to pinch the nose in order to achieve the desired sound effect.
3. Experiment with different faces to accompany the nose honking. A face can reflect the high-pitched intensity of the honk or it can be executed to contrast.
