Looking for Some Laughs?
By Julie Gray (Peoria Metropolitian - May 2001)
Send in the Clowns
Harlen Pierson of Eureka and Rick Zaborac of Peoria are co-owners of A Couple of Clowns. How did a heating and air conditioning installer and a process engineer at Caterpillar get together and transform themselves into Rollo and Patches the clowns? "We met at the Class Clown Alley of Central Illinois," says Pierson.Pierson's interest in performing grew out of an early desire to be an actor. "I'm an actor now because I get to play the character of Rollo the clown," he says. Pierson's wife suggested the name Rollo due to her husband's interest in roller skating. "I dressed up as a clown for Halloween once and won first place at a costume party. Then I started clowning with a church group. Later, a friend asked me to perform for a special event. It grew from there," Pierson explains.
Like Pierson, Zaborac had an interest in performing and was active in drama during high school. While working at Caterpillar, he noticed an article in a company newsletter about a group of clowns composed of employees that had disbanded. The group was trying to reactivate. Wanting to learn more, he attended a group meeting and eventually became Patches the clown. " got the name Patches because the first costume I had looked like a bunch of patches that were sewn together."
Putting a smile on a child's face is why
Rollo and Patches clown around
Having Fun Dressing Up
Part of the fun of being a clown is developing your costume and makeup. Both Pierson and Zaborac had their current costumes made by a professional seamstress who specializes in clown costumes. It takes both men about 35 to 40 minutes to get made up and fully costumed.
"What Rollo does," says Zaborac about his partner, "is he puts all of his makeup on completely wet and powders at the very end. I powder after every single color that I put on, and that is a safety measure for me so that I don't smear my makeup. I'm not as good as Rollo [at makeup application]." Pierson's makeup routine involves putting clown white all over his face and neck. Next he users a Q-tip to take off the white where other color will be added. Then he uses stencils to add blue circles to his cheeks. He paints on his red nose and mouth and outlines them and the blue circles with black. Thin back lines from the blue circles are carried up to his eyebrows and then filled in with black. He touches up the clown white and powders all of his face and neck. Once the powder is brushed off, he adds the final touch of waterproof mascara to his eyelashes.
Why Be A Clown?
So what draws a couple of normal guys into the funny business of clowning? Pierson says, "I enjoy making people laugh and smile. People are too serious in life. If I can take someone out of his or her norm for even just a second and put a smile on his or her face, it makes me feel good. I like to brighten someone's day." Zaborac adds, "When I think of clowns, I think of kids. But we find adults enjoy us as much as the children. We have a good time with it."
As for one of Pierson's favorite memories, he recalls the time he was hired to entertain at a four-year-old boy's birthday party. "Before I even walked in the door," he recalls "this kid was screaming and said "Mommy, I hate the clown. Send the clown away." Pierson told the boy's mother he did not have to do the show and did not want to traumatize the child. She had him come in and perform anyway. Pierson worked hard to interact and engage some of the boy's cousins. "by the time my show was over, this boy was my biggest fan. He even gave me a hug. When I am able to turn a situation like that around, it is the best feeling."
