One Wichita clown is helping the art form make a comeback. How to watch her Jam
Clowning is making a comeback, and local Wichita artist Madi White, who calls herself a full-time fool, is doing her part to spread the laughs.
When White’s Western-themed “Clown Jam” rides into Harvester Arts on May 30, it’ll feature 10 offbeat acts, puppets, hula-hoopers and first-time performers, all from Wichita, in what White calls a “very contemporary clown show.”
White, who received a $1,000 grant from the Wichita Arts Council to stage her third iteration of “Clown Jam,” has been a full-time clown for the past decade, performing in fringe festivals in Atlanta and Kansas City, booking herself into venues around the country, perfecting her craft by taking movement and circus school training, and teaching others the finer points of clowning through workshops.
For more than two years, she also was an adjunct faculty member at Wichita State, where she earned her acting degree in 2017.
Last fall, she did her first iteration of “Clown Jam,” and at her second, love-themed show in February, it was standing-room-only with well over 100 audience members. She’s already planning to have two more themed “Clown Jam” shows this year: a Halloween-themed show in October and a misfit toys-themed show in December.
“There’s very much a clown renaissance happening now,” White said.
The resurgence of clowning
The prominent online magazine Slate has written about the resurgence of clowning as a form of alternative theater, often combined with other acts, much like what White is doing here in Wichita.
“I think we’re all stressed, we are tired, we’re looking for some fun. We’re looking to laugh at ourselves. We’re just looking for some joy,” White said about the clowning resurgence.
There’s also a strong interest in learning about clowning, judging by how quickly White’s two clowning workshops in May sold out. The workshops are taking place the weekend before the May 30 show.
All 12 spots in Clown Camp, her beginner course, were filled within 24 hours. The six slots for Goof Off, her intermediate course for clowns that focuses on generating their own material, went quickly as well.
‘Incredibly drawn to the clowns’
White, from southeast Kansas, traces her own interest to two particular experiences: going to a Cirque du Soleil show at Disney at age 11 with her grandparents and taking a mask and movement class at WSU.
“I was incredibly drawn to the clowns,” said White about the Cirque du Soleil show. “I think it was the way that they were able to tell short, concise stories and have us laugh at them. I loved how funny they were, and I wanted to be funny as well.”
White is hoping that her “Clown Jam” productions will also leave an impression on Wichita audiences.
“Seeing these different acts, I think, may change the perceptions of the stereotypes that we have about clowning,” said White, who herself doesn’t like creepy clowns.
“We all think of Ronald McDonald or Tim Curry as It, but clowning is so much larger, broader, and older, and there are so many different facets to it. I always love it when people see the show and go, ‘Oh my gosh. I never knew it could be like that.’ We may totally change your mind about clowns, and you’ll walk away with a different perspective.”
Clown Jam
What: An alternative theater show featuring 10 acts of clowns, puppeteers, hula hoopers and other performers
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 30; doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Harvester Arts, 120 E. 1st St. N., Suite 115
Admission: $10, tickets may be purchased online at harvesterarts.com/happening
More info: harvesterarts.com/happening, or @madi.m.white on Instagram