Bill Irwin - Clown Extraordinaire

Bill Irwin

Clown Extraordinaire

Bill Irwin is an excellent example of a modern day clown.  In his skit, In Regard of the Flight, (1982), he climbs into a trunk and pretends to walk downstairs.  This particular skit has followed me throughout my life. I am not sure where I first saw it but I have always been enamored with his movement and even attempted to copy it.  Unfortunately, my abilities are nowhere near Irwin’s.

After earning a theatre degree from Oberlin College, Irwin began his clown training by graduating from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College in 1974.  He helped build the Pickle Family Circus as one of its founders.  Irwin has been featured on television, in movies, on Broadway, and even has had a few Broadway shows of his own. 

According to Marvin Carlson, Irwin is considered a “new vaudevillian.” (Carlson 124)  He “mixed traditional clown routines with continually foiled attempts to establish a new avant-garde approach to theatre and with the running accompaniment of a critic from the audience commenting on the work.” (Carlson 124)  Irwin has a way about him that one rarely sees.  He is extremely flexible and does the splits as if he were slipping on a banana.  He also is a magnificent dancer and brings that into his routines.  His character name on Sesame Street, Mr. Noodle, fits well because at times his body moves and literally looks like a noodle.

Irwin uses buoyancy, radiancy, and potency in his clowning.  Using all three at different times makes his character seem heavy, light, and at times nervous.  At times his feet never seem to touch the ground.  His ability to make his legs look like rubber when dancing or walking is quite amazing because it looks as if he is boneless.  According to Bruce Weber, clowning is so ingrained in Irwin that he even ends up using it during auditions.  Irwin’s ability to use his posture as an objective and a tactic is a reminder to all actors that physicality is just as important as vocal ability. 

Irwin discusses the differences between acting and clowning by reciting lines written by someone else and the “ability to use their own material.” (Bilowit)  He also believes that clowning is more physically demanding than acting.  This is reiterated simply by watching some of his clowning routines and comparing those to his roles on television or in movies, unless of course he is playing a clown on TV or in a movie.

According to Weber, Irwin stretches a lot.  He stretches even when doing mundane tasks, which is obvious in his skits, because he is extremely flexible.  In rehearsals, he uses mirrors to watch his facial expressions and get them just right.  Utilizing his eyebrows and mouth he creates the face of his character.

Personally, I would love to emulate Irwin’s imaginative expression.  He makes everything look simple, no matter what he is doing.  His face may show us a different view but his body is so fluid and smooth.  Irwin talks about the years of practice and how it makes him who he is in his interview with the New York Times.  However, Irwin is not just a clown.  He is also the 2005 Tony Award winning actor for his performance of George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Broadway.  Irwin can dazzle the world with his movement and also with his abilities as an actor on stage.  

Bibliography

“Bill Irwin Biography.” The Bill Irwin.com.  2014-2017. Web 3 April 2017. http:// thebillirwin.com/biography.html

Bilowit, Ira J. "Bill Irwin and the fine art of clowning." Back Stage, 6 Oct. 1995, p. 5+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.dop=ITOF&sw=w&u=auraria_ main &v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE %7CA17595095&sid= summon&asid=864c798067517f5aef1bb6e2bcc4e8fb. Accessed 4 Apr. 2017.

Carlson, Marvin.  Performance: A Critical Introduction, second edition. Routeledge, 2004.

Weber, Bruce. “AT THE GYM WITH -- Bill Irwin; Just Clowning Around With Intellect.” New York Times. March 3, 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/03/ garden/at-the-gym-with-bill-irwin-just-clowning-around-with-intellect.html? pagewanted=all