Recently, a professional family entertainer shared with me their discomfort with changing up their act, a personal reaction to meet more stringent guidelines now in place by a hosting healthcare facility.

Change in an act requires careful examination of many elements in the performance, not the least of which includes the entertainer. Even minor revisions take time, concentration and commitment to see the fine-tuning enhances, rather than adding unnecessary clutter, or possibly removing a key ingredient.

It is a well-known fact that people resist change every day, in every way. Artistic license and creativity are two areas to be respected. Based upon these two irrefutable truths, the professional family entertainer’s reaction is understandable, but gives others pause to wonder what the focus of their performance is — on the entertainer, or for the audience?

By the fact that family performers exist to entertain, it would seem no matter how talented, no performance occurs without the audience. Otherwise, they are merely practicing.

The purpose for hospital visitations, Clown Rounds or healthcare visits is not to “put on a show.” It is to relieve the pain, stress, loneliness or suffering experienced by the patient – the intended ’audience.’ If a “show” is presented, no real connection is made. Thus the ‘audience’ is really a mere spectator, not drawn into the the joy and wonder of the moment, away from their condition or situation.

Perhaps it is that playing with the audience, rather than to the audience is more difficult for some. Maybe performing a practiced routine to receive applause and admiration from all for incredible feats of skill are really what is being sought. Most new entertainers are robotic in their performances, being careful not to “lose their place” in a well-rehearsed act. The presence of any of these possible tendencies calls for an in-depth personal examination as to purpose and focus of an entertainer’s performance.

Hospital clowning is known to be one of the most highly-regulated clowning specialties, due to the protocols, procedures and mandated training. It defies logic to think it should be otherwise, risking life and limb, and spreading disease rather than laughter and cheer. Ignoring policies and best practices is a sure way to be banned from entertaining in any hospital or healthcare facility.  

As hospital clowns, caring clowns and healthcare family entertainers, we must do our important work within the guidelines and procedures presented. Health conditions and new developments in the field give rise to the opportunity of developing personally, and in performance in new, exciting ways. This provides an ever-changing framework to further develop professionally.

While the voiced concern of one professional family entertainer is understood, the ability of ‘thinking outside the box’ has been an ever-present element in the type of performances we do.

How are you retooling your performance to meet any new healthcare guidelines or protocols? Please let us know, by leaving a comment…