HOUSTON – A local clown school is training people to cheer up the sick and lonely.
The group is called Cheerful Clown Alley. They offer a class of laughs that gets everyone pumped inside Houston’s Trini Mendenhall Community Center.
“We believe the world needs a little more fun and joy and we want to be somebody that can make that happen,” said Nibbles, one of the Cheerful Clowns instructors.
Students willing to sacrifice two hours a week in June, July and early August learn tricks of the trade, including balloon twisting, face painting, jokes, skits, improvisational skills, puppetry, clown ethics and magic tricks.
“I feel like I have a child that is stuffed inside (me) and needs to be let out,” said student Lilylou.
However, what makes the group unique is where they go next.
“Mainly it’s going into where people are in need,” said G-Maw, another Cheerful Clown student.
For 33 years, clown school graduates spend their year visiting sick children in hospitals, kids in need and the lonely in nursing homes. The clowns try to give people with frowns reason to smile.
“You make their day by being silly because we don’t have to put on an act,” G-Maw said. “You just have fun.”
“I have a job to do and that’s for that little bit of time to make them forget,” said Plumcute, a clown and instructor. “When they’re laughing and having a good time with me, they’ve forgotten and I’ve done my job. It means a lot.”
It means so much that some veteran clowns are back in class for the school’s first-ever grad program.
People like Charmin just can’t get enough because they’ve seen clowning’s impact.
“Oh my gosh,” Charmin said. “It is the best thing ever. You’re loving on someone else. You’re sharing your joy with them. They may be having a terrible, terrible day, but you’re bringing them a little bit of joy.”
It’s often hard work, but few have more fun or laughs learning.