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 Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 12:25 pm
When we think of a circus, we think of a big colourful tent, clowns, acrobats, tricycles, tightropes, striking costumes and in the olden days, tamed and trained wild animals. In some places that's still done.
For all intents and purposes, the circus is a form of theatre. It's never really changed much if at all, but there are ways of introducing something more original to it like what the No Fit State Circus have in Europe.
See the video below on YouTube for an example of what they do.
No Fit State Circus.
You also get a glimpse of where I used to work in that video (Borders - the exact store I was in).
No Fit State have a VERY unique circus style. They're often suspended from the structures inside their tent and actually tell a story within their performances.
What examples of circuses are there in fantasy (books/films/anime/games), and how would you use them?
The latter part of the question is more specifically put to the writers of the guild.
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:32 pm
Well, not really fantasy per se, but historical...
Commedia dell'Arte from the renaissance is one of the historical origins of modern clowns and foolery. The different kind of "stock characters" of modern clowns have very clear roots in Arlicchino, Pulchinella, Isabella, Columbina and the like. The cast were given basic outlines of the plots of their stories and improvised their way through the scenes. It's a lot of fun to do. I myself portray Arlicchina in an amateur troop in the SCA (you can see me in my costume in the "Who, me?" picture that comes up every once in a while).
A lot of modern fantasy writers portray theater troops as having fixed scripts and whatnot, but every once in a while, I see some where the characters are actually period commedia type characters.
Berz.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:39 am
Well, the guild is both fantasy and history prior to the 20th century.
Anyway, yeah, characters derived from travelling theatre troupes do tend to have that element of comedy about them. I've created one such character in my own writing. He's not a part of a circus, but he's got an image similar to that of a jester and is with a group of travelling performers.
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:06 pm
I don't know about the rest of you but I hate any kind of circus that doesn't treat their animals right. Most of the ones you see here in Guatemala are very cruel to their animals and I don't ever want to see something like that again.
I used to like going to the circus but now, not so much.
BTW, you've played CV: PoR, haven't you Mel? Do you remember the painting that looks like a circus? I thought that particular stage was a bit ridiculous, didn't you? rolleyes What the hell was IGA thinking with that one!?
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:45 am
Yeah, I remember that level. *Shudder* I hate clowns. I really do...
Especially the undead or puppet kind. I HATE the clowns in both DoS and PoR! I think it's the make-up and the acts. I'm not scared of them, but they do make me nervous (I mean any kind of clown now) and I always think "stay away...don't come any closer...ok, now I'm taking steps backwards, leave me alone...grrrrrrr."
No Fit State Circus don't have animals at all. It's all done with very flexible acrobatic actors.
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Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:59 pm
Well I'm indifferent when it comes to clowns cuz I don't love or hate them. I bet you liked killing the clowns in DoS & PoR though, right?
I'm glad that circus doesn't use animals cuz most don't treat them very well. I don't know if you know but I'm against animal cruelty. 3nodding
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Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:01 pm
I think it's safe to say that's going to be a pretty universal concept around here. Cruelty to animals sucks.
Modern clowns annoy me, more than anything. Period foolery had its share of sight gags, physical jokes, and noise-makers, but it seems to me like that's all modern clowning is. Improvising dialog takes so much more skill to do and be funny and so many modern clowns just don't bother.
Not to say that period foolery was high-brow or anything, since it got way dirtier than we typically do today (actually, in period, there was no concept of shielding children from dirty jokes or concepts, which makes reproduction of a period farce difficult; it's anachronistic to mention that it isn't suitable for kids by today's standards). But it was just so much more work. A period foole had to be a much more well-rounded artist.
Berz.
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:38 am
I just don't like clowns full stop Hypno.
I always found it weird that Kefka from FFVI always dressed like one though. Regarding him as a villain though, the style actually MAKES him more scary in my opinion. I think clowns have a unique potential to be frightening.
I know what you mean Berz. I like the old fashioned style, but these days it seems like people are just trying much too hard. What you said about improvising dialogue brings be back to "Whose line is it anyway?"
Ryan Stiles is brilliant in that. smile
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:55 pm
I can understand that Mel. I agree with the frightening potential of clowns cuz, otherwise there wouldn't be a scary movie about clowns from outer space. As a matter of fact, I found a rather small video from one of the movies on youtube. I'll post it at the youtube thread too. 3nodding
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:54 pm
*sighs* oh for the olden days.... I wish circuses around here were like they once were.
Did you know that Bozo the Clown's own daughter was frightened of him?
eek
She said it was because of his hair...
Most clowns don't scare me, but when they're way too happy, thats when I start to edge away...but clowns are cool, I know this pastor that dresses up as a clown and goes to assisted living areas for old people.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:32 pm
Ha-ha! I had no idea about that one! Who knew that his own daughter was frightened?
Clowns are not cool for me but I suppose they can be. I find most of them annoying though. There's very few clowns I actually like. Krusty the clown is one of those! mrgreen
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:58 pm
are you referring to spongebob? rofl mrgreen
I think one of the reasons i like my pastor friend is because when he's acting, he doesn't speak, he makes sounds. i.e. when I pretended to kill his rubber chicken, he didnt' shout "Oh NO!!!", he just started sobbing, and trying to give it cpr. smile then he gave it a burial. I don't really like clowns that talk a lot.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:11 pm
Actually, Krusty the clown is from "The Simpsons". But that's pretty funny, mentioning the Krusty Crab and all. lol I'm not a big fan of Sponge Bob but at least I know a thing or two about the show. My cousin likes it...
You know, I'm hoping the new Castlevania for DS won't have clown enemies in it. They don't seem like they fit in the darn thing at all. But maybe that's just me... rolleyes
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:17 am
oh, ok, there was one episode in spongebob where Krusty Krab was a clown and he called himself Krabby the Clown, so I can understand where I got confused sweatdrop .I don't like spongebob all that much either, I just watch it when I'm bored...(realizes I am getting off topic, slaps wrist...)
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:51 am
It's ok, it's not exactly off topic if the crab dressed up as a clown. mrgreen
I know everyone has their own personal opinions and alike but, I just thought it would be interesting to point out that a friend of mine can't think of clowns as scary at all. Isn't that something? I wonder how many people are like her also...
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