Christina Lewis
Artistic Director | Drama Therapist | Professional Clown
HOW I BECAME A CLOWN
In the last 20 years I have worked with many hundreds of people of all abilities, cultures, genders and ages to find their own Inner Clown and to embrace and play with ALL they discover inside. I have helped countless Clowns craft meaningful theatre out of their feelings and confusions and find great joy and release in the catharsis that can occur for both audience and performer when such a sharing happens.
I myself, discovered the Clown as a vehicle for self-discovery and healing when I was in a college Mime troupe, and struggling with a secret eating disorder. When asked to create original material for our Mime show, I crafted a piece where I am an anxious character who sneaks into the kitchen (played by my fellow Mime friends) to raid the food. She uses and then abuses the kitchen and ultimately gets eaten by the refrigerator.
Everyone laughed and thought this was VERY funny, but the people who knew me well knew that I had just shared a deep secret about myself.
For me this was a cathartic moment – to reveal myself AND to be loved and accepted and even applauded for it- well, that was revelatory and I decided to become a Clown.
In 1985 I moved to San Francisco and I met Arina Isaacson who was teaching how to create a Clown Character and Clown material out of one’s own body, idiocyncracies and personal history. I loved the work and became a devoted student, taking every workshop and class available.
At the same time, I began my studies in Drama Therapy and also began working with people with developmental disabilities as an Educator. People with disabilities have been some of my greatest Clown teachers over the years, as they remind me to laugh and to be in the present moment.
I believe that everyone can be a Clown, regardless of age, ability or background. All it takes is a willingness to share oneself with others with an open heart.