Authentic Clowns
Green seem ed to be getting at authenticity early in our interview – preferring stories that seem “ natural ” and unrehearsed. Not only does he enjoy these kinds of stories, but he has also observed audiences listening “differently.” They seem more engaged, even in a trance. Green said that “to be an entertainer is to be a clown and to be a clown is to expose one’s failures.” I find this interesting in thinking about the relationship between the performer and audience. If the performer is a clown then they owe the audience a lot. Maybe they are telling an edgy story (not keeping the audience “safe” from hearing vulgar things) but they owe the audience entertainment through vulnerability. The vulnerability makes the stories “beautiful.” Photo of Sarah Beth Nelson, taken by Denise Mount 1991 Audiences trust the tellers when they are vulnerable . Why is this necessary? Should we trust strangers? But now we feel that we know them because of their vulnerable story. The a
