A Clown's Life in San Jose

Oscar Liendo

Field Entertainment recently brought the Ringling Bros. Circus to San Jose and Oakland in a super show in which the young and not so young were treated with the delightful performances of clowns, trapeze artists and acrobats.

In these times of war and economic crises, laughter should be a part of our daily therapy. And this is the reason a clown's role is fundamental in every circus.

That's the case of Oscar Liendo, a Texas native with four years of experience as a clown and one year with the acclaimed Ringling Bros. Circus. Liendo, 27, was chosen from a long list of candidates to work with this prestigious circus. His is an example of the diversity of professions in which Latinos can be found.

Between getting ready under layers of makeup and putting on costumes, Liendo is preparing to make each new performance his best. He says that he interprets his own character, setting aside his personal life. He adds that he always has to show his best face to the public, although he admits how difficult it is being away from his family.

Liendo says that the circus hasn't changed much in the last half of a century. But one of the aspects that will change, according to him, is how content is presented to the audience. For Liendo, it's important to be close to the people he's performing for and make them laugh. He says while clowns can perform on their own, working with other clowns as a team is the preferred option.

Another aspect that has and will continue to change is that the modern clown has more technology at his disposal, such as using small video recorders and being on social networking websites. Despite these advances, the main essence in a clown's performance remains the same. Regardless of technology and language, a clown uses a universal language, a borderless language understood by every race, culture, or people of different economic income. A clown will always be a clown and bring joy to his or her audience.

Clowns have indeed been helpful in therapies at different children's hospitals, and Ringling Bros. participates at these programs that help many children feel better and help them endure their illnesses.

Liendo says that "a clown is a difficult art form. It is difficult to be away from your family, but this profession is fulfilling personally when I see people laugh. To be a clown, you need to do it wholeheartedly."