Venezia: O.C. woman pursuing dream - as a clown

Want to clown around?

I’m not suggesting entering our local political arena, though I’m sure some would argue we always could use a few more bozos in town for comic relief.

All kidding aside, I’m talking real, paint-your-face, big shoes, funny circus clowns!

From 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 28, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College plans to hold auditions at the Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

The online audition application is looking for folks with “an overactive funny bone and a heart the size of Texas!”

Applicants should have improvisational ability, a sense of timing and “a sincere desire to be a clown with The Greatest Show On Earth.”

Previous professional clowning experience is not required.

Candidates must be 18 or older and come prepared to perform a three- to five-minute routine that displays “exaggerated facial expressions and body language,” and can “showcase any unique physical skills (juggling, unicycle riding, gymnastics, etc.) and demonstrate an understanding of comedy.”

I found it interesting that one thing they don’t want those auditioning to wear is clown makeup or costumes. Instead loose, comfortable clothing is suggested.

Sarah Cohen of Mission Viejo attended the audition in the summer of 2014, and it changed her life.

Now she’s traveling with Ringling Bros. and part of a 12-member group called Clown Alley.

Clown Alley performs during the Ringling Bros. show, running between acts and making circus goers laugh.

“During the show we work extremely hard,” she told me.

At 26, Cohen is living her lifelong dream. With a bachelor’s degree in theater from UC Irvine, Cohen joked that she originally wanted to get a degree in circus performance, “but that didn’t exist” there.

After graduation it crossed her mind to pursue an acting career. Then she discovered an aerialist program at the Circus Center in San Francisco and signed up.

The center offers programs in all types of circus disciplines. Soon Cohen was performing as an aerialist.

Why join Ringling Bros. rather than Cirque du Soleil, since she has the aerialist background? With Cirque’s traveling troupes and resident shows all along the Las Vegas Strip, one would assume there would be plenty of job opportunities.

Cohen went the Ringling route because it is a “more classic circus and family-style.”

She saw her first Cirque show at age 11. That’s when the thought entered her mind that this might be something she’d want to do in the future.

What’s most rewarding about being a clown with “The Greatest Show on Earth?”

“Working with kids,” she said.

Cohen explained there are pre-shows an hour before performances, where kids get to meet her clown team, ask questions and get high-fives and hugs.

But what about those who suffer from coulrophobia, a fear of clowns?

“I come across it every day,” she said.

There will be some kids or adults who will force their fearful friend to come next to her to face their fears, but Cohen doesn’t think that’s the right approach.

She prefers to tell the person she isn’t afraid of them, and then takes her gloves off to show them the personal side of being a clown.

Circus life is a commitment.

She’s on the road 48 weeks out of the year, with a month off in December, where she comes home to Mission Viejo to be with her dad and visit her mom in Tustin.

Cohen has a small room with a fridge and a bed on the Ringling Bros. train. More seasoned performers have bigger rooms, even their own train cars.

The most difficult thing about traveling with the circus is regulating sleep patterns.

“We all live on a train, and we’ll be traveling from one to three days,” she said. “Then our show schedule changes on the fly, and we get it a week before. It’s hard to know when to sleep.”

Her clown character is a bug-catcher.

“We create our own clown character, which is a caricature of our own personalities,” she said. “I’ve always had a fascination with bugs so that is my character since I love nature.”

If you’d like to see Cohen clown around in person, tickets range from $25 to $80.

Ringling Bros & Barnum Bailey Circus rolls into Honda Center from July 24 to Aug. 2 with its latest show, “Circus Xtreme.”

Then it’s toff to Valley View Casino Center in San Diego from Aug. 6-9.

To get tickets and more information visit .

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.