PAIN INTERRUPTED, Entertainers In The Hospital:
A Guide to Entertaining Children in the Hospital Setting
By Charles Kraus, with
Linda Kraus, MA © 2007
Opening Scene
One day in 1973, an extremely hot August Saturday in Los Angeles, I'd
managed to appear at four children's birthday parties -- two clown shows
and two magic shows -- 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
respectively -- in locations spread throughout the length and width of
Southern California. By the time I reached home, my thoughts had to do
with bathing, eating and resting. More performances were scheduled for
the following afternoon, but there had been quite enough show business
for now.
My
wife, Linda, stood immediately inside the door. As I opened it, I almost
slammed into her. She'd been waiting, had missed me by seconds when
she'd phoned my last show.
I suspected she'd gotten a call for a performance that evening. In the
take 'em when you can get 'em world of clowns and magicians, I'd done as
many as seven shows in a single day. I'd also not worked for weeks at a
time. Another show, now? Tonight? I was bushed. It didn't matter how
much money they'd offered, I was not going.
"The girl is dying," Linda said. "It's not really her birthday, but she
doesn't know that. They told her she's having her party. Her tenth
birthday party.”
I washed, picked out a new costume and headed for Angelina's final
birthday celebration. I went because I knew how to do the show. I had
some natural ability, plus a whole lot of experience. Over the years,
I'd developed a knack for getting through to kids who were hard to
reach. This skill had been honed working with disadvantaged children in
ghetto communities. It had taken years to figure out how I could earn
laughs from youngsters who found nothing silly, who looked up at me with
dull, blank expressions and, if anything, thought that my goofy antics
were far too frivolous to fit into their rotten lives. My objective was
to find something, anything that made a spark appear in their eyes, a
flash, a gleam, or an irrepressible guffaw burst from their bellies. By
now I knew how to make that happen. I would do something so unexpected,
outrageous and absurd that it created an automatic giggle, or at the
very least, that gleeful twinkle in the eye.
If Angelina was about to attend her last party, she was entitled to be
in touch with any vivacity and delight that might be left in some
obscure corner of her being. If it was there, I could find it. I could
help her to feel it.
My drive brought me to a large, older home in the Mid Wilshire area.
When the door opened, I saw about 40 guests, lots of balloons, ribbons,
and streamers. Party music came from a stereo. The cassette and the
decorations were the only festive things in the place. Curtains
protected the room from sunshine. Guests sat or stood in silent
clusters. The lighting was subdued. The mood reflected resignation and
heartbreak.
Several young men guided me to my performing space. They were friends
and neighbors of the ill child and had called us hoping an entertainer
could help the guests to focus on some positive energy. As soon as I'd
set up my equipment, eyes turned to the top of the staircase, where
Angelina's father held the slight ten-year-old in his arms. Slowly, he
made his way down toward the crowd. The guests offered up a hollow
cheer, loud, but remote. From where I stood, it did not seem as if
Angelina acknowledged their greeting.
And thus began a show: for a group of kids – some gloomy, some confused,
some frightened --, for sad adults and for a fragile young guest of
honor, who, it turned out, would die the following afternoon. For
several minutes, no one reacted to what I was doing. People simply
watched. The funny stuff was not funny. The surefire silly business did
no business. I felt upset with myself for even thinking I would be able
to cheer up this dispirited group of people.
One of the keys to performing for "sick" children is not to perform to
their sickness, to go around it, and reach places in a child that still
have the capacity to be tickled. You do some particularly nonsensical,
preposterous things, then look into the eyes of the boy or girl, and say
with your eyes -- "I know you know how silly that was … what a thing!"
I am not sure which trick, or routine, or movement or combination of
movements, cause Angelina to respond. Maybe she looked into my eyes and
saw that I needed help from her. She laughed. Not a gigantic rouser, but
loud enough to be heard by her anxious guests.
That did it. Angelina's laugh popped the tension right out of that room.
She laughed then her guests laughed. Each laugh helped to build the
next. We were all in the moment. And the moment had nothing to do with
death. We could share NOW, and NOW was funny. We could feel it and we
could live it.
Driving home, the thought came to me, that I could be doing shows for
lots of sick kids, children who needed some mirth in their treatment
plans in addition to medicines. Perhaps, I could perform for kids with a
more hopeful prognosis than Angelina. Maybe, instead of being part of
the finale, I could be part of the second or third act.
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-The Healing Power of Performance:
Getting well can make a sick person happy. And, getting happy can make a
sick person well. Obviously, telling a child a joke or doing a magic
trick is not going to cure a serious illness. But, do not discount the
“healing” power of a good laugh. Performance improves the health of
those in the audience and those doing the performing as well. If I have
a bad headache, I mischievously demand that my wife (and manager) book
me a show, anywhere, right away. Nothing clears the head like
performing. In fact, today most people understand that engaging in
certain activities, such as exercising or playing music, causes a
release of chemicals into the body that produce happy, calm feelings and
a sense of well-being.
When I was a teenage magician, learning my trade back in New York City,
I asked my father if I could take magic lessons. He checked around and
determined that the lessons offered at Tannens, the downtown magic
store, cost more than we could afford. The manager suggested we contact
a fellow named Jack Miller. “Professor” Miller had taught at Tannens
back in the “old” days. He was in his mid seventies, in poor health,
living in semi-retirement on the less fashionable side of Jersey City.
I was a cocky kid. To me, all of Jersey City was undesirable. And people
in their seventies were far too over-the-hill for my taste. But my
father set up a lesson, and I was obligated to attend. When I did,
“the evidence” seemed to corroborate my suspicions. Jack was old, frail
and like most of the elderly I’d encountered, suffered from numerous
physical ailments. A dozen or so medicine bottles adorned the telephone
table in his drab vestibule. His clothing seemed to hang on his small
frame. Even his voice was too small. And the Professor’s hands were so
gnarled from arthritis it felt a little scary to shake hands with him.
Jack picked up a prop, a hard rubber ball. He straightened himself,
extended his arms, and the ball began doing things a ball couldn’t do.
Things no magician I’d ever seen could make it do. The show had begun.
When Jack performed, his old gnarled hands became strong and nimble,
pulling off tricks that required the dexterity normally associated with
twenty-year-olds. As he adjusted his posture, Jack’s whole demeanor
became youthful. Suddenly, the man fit the suit. Actually, he became
ageless. Entertaining so focused him that there was no room for age or
ailment, only for performance art and the joy this brought to him.
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-Entertaining Children
As a clown and magician who has performed thousands of shows at birthday
parties, schools, libraries, summer camps, childcare centers, hospitals,
hospices, war zone orphanages, ghettos, and disaster areas among other
venues, I can attest to the fact that most children, be they sick or
well, benefit from being a member of the audience, even an audience of
one. Certainly, in the case of a hospitalized youngster, replacing pain,
apprehension, boredom or discouragement with a few moments of
lighthearted diversion helps a child feel like a child, rather than a
patient or a victim. And, of course, there is nothing ... nothing ...
more rewarding for an entertainer than noting the sparkle, sustained or
fleeting, that sneaks into a kid’s eyes when he or she is hooked by the
show.
I’m fortunate because the Starlight Foundation, Costco and other civic
minded organizations and individuals, including my wife, Linda, have
helped arrange hundreds Charles The Clown/Charles The Magician visits in
hospitals throughout the west. When I began, I was a reasonably
proficient children’s entertainer. But I had to develop a whole new set
of skills for the hospital setting. This guide contains some of my
thoughts and observations about hospital shows for children. It looks at
the subject from three points of view – that of the entertainer, the
audience and the hospital. How to give optimal performances, how to help
kids (and their families) get the most out of such visits, and how
hospitals can and find and best utilize entertainers.
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-The Many Stages
A hospital “appearance” for Charles the Clown and Charles the
Magician, can mean a half hour routine in the recreational therapy room,
a complex close-up comedy magic show in the teen lounge, two minute
performances in a waiting room, five minutes of clowning at bedside,
mini puppet shows in the elevator, storytelling in the cafeteria or a
large scale production with parents, children, and staff celebrating
Valentine's Day. Any of these visits are sure to be interrupted by kids
coming and going, announcements on the public address system, volunteers
busy steering IV stands and plugging in monitors, or helping to make the
physical setting as comfortable as possible for kids who are downright
uncomfortable. Ill children tire easily, get coughing spells, become
dizzy, and occasionally throw up during the performance --- sometimes on
the performer.
Huntington Memorial Hospital
Pasadena, California
Charles The Clown
18053 – 28th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98155
Dear Charles,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful show that you recently
performed for the children at Huntington Memorial Hospital. It was so
exciting to see the children light up with happiness as you entertained
with your jokes, tricks and rhymes. Even the young boy who vomited just
before your show was smiling and interacting with you during the show!
Isn’t that what you are all about … bringing smiles to sick children? I
seriously cannot adequately convey my thoughts for your special show …..
With warmth and sincerity,
Doug L., CCL
Child Life Specialist
Clowns, magicians, singers (usually toting guitars), animal handlers,
puppeteers, comics, storytellers, people in cowboy costumes, jugglers,
folks who like to read to children, harmonica players, teenagers who
visit at bedsides bringing a deck of cards or board games, caricature
artists, mimes, seniors who teach needlecraft, hobbyists willing (proud)
to show off their baseball card collections – these are some of the
“entertaining” individuals I’ve encountered during my hospital rounds.
I’m sure there are other “acts.” When I was a kid, getting my show
business start by performing in the resort hotels of upstate New York, I
appeared on the same bill with an eccentric comedian whose entire
routine consisted of balancing a broom (horizontally) on his completely
bald head while smoking and then eating (true story) lit cigars. I don’t
suppose his act would have been appropriate for a hospital setting,
though there is a good chance he ended up in the hospital. But, with the
exception of old broom-head, just about any variety entertainer can find
a productive way to amuse sick kids.
Here’s how …..
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-Advice to the entertainer
Don’t’ expect kids with broken legs to give you a standing ovation.
To: Clown
Fr: Hospital Administrator
If you are used to performing in a defined, organized manner, e.g.,
“this is the stage, this is the audience, here is the sound, there are
the lights, this is the script,” forget it. Try to think of yourself as
a well rehearsed improv act. Your routine, all that stuff you’ve
practiced and perfected, is the foundation. With each show or mini show,
you build yourself an act that meets the needs of your particular
audience.
Please note: You are on the schedule for tonight, only we can’t tell you
how many kids are going to be available. And I don’t know where you are
going to be performing. Might be in a central space called the playroom,
but maybe not. Possibly in the hall near the nurses' station or perhaps,
you aren't really going to do a "show", instead, you'll have an hour and
a half. During that time, please do a few dozen "mini" programs, five
minutes, two minutes, some for kids who do not speak or understand
English. Do you happen to speak Norwegian? It would help.
By the way, try to remember not to use any props containing the color
red when you visit the boy from Nebraska. Your costume is red? Get a
different one, please.
The child in room 305 has a video camera following his movements. Don't
get between the kid and the camera.
Mention puppy dogs to Sarah - room 211. No, actually, don't mention
them, her dog recently died.
And don't say "mother" or 'mom" or anything that will remind the twins,
in the next room that they have been crying for their mother.
Rachmon saw you last time you visited. He wants different magic tricks,
but the same puppet.
If you hold the show in the Playroom, that will mean many children will
be coming down from their rooms and actually forming an audience, do
your best to get some participation from the children who are not
ambulatory. You might have to bring your props to them. Be careful,
there are lots of wires and tubes.
And while you are walking to the back of the room so you can reach these
youngsters (thereby making it extra difficult for the rest of the kids
to see you), avoid getting anywhere near the toddlers because they are
afraid of clowns. By the way, Jonathan's mother is also afraid of
clowns. Stay away from her. But call her husband up to help with a
trick. He's looking forward to that.
Reminder. No balloons. The hospital does not allow any latex balloons.
Also: The volunteer who'll be taking you around is new. You'll have to
show her what to do, and where to go.
That’s the pertinent information…for now..
Sincerely yours…
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-Entertaining at the
Bedside
You’ll be entertaining kids with various physical and cognitive
impairments – chronically ill children, kids who have recently gone
through painful medical procedures, kids who are almost ready to leave
the hospital and head for home, children who have relatively minor
injuries and except for a broken leg might be feeling kind of frisky.
There are shy children, enthusiastic children, alert kids, those who
have a difficult time comprehending what you’re doing, and those who
will anticipate your every move. Many children, certainly the lucky
ones, have family members visiting or even staying with them. You’re
bound to run into bored siblings teaming with excess energy. You’ll meet
tired parents who may or may not be in the mood to deal with an
“entertainer.”
One of your many tasks is to be objective about the potential benefits
and the potential disturbance your presence can make in a room. I say
“in a room,” rather than “to a child,” because you have to think about
your impact on everybody who is going to be in the “audience,” doctors,
nurses, staff, family members. If there is more one bed in the room,
then double or triple the prospective size of the crowd. The youngster
in bed A may have been waiting for you all day, but the child in bed B
might be too sick to have a disruptive visitor in the room. It’s his
room, too!
Prioritize. Find out if any of the kids on the list have medical needs
that will take them away from their rooms during part of your touring
schedule. If so, consider visiting these kids first. During evening
visits, think about entertaining the youngest children before you get to
the older ones. Obviously, nurses, doctors and recreation specialists
will be involved in deciding which children you visit. But one moment a
child is “ready” for you and the next he or she might not be feeling
well enough for company. And remember, the patients may have siblings
and friends visiting so the room could be crowded with a mixed-age group
of children.
Ascertain the following information before entertaining a room -- “Is
there anything special I need to know about this child?” Some of the
answers might be:
- In pain.
- Agitated
- Clown fear or fear of costumed characters, e.g. Easter bunny (NOTE: Most little ones between 18 and 36 months are fearful of a person in a costume)
- Frightened of strangers in general
- Hearing impaired
- Low vision
- Developmentally delayed
- Differently abled
- Language barrier
- Unable to move
- Feeling especially sad or homesick
- Wants parent to be there
- Requires all people who enter the room to wear mask and gown
-Room protocol
Have the volunteer or staff person who is escorting you, enter the room and ask if you should come in. Assuming the answer is “yes”, enter and re-introduce yourself. Tell everybody why you are there. Meet everyone --- parents, kids, doctors, nurses ... and teddy bears.
Wash your hands at the sink, or if the hospital has a hand sanitizer dispenser at the door, make it a point to clean your hands before entering; don’t touch the kids; keep a little distance.
The length of individual visits depends on the way you balance individual patient interest and needs, number of rooms you’ll be visiting, and total amount of time you’ll be in the hospital. When making room visits, remember that these children were not able to come down to the playroom to see your program because they are too sick. Respect this. Just because siblings and parents are having fun watching you does not mean you need to stick around impressing them with your skills. The idea is to provide diversion for the patient. If a child begins to tire or lose interest, conclude quickly.
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-Special environments
* You can enter the room, but must stay back, behind a protective clear
plastic wall.
* The patient is hooked to lots of tubes and monitors -- keep this child
still. No asking him to lift up his hand, no reaching out to select a
card ... even down play too much laughing.
* Occasionally, you’ll find yourself in a room where the child is
literally on television. He or she is being monitored, perhaps taped,
for evaluation. Do not get yourself between the child and the camera
(mounted on the wall or on a tripod). The doctors don’t want your
picture!
Please consider your presence through the eyes of the children
Quick lesson in kid-thought:
- QUIET! I AM SLEEPING
- WHO ARE YOU?
- YOU’RE A STRANGER
- I DON’T KNOW IF I SHOULD TALK TO A STRANGER
- I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A PRESENT
- I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ME HAPPY
- I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ME BETTER
- THE ONLY VARIETY ENTERTAINERS I HAVE EVER SEEN HAVE BEEN ON TELEVISION,
- SO YOU HAD BETTER BE LIKE THEM OR I’M NOT GOING TO LIKE YOU
- YOU WANT ME TO SING, TO TAKE A CARD, TO HOLD A PROP … BUT I DON’T FEEL
- GOOD. DO I HAVE TO HELP? WILL YOU BE ANGRY WITH ME IF I DON’T?
- I DON’T WANT TO WATCH, BUT MY MOTHER IS MAKING ME.
- I DON’T UNDERSTAND
- I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
- I DON’T LIKE IT WHEN YOU GET THAT CLOSE
- DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN?
- CAN I LISTEN TO YOU WITH MY EYES CLOSED?
- DO YOU KNOW MY FAVORITE STORIES OR SONGS?
- ARE YOU GOING TO TRICK ME?
- YOU MAKE ME LAUGH. THAT HURTS ME. JUST MAKE ME SMILE.
- CAN I TELL YOU MY STORIES?
- DO THAT AGAIN.
- WOW!
-Parent involvement
Parents would like their kids to be well, to be home, not in a hospital.
They don’t want their children to be sad and hurting. “Make my child
laugh. Make him feel happy!” So, Mr. /Ms. Entertainer, you’re the
professional. The hospital has allowed you to visit. You must know what
you’re doing.
The fact of the matter is, parents don’t necessarily know any more about
“hosting” the entertainer who has just walked into the room, than their
child does. If their child doesn’t feel up to a visit, is it rude to
send the singer away? If the kid is afraid of a clown, but the parent
keeps telling the clown it’s okay, and telling the kid “it’s okay, don’t
be afraid, you’re okay”. Is it okay? Nope. The decision to stay or go is
entirely yours. Use tact, and use your head. You didn’t come to the
hospital to walk around upsetting kids.
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-Chain of command
A hospital entertainer answers to several “bosses”. The organization
that sent him, such as The Starlight Foundation, the hospital
administrator, the recreation therapist, the doctors, nurses and related
staff, the parents and the kids. Being supervised by so many folks can
create a certain amount of confusion. The list of rooms given to you by
the recreation therapist says Room 401, but the sign on the door says Do
Not Enter. The nurse says you can go in, but the parent seated at
bedside motions for you to stay away. She’s trying to get her daughter
to eat, only things aren’t going well. Under the circumstances, you’ve
decided to skip this room -- except that just as you’re getting ready to
head down the corridor, the child in the next bed cries out – “I want to
see the clown!” Who is in charge? What do you do?
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-Basic guidelines:
- If a child doesn’t want to see you, stay away.
- If a parent doesn’t want you to enter the room, go away.
- If you are not sure if it is appropriate to enter a room, ask the nurse.
- Don’t ask the volunteer to answer these questions. These are questions
that need to be addressed by staff or parents. Certainly, if one child
wants you to visit, and the youngster in the next bed doesn’t want you
to enter the room, negotiations are in order. These take place between
the parents, sometimes with staff assistance.
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-Depth of material
Have a lot of material. Chances are you’ll end up using all of it, plus two or three things you’d forgotten you knew until you found a sudden need to retrieve them from the rear storage compartment in your head. The fluctuating and diverse group of kids who will populate your audiences, combined with the special qualities of your show means, for example, that a singer’s repertoire has to include songs for kids of varying backgrounds and ages. Happy songs, birthday songs, familiar songs from different cultures, story songs, songs about feeling sick, feeling scared, feeling angry, feeling better. The point is to try and gear your presentation to the here and now experience of the young patient or to some familiar event, place or person. Your presence should help the boy or girl feel comfortable as well as give comfort. By the way, excellent and developmentally appropriate songs for children can be found in recordings by Peter Alsop, Marcia Berman, Patty Zeitlin, Animal Crackers, Dan Crow or the Mister Rogers series – all available by a good internet search.
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-Story Telling / Magic
Likewise, storytellers might be called upon to tell stories about a
child’s favorite kind of animal, about being away from home, about being
brave. Be prepared with short, medium and long versions of your
material, mirroring short, medium and long attention spans.
Tell a story, and each time the main character is to be named, cue the
sick child and get him to say the character’s name. When working with
older kids, ask where they go to school, the names of their best
friends, if they have any pets -- and incorporate these “facts” into
your stories. “Hey, my best friend is named Ramona! ... Let me tell you
about this big adventure she had last summer…”
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-Magic tricks
Magicians may meet kids who want to show off their own card tricks, or
need the entertainer to work up real close -- too close to hide the
secret string. Maybe, the rope or coin trick has stimulated a
conversation, and as a youngster’s two (or three or four) parents are
present, you decide to make this a “family” trick. Prepare a range of
participation material.
It is best to ask a child if he would like to help -- help hold
something, help say the magic word, help wave the wand. The question
always offers a clear and friendly choice so that if someone is not
interested, he or she doesn’t end up feeling embarrassed. “You can
watch, or would you like to help by saying the magic word?” If the child
wants to help, but has physical or cognitive limitations, the assistance
might come in the form of getting him to push the invisible button on
the top of the box, touching his own nose, or sticking out his tongue
(sticking out a tongue is a real favorite among seven-year-old boys).
Some kids help by smiling, real big, at the appropriate moment, others
by making a funny face. Lots of kids, healthy or unwell, will want to
examine the trick box or other magical prop.
Songs, stories, tricks, jokes -- whatever your specialty --should not
only be developmentally appropriate, but should be planned so as to
enable your young patient to: DO SOMETHING.
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-Clowning Around
Hospital clowns are prepared to be funny or quietly engaging -- both
attitudes tempered with warmth and sincerity. Often, a child appreciates
a little of each of these approaches. He or she may start out laughing,
and then grow tired after only a few minutes. In this case you do not
want your show to “build”, to get bigger and bigger reactions. You want
to calm it down until a quiet, sincere, friendly finish is achieved.
No balloons, please -- at least that is the rule in most hospitals. Yes,
kids will ask about balloon animals, and yes, some parents will
encourage this. Play by the rules.
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-Puppets
Children typically need a few moments to warm to strangers. The stranger
the stranger, the longer it might take to establish rapport. However, it
rarely takes children more than a moment to warm to a friendly puppet. A
puppet can do most of the visiting for you, talking to the child,
responding to what the youngster says. A puppet can do some of the magic
tricks or tell a few stories. It can ask the right question or make the
right responses to your act, modeling appropriate responses to your
jokes.
If you plan to present a story where several puppets interact with each
other, be ready to deviate from the script as you monitor the reaction
of your audience.
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-No English
How many languages do you speak? French, Vietnamese, sign? The correct
answer is - not enough, at least not to communicate with the variety of
patients frequenting big city hospitals.
There are several ways to handle the language/communication barriers
you'll be encountering. More than likely, you'll end up blustering your
way through such interactions - lots of pointing, miming, the
substitution of simple single English words for the complex sentences
you'd normally be using ... What a chance to be your most creative self.
Suggestions:
Try to find out in advance if your route will include any communication
challenging situations. The recreation therapist may very well know
about potential language difficulties. And, he or she might be able to
provide assistance. After all, the nurses and doctors have to speak with
their patients. How do they accomplish this? Are they dependent on a
child's parents or relatives? Can a staff person serve as an
interpreter? If you have enough notice, you might be able to bring along
your own interpreter or at least brush up on the high school Spanish
that you haven't used in a dozen years.
Even if you cannot "learn" a new language in two days, you might be able
to memorize just enough words or phrases to get you through the
appearance. Even a handful of familiar words thrown into your routine
can help a youngster feel more comfortable.
Consider holding up photographs SHOWING what you are trying to state
with language. Do your best to make your intentions so obvious that
language does not become an obstacle. Or, if patter is an important part
of the trick or bit you are performing, have an alternative bit or an
alternative presentation ready.
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-Shy Youngsters
Shy children don’t so much “watch” a show as “overhear it”. Perform for
the other kids, for parents, or even for your puppet, from time to time
checking to see if Mr. Shy Guy is sneaking a peek or two at your
shenanigans. Work as if the child is simply part of a bigger audience,
composed of parents, siblings, volunteers, nurses, doctors, and other
patients in neighboring beds. Don’t “aim” the show directly at the
child, just include him. Try to determine if he or she is becoming more
engaged. As that occurs, focus in his or her direction.
It is rather complicated to “rehearse” the part where the child leans
over the edge of the bed to get closer to the storyteller and suddenly
throws up all over the visitor’s Scandinavian Folk outfit. At the very
least, be prepared for the inevitable. The “inevitable” can mean an
upset stomach, sudden fear of strangers, or even the unexpected onset of
so much enthusiasm that a child starts to cry every time you try to
leave the room.
Though you cannot “rehearse” these possible scenarios, it is important
to think about them, to imagine as many “awkward moments” as you can.
Also, ask the recreation therapist or other hospital staff to describe
potential problem situations. These may be stories about circumstances
unique to the particular hospital -- having to do with the physical
plant, way things are laid out, structured or scheduled. The clown who
is writing this guide once spent an incredible 20 minutes “stuck” in the
back stairwell at UCLA Medical Center because an aide had suggested a
“short cut”. The fact that none of the doors could be opened from inside
this route was not mentioned, and the clown in question finally resorted
to pounding on the doors with his giant shoes, thus gaining the
attention of a nurse who freed him, but not without lecturing about too
much clowning around.
Have a contingency plan. Have several of them. Perhaps you’ll never need
to use them, but if a need arises, you’ll be able to alter your response
or problem solve on the spot.
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-General Preparation
Call ahead so you can determine who the audience is going to be, then
give some final thought to the kinds of material you’ll perform.
Are there volunteers? Will the recreation therapists be on site? To whom
do you report? What does the hospital expect of you on this particular
visit? What special information might you need to know -- has a popular
child been discharged, has someone taken an unexpected and serious turn
for the worse (and do the kids know about this; they often do). Have the
patients just been visited by a movie star, football team, radio
personality? Has another clown made a recent appearance (and if so, how
did it turn out. If he frightened half the audience and bored the other
half, you might want to know).
If your appearance is going to coincide with a holiday -- Valentines
Day, Easter, Christmas Ramadan, Hanukah, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa ... does
the hospital have any advice. Do they want the holiday mentioned at all?
- Who is having a birthday?
- Who is from out of town, out of state, out of the country?
- Are there going to be unusual language problems?
- And, what exactly is the hospital population today? All three year-olds? All teens? All over the place?
You are the entertainer, and one of your responsibilities is to help the staff get the most out of your visit. Offer your thoughts and ideas. If it turns out that on the day you are secluded to perform, the only hospitalized children are 3 year olds and 12 year olds, let the staff know you think it best to do two shows, one for each age group, and that the three year olds need to see the early show. Tell the recreation therapist if you have a great activity the kids can do after seeing your performance. Let the therapist know if you have photocopied lyrics, or a handout describing games related to your visit.
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-Time Frames
Factors that can influence a child’s attention span are age, level of
maturity, state of physical and/or emotional health, physical setting,
and what is being watched. Television screens mesmerize kids of all ages
for hours on end. Homework doesn’t have this effect. When it comes to
“live entertainment, be it in a hospital or on the Broadway stage, the
vaudeville rule still holds -- leave ‘em begging for more!
Most entertainers have “insurance” material, sure fire routines, to fall
back on if the planned program does not work out. An actual show for
young children rarely runs longer than half an hour. Be ready to “all
back to your best twenty minutes, your best fifteen, or just your
insurance.
Size up an audience before beginning the concert. Work the room, meeting
kids and parents, explaining that in a little while, you’ll be
performing a show. Talk about what you are going to do, where the
audience is going to sit, why the kids are going to have a good time. So
as not to stimulate worry, let children know you’ll only call on them if
they raise their hands and offer to assist. Help people to feel safe,
and to feel excited about what they are about to see. This is more than
warming up the audience. Warming up an audience means getting the
laughter and spirit going so people are ready to receive your show. Go
one step farther; reassure your audience that they are going to be okay,
and that they’re going to have a good time.
Children who are feeling very poorly or younger children may have
difficulty sitting through a full program. Lots of other kids could
benefit from the complete show, so if you suspect the need for an
intermission, hold one. Inform volunteers and staff you might be
performing Part A and Part B. That way, they are ready to help a portion
of the audience back to the rooms or on to other activities. Keep the
“break” short. You don’t want to lose the attention of the kids who are
waiting for the second half of your program.
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-The Concert Show
Visitors such as friends, siblings, parents, and relatives, who have
come by to say hello to patients, make excellent members of the
audience. These folks are generally enthusiastic, and almost
automatically go out of their way to spread their enthusiasm to the
hospitalized children. Ask a doctor about the most contagious thing
he/she can think of and the answer will likely be chicken pox or
influenza. Ask an entertainer what’s contagious and the answer will be
laughter.
The composition of a recreation room audience is generally quite
diverse. Your mixed-age audience will be composed of youngsters from
different socioeconomic, ethnic and religious backgrounds recovering
from a range of ailments. Some kids won’t understand English. Others are
hearing or vision impaired. Some youngsters can walk to the performance,
often assisted or encouraged by volunteers or parents, while other
children are wheeled to the show. A few kids are coerced into attending
(hopefully because the “nurse or volunteer” knows that once the program
begins, the child will enjoy and benefit from watching). High tech
monitoring devices, plugged into power sources, might accompany some of
your audience members.
Shows should not run longer than a half an hour; often this is too long.
Use bright, colorful props. If you suspect the need, bring along a
speaker system, but don’t use one if you don’t have to. Better to
communicate directly rather than via yet another electronic contraption.
Carry a few “indestructible” props the kids can examine. Make sure your
props are clean and that your costume looks spotless. Your personal
hygiene is especially important in this setting. And be certain to allow
enough time, after the performance, to spend a few minutes talking with
the kids and parents who have been watching you.
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-Getting Around
The physical layout of a hospital -- corridors, tunnels, banks of
elevators, north, south, east, west wings, closed doors that tell you to
stay out, signs that say authorized personnel only, detours, stairwells,
shortcuts, and so much new construction that you have to update and
revise everything you remember about traversing the place last time you
were in town -- These are all good reasons to depend on a seasoned
volunteer to get you around.
If you are performing a show and then touring the rooms, make
arrangements to store show related paraphernalia with the Recreation
Therapist once you have completed the “formal” program. Take a single,
reasonably sized, prop bag with you on your rounds. Request that the
volunteer return you to Recreation Therapy at the conclusion of your
tour. And make sure the office will still be open when you come back to
retrieve your equipment.
Is there a map or diagram of the hospital? Get a copy. If none exists,
make your own, especially if you are going to visit on a regular basis.
Learn as much as you can about the layout. Some elevators can get you
there faster than other elevators. Find out.
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-Parking and Signing In
The first space is the parking space, and it may be miles away. In Los
Angeles, at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, which services mostly modest
income families in the southwest section of the city, the parking lots
are endless. They cover acres, and if you end up parking at the
outskirts, you had better be able to easily wheel your equipment into
the building, and be protected from the rain, if you are experiencing
inclement weather. And don’t forget that there is going to be a long
line of people waiting to enter the facility. Each visitor has to pass
through a metal detector run by the security force. The first time I
encountered this, I had a sharp scissors in my showcase. It gets used
during the cut and restored rope trick.
“Yes, officer, the big shoes, the wig, the scissors, why it’s obvious,
isn’t it, I’m part of a gang … of clowns, come to the hospital to bore
sick children with dull old comedy routines. I threaten to come back and
do the show again if they don’t get better and go home.”
At Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, in Seattle, visitors are asked
to park in either a lot or structure at the top of a hill. The hospital
is comprised of several connected buildings at different levels along
the slope. You enter on either the 5th or 6th floor. The recreational
play area where the show takes place is on the second floor at the
opposite end of several extremely long corridors. You take the “Balloon”
elevator to the 3rd floor, hike another corridor, then get on the
“Whale” elevator for your final decent … but not your final corridor. It
can take 15 minutes from the time you arrive until you reach your second
floor destination. And, of course, once you’ve concluded your
appearance, you have to retrace your steps.
Many hospitals insist that everyone enter through the main lobby. This
is true of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, where
the receptionist checks you in, gives you a visitor’s tag and directs
you the appropriate location. Each hospital is unique, some
exceptionally formal and regulated, others more relaxed.
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-Photographs
Being in the hospital is a very private and personal experience, not
one that people want strangers, even clowns or magicians, to document.
Entertainers who would love to get a photograph of themselves sitting
among all the kids who have watched the show, are advised to leave their
cameras at home. It is inappropriate for you to take pictures of the
children. On the other hand, the hospital may ask the entertainer to
pose for pictures with the kids so patients can receive a photo of the
experience.
Often parents ask an entertainer if it is okay to take his or her
picture. Unless the hospital has a policy that prohibits this, sitting
for the picture can be an enjoyable experience for the child and the
performer. Unfortunately, it can also turn out to be a very
uncomfortable experience for some youngsters. This can occur when
well-meaning parents attempt to force or cajole kids into posing with
the entertainer. If you get the feeling that taking the picture is going
to be more trouble and pain than it is worth, look at your watch and
say, “oh ... I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ll try to get back here
when I have time, but right now, I have to stay on schedule or I won’t
be able to visit the rest of the kids.”
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-Assisting Physicians
You are never going to be asked to assist a doctor by handing her the
scalpel, but you may end up serving as a pleasant distraction while she
changes a dressing. If you happen to arrive in the room just as the
doctor is trying to administer a shot, or perform an uncomfortable
procedure, you might be asked to “do something” to refocus the child’s
attention.
Just your presence may be enough to divert the patient’s focus. Stay
back. Don’t try to become part of the procedure. But even standing in
the doorway, you can give out a comic comment. Drop a prop, then talk to
yourself in a silly way about the problems you are having retrieving it.
Start to sing, but substitute funny lyrics for the correct ones, then
stop yourself and comment about the strangeness of the words. Or, start
itching. “Oh my, I think I’m getting very ticklish, my back is, no ...
my stomach is ... no, actually, my right ear ... which is my right?? Oh,
this right ear! Not that right ear, because that right ear is really my
left one!” Being at your comic best isn’t all that important. The idea
is to cause the child to look your way just long enough for the doctor
to finish the exam.
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-Debriefing
No reflecting, not ‘til you get home.
Do your job. Don’t pause, don’t hesitate, don’t take a breath, because
if you do, you’re going to look around and find you’re looking at some
mighty sick children. The job is to bring positive energy into this
place, not to let the place fill you with despair. This experience is
not about you!
Fortunately, the kids often help keep you going. Some of the sickest
youngsters I’ve seen have smiled some of the biggest smiles. Later,
after you’ve gone home, a few faces might find their way into your
dreams. Hopefully, the strongest recollections will be the smiles.
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-Other Locations
Where else might you perform your highly specialized
"nurture-the-young" "bed-side" routine? Orphanages, hospices,
out-patient centers, camps, schools and recreational programs for the
specially-abled, and in private homes where a child is confined or
recovering from an illness.
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-Advice To The Hospital
(This section is for hospital staff and administrators, but if I
were a serious entertainer, hoping to do shows for sick children, I’d
read it thoroughly so I had some understanding about the needs and
expectations of administrators, doctors and nurses when they are dealing
with entertainers.)
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-How to Select Entertainers
A person is not a children’s entertainer simply because he or she
“loves” kids and happens to own a clown costume or an acoustic guitar.
And a hospital is not a training ground where beginners can practice
their acts then move along to the main stage at Disneyland. Performing
for children is an acquired skill. Unfortunately, there is more
enthusiasm than integrity in the variety entertainment industry. Some
entertainers have a moronic assumption that goes something like this:
I’m not quite good enough to entertain adults, so I’ll call myself a
kid’s entertainer. And there might be a part two: I’m not quite good
enough to entertain healthy kids, so I think I’ll entertain sick ones!
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-Finding Great Acts
There are several ways to track down great acts for hospital shows; over
time, you’ll most likely end up using all of them. You’ll be looking for
entertainers who possess many qualities -- manner, talent, professional
appearance, reasonable price, availability, reliability, and
appropriateness. If you can get one who happens to have a degree in
early childhood education, so much the better. If not, at least try to
find somebody who is familiar with some basic child development
concepts. Look for people who relate well with kids. This is not the
same as “perform well in front of children.” Hospital appearances have
much more interaction between “audiences” and entertainers than do shows
given in traditional theater settings. Hospital programs are essentially
performer-patient dialogues.
Children’s Entertainer Wanted
Experienced, knowledgeable variety performers capable of providing
bedside and small group shows for sick children in the hospital setting.
Advertise
If you happen to live in a city that supports entertainment trade
publications such as Variety, Back Stage, or the Hollywood Reporter, run
a classified ad. Trade publications for magicians, clowns and puppeteers
-- small, national magazines such as Genii Magazine (4200 Wisconsin Ave.
NW,Suite 106-384, Washington, DC 20016), and Magic Magazine (6220
Stevenson Way, Las Vegas, NV 89120) -- accept classified ads, or may
even run a short item indicating your need for entertainers.
Theatrical agents can help you locate acts. Be certain the arrangement
is clear so the agent doesn’t end up trying to get a fee for each show
the act does at your hospital. The Yellow Pages lists entertainers under
the following categories: Entertainers, Clowns, and Magicians.
Many entertainers belong to associations or unions that will be eager to
help you put their members to work. Search the by city and type of
talent. Example: “Seattle Magicians”. One excellent resource is
Peppers
& Pollywogs.
Some of the organizations:
- The International Brotherhood of Magicians [address of national to be provided]
- Society of American Magicians [address to be provided].
- Shriner Clowns, Clown Alleys, Clowns of America [more].
- The Children’s Music Network [address to be provided]
- Storytellers: [more]
- Storytellers Guild?
Once the word is out that you are looking for acts, you’ll probably start to receive unsolicited promotional material from local variety entertainers. Even if you are satisfied with your current performer roster, maintain the file for future reference.
Interview and audition potential acts.
Many state or local governments require entertainers (and others) who plan to work with kids register and/or be given background checks. Recommendations are great, but a background check is still a good idea, even if your state does not require one.
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-Questions to Ask
- How much experience does the act have working in front of and with children?
- Has the act had previous hospital performance experience?
- Do members have any special skills such as the ability to sign, or to speak a foreign language?
- Do the entertainers have any “messages” that they intend to pass along to the kids -- religious, philosophical, political, spiritual?
- Why do the entertainers want to appear in a hospital?
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-Auditions
Try to see a “live performance” rather than having the entertainer
describe or run through the show in your office or in an empty
auditorium. Many acts have CD’s or DVD’s so you can see a sample of
their performance at its finest. If an act auditions at your hospital,
limit the trial to a short routine and a sample bedside visit.
Among the things you’ll want to consider -- the costumes, the number of
people in an act (1 to 3 is fine; more than that and it starts to get
crowded), the condition and kinds of props used, and especially the type
of material you are witnessing. Are you watching a show that can
withstand lots of interruptions? Can it be presented in a flexible
manner that will work well in hospital situations?
Potentially Great Hospital Entertainers
There are lots of wonderful children’s entertainers who have never
set foot into a hospital. Try to provide short, structured opportunities
for such individuals to perform for selected hospital audiences. You
will be developing quality hospital entertainers, and benefiting all
involved, your facility, the entertainers, the kids and the community.
Perhaps a holiday party can feature entertainment by a seasoned pro and
a potential pro. Or, a “new” act can shadow the pro on his or her
regular rounds.
Unfortunately the variety entertainment field is a land mine of egos and
paranoia. Acts that have worked hard to learn their trade are generally
reluctant to pass along “secrets” to potential rivals. Therefore, it may
not be possible to develop apprenticeships with established acts. But
it’s worth a try. Some entertainers are willing to share their
knowledge. If you plan to ask your current roster of entertainers to
train an up and coming act, be sensitive and realistic about the
response. By all means, ask the act if it is ok to have another
performer tag along.
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-How to Schedule
Appearances are often scheduled weeks or even months in advance. And
though this is generally necessary, it is almost impossible for a
hospital to know that far ahead what the census will be on a particular
show day. That is why children’s entertainers need flexible acts – an
audience might be comprised of three patients or forty-three. Often, a
visit is successful in part because the act arrived at the “right” time
on the “right” day, and performed for the “right” audience.
The floor nurses need to assess the needs of the population and
determine who would most benefit from attending a show in the playroom,
who should be entertained at bedside, who gets a “wave” and brief hello
from the clown as he walks down the hall, and who gets a room visit
where children in a multi-bed setting watch a uniquely crafted show …
presented just for the kids and parents in C248. The nurse’s assessment
should be given to the entertainer as soon as the act arrives, so time
frame, energy and strategy can be shaped.
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-Volunteers
Some hospitals are lucky enough to have a hardy supply of well trained
volunteers to work and play with the kids, hold babies and read stories.
Often, these individuals are responsible for gathering the kids who are
assembling to watch the recreation room show. Volunteers assigned to
specific children are encouraged to sit with their charges during the
performance. Other staff members need to be strategically placed
throughout the crowd, where they model and lead reaction to the show. If
the children are supposed to sing, the volunteers sing. If the children
are supposed to laugh, the volunteers laugh. By example, volunteers and
recreation specialists help their young friends turn into an audience.
Remember, few children have experienced a “live” show. We live in a
virtual world where most “entertainment” is viewed on the screen.
Younger kids may, at first, be intimidated by a “live” performance.
Should they “react,” or is this like when the teacher is talking to a
class filled with kids and the “audience” is supposed to pay attention
but remain quiet?
Volunteers also help parents and siblings of hospitalized kids with
seating arrangements and crowd control: big kids behind little kids and
children who have to leave before the show ends toward the back of the
room, so they can exit with as minimal disruption to the rest of the
group.
Some recreation room visitors are not at all interested in watching the
show. They require help playing quietly in another area. A few kids
start out thinking they want to watch, but end up feeling too
uncomfortable as the program progresses. Volunteers will help guide them
to a more desirable setting.
Volunteers Who Tour With The Act
Entertainers do not walk into hospital rooms unannounced. On occasions
when an act is handed a list of rooms and told to “do his (unguided)
best”, or when a busy nurse, rightly concerned with more pressing
medical matters, points in a general direction, indicating that the
performer should seek an audience somewhere off in that wing -- things
are likely to go wrong.
Even if a child knows a clown is supposed to visit, it is still
startling when a person whose face is covered with white make-up, who is
wearing size 79 shoes and a bright orange wig enters the room without a
warning. Each child’s preconception or expectation of a “clown” is going
to be unique, and the character that enters may not be what is expected.
Entertainers need introductions, and this task falls to the volunteer
who is escorting the act from room to room. Volunteers can prepare the
audience, even an audience of one, for what’s coming. The brief moment
when a volunteer precedes an act into a hospital room is an opportunity
for the escort to assess the pluses and minuses of a room visit. A child
who agreed to have this visit when asked about it in the morning, may
have changed his or her mind by the afternoon. A youngster who was
enthusiastic about having Susie the Clown stop may not know that he is
afraid of clowns until zero hour, when the clown stops by to say hello.
Most hospital entertainers are able to overcome these obstacles. If
given a reasonable chance to perform, they often win over a tentative
child. But why put a child, or an entertainer, into such a situation.
Have a volunteer precede the act into the room and offer the patient the
choice:
“We have Charles The Clown visiting today. He’s out in the hall, with
his dog puppet and some silly magic tricks. Would you like him to come
in?”
Assuming you are asked to visit, it can be helpful to have the volunteer
stand by, ready to provide appropriate “audience” reactions. This
encourages bedridden kids to respond in a similar fashion, it also helps
with the timing and pace of a show, and makes the entire experience feel
more special.
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-Medical Considerations - Entertainment Limitations
“OK kids, raise your hand if you want to help ...” Getting patients to
participate is one of a hospital entertainer’s goals, but the level of
participation has to reflect both the medical and developmental limits
of the audience. If certain children should not be raising their hands,
or if no one is going to be available to “be a volunteer from the
audience,” if while visiting the rooms, the act needs to wear a surgical
mask or gloves, make this known. An entertainer can perform an entire
routine while standing behind a clear plastic shield, or in the doorway.
But it sure is helpful be told about limitations and restrictions,
rather than guessing the parameters of a situation.
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-How the Staff Can Prepare the Kids
The fun begins before the act arrives.
Show children photographs of the performers. Kids might wish to talk or
draw about the forthcoming appearance. Some may want to make
“decorations”, either for the stage area, or their rooms (a “greeting”
for when the entertainer stops by during a bedside visit).
Many acts have performance CD’s or DVD’s of their shows. If you can,
obtain copies. Select and play segments the children will find enjoyable
--- a “sneak prevue” of the entertainer who will be visiting later.
The objective is to raise reasonable and positive expectations.
Enthusiasm, shared between the staff and patients is a bond. Watching a
show “together” is not only fun, it is a unifying experience.
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-Pre/Post Activities
In addition to decorations, what about some hand-made tickets? Or, more
to the point, kid-made tickets. Each child can make a ticket for another
child, or for himself. If a youngster is feeling up to it, he or she
might become the ticket taker.
Older kids can be pressed into service designing flyers for duplication
and distribution within the hospital community. If an audio cassette
recorder is available, the teens can create and record a “commercial”
which a volunteer will play at the bedside of each interested child.
Arrange for a for a post-show “interview” time during which children can
ask questions. These can be formulated in advance --have kids write down
questions (for boys and girls unable or too uncomfortable to write,
perhaps questions can be dictated to volunteers). After the performance
any children who would like to interview the entertainer will have a
ready made “script.” New questions may be stimulated as the children
watch the performance.
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-After the entertainer leaves the building
There is still plenty of mileage to be gotten from the recently
concluded event. Thank you notes are appropriate. Often children like to
draw pictures of the show they’ve just seen. They may wish to keep their
art projects, or to send them to the entertainer. Collect the materials
for mailing to a very appreciative magician or storyteller. Make sure
that children sign the notes and pictures using only their first names.
One (of the many) reasons acts must stick to developmentally appropriate
routines, is that children often imitate what they’ve seen and enjoyed.
Therefore, magicians cannot perform “escape” tricks or hocus pocus
involving knives or other potentially dangerous props, certainly, no
tricks that use fire. In the days following the performance, if there
are dramatic play props available, some patients will enjoy engaging in
pretend play as a clown, magician, singer, storyteller, et al.
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