Clown therapy for sick kids
Published 08 November, 2007, 09:42
Theatre and hospital clown Vladimir Olshansky and his Italian company, the Soccorso Clown Theatre, are visiting Russia. The company has performed at the Moscow Children's Theatre Festival and also in a children's hospital.
Vladimir Olshansky always dreamt of being an actor but instead became a clown. The examiners of the theatre school he was trying to enter had a good laugh at his performance and advised him to be a clown. So he decided to give it a go!
Since then Olshansky has made lots of children and adults laugh. He never for a moment regrets becoming a clown instead of an actor.
“A clown is not a character. He doesn't play any role, he doesn't represent anyone, he is just being himself. You have to be born a clown,” explains Vladimir Olshansky.
Today he lives in Italy, where he and his brother Yury put together the Succorso Clown Theatre.
“I consider Vladimir my master. I respect him as an actor and director because he taught me how to perform on the stage,” says Lucciano Pastori, a clown at the Succorso Theatre.
On stage
The show Olshansky and his troupe have brought to the Moscow Children Theatre's Festival is called “Strange Games”. It unites traditional clown tricks and dramatic effects. From time to time fun and jokes are replaced with bitter sadness.
During the show Olshansky and his troupe of clowns try to involve the audience as much as possible and to make them feel part of the performance. But Olshansky and his clowns also think of children that aren't able to come to the show because they're in hospital. Working in children's hospitals is actually the main activity of this theatre.
Olshansky takes his work as a clown very seriously. He always talks to the hospital staff to learn more about the patients. He tells the doctors about the healing power of laughter. Clown doctors visit each ward, so every child gets their own dose of fun.
Summing up his vast professional experience, Vladimir Olshansky recognises that being a hospital clown is complicated and important work. For this work you have to be a bit of everything – actor, clown and doctor!
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