These Rebels Aren't Just Clowning Around

When the noses are on, the talking stops.

With that guiding principle, students in the Flintridge Preparatory School Clown Troupe, Nose Goes, created characters whose face paint ran the gamut: happy, angry, forlorn. No two were alike, said Flintridge Prep communications director Nicole Trevor. The second annual event, Clown Broadcasting Service Presents Now You Nose, was held Saturday. 

This year's challenge: Put the clowns into situations where they have to explain how to do something basic, Trevor said. But as soon as they put on their noses, they’re not allowed to talk, so they communicate by pantomiming and using props.

Under the direction of Lisa Bierman, a Prep alumna and member of the school's performing arts faculty, students acted out scenes similar to that of a 1950s public service announcement. They pantomimed and used props to demonstrate several popular topics, including "How to Beautify,'' "How to Make a Milkshake,'' "How to Know if the Popcorn Is Ready,'' and "How to Get a Girlfriend.''