Ringling Bros. to Warner Bros.

Steve R. Smith

Steve R. Smith, former Dean of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College and friend, colleague and cohort of legendary Warner Bros. animator Chuck Jones, brings you film clips, plus his insight, (and hindsight) of nearly 40 years in the business of being funny.

Physical comedy is about much more than slipping on banana peels. From classic stage and circus clowns like Grock, Otto Griebling and Bill Irwin to film favorites like Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, we’ll explore what all of these characters have in common and why all great comedians take their silliness very seriously.

About Steve R. Smith

Steve R. Smith, better known to his circus fans as his clown character, "TJ Tatters", began his career in clowning as a graduate of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, Class of 1971.

He performed with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus for six seasons before leaving the show and moving to Chicago, Illinois, where he attended the Goodman School of Drama and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the institution, now commonly referred as The Theater School at DePaul University.

At that time, he also hosted a children's television series called "Kidding Around" for the local NBC affiliate. The program won several Emmy Awards and was a popular favorite for seven seasons.

Steve's connection with Ringling resumed when he became Director of Clown College in 1985, a post he held for ten years. During his tenure, he criss-crossed the country, meeting countless Clown College applicants in auditions at arenas, and infecting both colleagues and students with his energy and enthusiasm.

After that, Steve became staged performances and productions of all sorts in all settings, from the Off-Broadway hit, "The It Girl", to programs for Walt Disney World to shipboard entertainment for Royal Caribbean Cruise lines.

Smith then worked with famed animator/cartoonist Chuck Jones as Talent Development Coordinator for his production company, until Jones' death in 2002.

In 2005, Steve began lending his vast expertise to the Big Apple Circus as their Guest Director, a collaboration that has carried on to a third season with the company, extending through 2009.

Steve R. Smith was inducted into the Clown Hall Of Fame in 1993; and is the recipient of several other honors, including the Medal OF Merit for Notable Achievement in Performing Arts from Ohio University, the Excellence in the Arts award from De Paul University and the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art Circus Celebrity - Power Behind the Scenes award.