Lunch and Learn Series
Mayer Auditorium, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 12:00-1:00 p.m.
USC School of Dramatic Arts faculty members and practicing medical clowns Zach Steel and Caitlyn Conlin demonstrated the positive effects clowns can have on patients and their families in the hospital. The practice of Medical Clowning goes beyond being merely an entertainment service. The clowns unique adaptability and environmental sensitivity allows them to receive what they are being given from room to room and use it as inspiration for joyful interaction. Rather than imposing a preconceived idea of fun onto an audience, the clown is constantly relearning what fun is from their audience, empowering the patient to become the author of their own creative and healing experience. This is the source of the clown’s unique ability to transform the hospital environment from a colorless one ridden with pain, anxiety, and boredom into one where there is possibility of joy, hope and companionship.