David Engel

Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumnus David Engel (BA ’88) was recently featured in Mediander Blog discussing his work as a clown in the Big Apple Circus. The article — “I, Clown: An Interview From the Front Lines of Happiness” — focused on Big Apple Circus’ Clown Care outreach program, which brings the joy of classical circus to hospitalized children at leading pediatric facilities across the U.S., making nearly 225,000 visits to young patients every year. You can read the interview here.

David Engel

Engel, whose theatrical credits include roles at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre and Redmoon Theatre as well as productions at regional theatres around the U.S., told Mediander his work with Big Apple Circus is “hands-down the best job I’ve ever had. Over 13 years of performances, there were so many incredible moments—we’d call them ‘turnarounds’—when we’d have breakthroughs ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous: singing to comatose patients and seeing their vital signs respond; spending the last hours with a terminal patient, blowing thousands of bubbles that transformed the bed into an otherworldly landscape; helping soothe frantic families in a trauma room; conversing with a patient, then finding out later that he hadn’t spoken in months; watching the amazing work of nurses and doctors in action and feeling I had a little something to add. . . .”

David Engel

Asked, “What skills or mind-sets can we all borrow from clowning to improve our and others’ happiness?,” Engel responded: “Listen. Breathe. Support your partner, and he or she will support you. Be situational, not conversational. Don’t force a situation, and be open, willing and flexible in the moment. Feature failure—don’t try to hide it.”