7th of April 2022 

The Clown Me In team was invited to perform a surprise clown show for the SOS kids in Ksarnaba, Bekaa. It was right after the iftar dinner. The show was an absolute success and a great immersive experience with the kids. The evening started with the clowns merging with the crowd, all their props on their backs, following the one clown reading a folded map, trying to find a place to park and start the show. That was the interactive part of the show with the kids. After an exhausting trip of scouting around the crowd, the clowns were called to start the show, hopped on their imaginary bus and that’s how this journey began.

This was the first time in over two years where we performed without masks. It was a new feeling for both the clowns and the kids, especially for the new clowns who never experienced clowning without masks. We were finally able to express with our faces and see joyful faces again. We had so little time for rehearsals and preparation, not to mention that two new clowns joined the team and this was their very first show; we were a bit concerned but we went into the show with the sole intention of having fun and playing with the kids; and that paid off really well, especially for the children of SOS in this village who don’t often get entertainment or clowns for that matter. 

From the beginning of the show, the audience was laughing and interacting immensely. The level of play was beyond what we had anticipated, and they were all dancing, singing, playing and even hoollahooping. 

These beautiful kids were so immersed in the show and with the clowns that some left us with stories that will be carved in us for life. Some of the greatest moments we experienced were, the support we saw from the crowd to their fellow friends when they were asked to participate in one of the scenes in the show, the cheering and the chanting that was going on was very heartwarming. The ridiculous laughing sessions we had with the kids over absolutely nothing but a need for laughter. The endless games of singing and dancing created with the kids built a strong bond and a level of trust and security between us. But the cherry on top, the winner story that came out of this show was, when two kids approached one of the new clowns, and asked her if she was Tom and Jerry’s mom, because her clown costume reminded them of this iconic faceless character that we all grew up watching. Thanks to the SOS children, we now put a face on the mysterious universal mama feet that accompanied different generations.

This was a show for the books, and the SOS children made us feel at home.
We cannot wait to be back and perform there again.