ScholarWorks > Arts & Sciences > English > COMPDR > Vol. 59 (2025) > Iss. 1
On the Edge of Discomfort: How Clown Training Reduces Stress and Encourages Empathy
Abstract
In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:
Let's start with a joke. A man goes to the doctor and says he's depressed. Life seems harsh and cruel. He feels alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. The doctor says, "Treatment is simple. The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." The man bursts into tears and says, "But doctor … I am Pagliacci." I begin with this jest as a way of recognizing that the burden of existential crisis has put people, and for the purposes of this paper, students specifically, in a very vulnerable position. However, laughter could be the cure.
Recommended Citation
Bersley, Tracy
(2025)
"On the Edge of Discomfort: How Clown Training Reduces Stress and Encourages Empathy,"
Comparative Drama: Vol. 59:
Iss.
1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol59/iss1/11