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Welcome! This website for Toot the Clown features her clowning for state and
national conferences, schools, business and community organizations, programs on
"Laughter for Health" and parties for all ages from youth to seniors.
A second website focuses on Toot's Christian clowning. To go to that website
please click here..
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Laughter for Health and Happiness
Laughter is good for your body, your emotions and your Spirit. Plus it is
non-fattening.
Medical researchers have confirmed that 15 minutes of laughter
each day can help your blood vessels work more efficiently.
Toot's presentations to adults and youth combine clown humor and fun, music,
illusion, balloons
and audience interactions. Her programs on "Laughter for Health" and "Let
Laughter Lighten the Load" have been featured as keynote addresses.
Her school presentations support curriculum such as "The Land of Make Believe." | |
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State Conferences
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Lighten the Load with Laughter (Pennsylvania Farm Bureau-
Hershey Convention Center )
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Letting Laughter Lighten the Load" (Annual Joint Chaplains
Conference)
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Humor Transforms (State YWCA Pennsylvania Federation of
Retired Persons)
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Energizing Humor: The Amazing Power of Laughter"
(Pennsylvania Association of Senior Centers)
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National Conferences
 Toot
has taught and clowned at conferences including Clown Camp
at the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse in 2000 and 2003 and the Presbyterian Women Churchwide
Gathering in Louisville, Kentucky in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Thanks to
Photographer David P. Young for the accompanying pictures.
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Professional
Background
Toot is the clown
persona of Anita Thies of State College, PA. Anita holds a bachelor's degree in
journalism from Northwestern University and has worked in public relations for
Northwestern University and Penn State University. She has been clowning
professionally for more than 20 years in a variety of venues--for schools,
businesses, arts festivals, and community organizations.
She became a clown for hospice and was privileged to have
special friendships with several children and their families. She began visiting
hospitals and nursing homes and doing a variety of clown programs in churches.
In 2003, she co-authored
The Joyful
Journey of Hospital Clowning: Making a Difference with Love and Laughter
(Lighthearted Press) which is being used in the training program of the Bumper T
Caring Clowns in the Philadelphia, PA area and is carried by a number of clown
suppliers.
She is a member of the
World Clown Association and
Clowns of America International. She helped
to found the Happy Valley
Alley of the World Clown Association, and served as its President in 2001
and 2006.
From 2002-2005, she served as President and newsletter editor of the national
Creative Ministries Organization Cheer Leaders for Christ. Today she does a variety of clowning and humor
programs for businesses, schools, hospitals, health care and community organizations.
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Business, School and Community Programs
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Toot's business and community clowning has ranged from a
"medieval" appearance at the Madrigal Dinners in State College in 2004
to more traditional clowning for the State College Downtown Improvement
District and the Penn State Alumni Association's Ice Cream Social. After
keynoting a state conference for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau in Hershey
in 2004, Toot has brought laughter to regional programs throughout 2005
and 2006
including one sponsored by Penn State's Cooperative Extension in
Scranton, PA.
In community celebrations, Toot entertained in the
St. Patrick's Day Parade in Washington, D.C. with her Irish "Eyes"
(above right) and joined the Bellefonte Brass Band at People's Choice
Festival in 2004 in a piece for brass and kazoos.
In 2006, Toot
entertained students at the Lemont Elementary
School (pictured below), Easterly Parkway Elementary School and Penns
Valley School. Toot has a special place in her heart for nursing home residents
since Anita's mother spent several years in a nursing home. Anita is
writing a book on Nursing Home Clowning due for publication in April
2007. She has
done programs at Epworth Manor Nursing Home in Tyrone and
the Brookline Home in State College.
 
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Parties For all Ages
Laughter is good for "children" of all ages. Toot has clowned
for all ages ranging from pre-schools to nursing homes. As a past teacher's aide
at Park Forest Day Nursery, she knows how to approach young children. In her
birthday parties, the birthday honoree is the "star" of the show. (Thanks to the
family of Violet Weeden for these pictures at her 90th birthday) |
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Toot the Person
For more details on Toot's schedule, feel free to contact:
Anita Thies
761 Cornwall Rd.
State College, PA 16803
(814) 237-9466
e-mail:
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"Kids laugh on average 400 times a day. Adults laugh on average 16 times a day.
We lose 384 laughs a day in a process I call adulteration."--Michelli
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