I've been a professional entertainer for over 20 years, and a passing Chaplin fan for the same amount of time. I haven't done immense research on Chaplin nor followed his life to great detail. Instead, as a performer and physical artist, I watch the films and read a few of his writings with an appreciation for Chaplin's nuanced understanding of people, of comedy, and of simplicity.
Recently, I was asked to perform a Chaplin-esque character in China. The Chinese people are surprisingly familiar with Chaplin's movies - even to the smallest child. I performed over approximately 100 hours over 4 weeks; in that time, it is normal to stop "portraying" Chaplin and simply start being a REAL person in this outfit. Chaplin's endearing image stops being a caricature and starts becoming 'human'; to improvise and interact as a naive but brilliant personality, with this open-doorway as a familiar face.
As I was told by my Chinese producer: "I forgot I was watching a clown portraying Chaplin, and started to think I was watching Chaplin himself".
4-second clip: http://www.snakeoilproductions.com/video/Chaplin_confused.mov
It is very rare to be a woman inside the tramp suit - and most people who came into contact with me did not know they were interacting with a Chaplin-woman. This made our time together all the more special; I knew I had a secret which transcended gender. It's not about the suit - it's about the real human heart underneath.
...but the mustache helps ;)
Lauren Muney
http://www.snakeoilproductions.com
