OUR NEIGHBORS: Real-life family circus
Send in the clowns, or the Collenders
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| Ryan Prewitt photo -- Steve, Deena (middle) and Treci Collender provide family entertainment, dressing as clowns, painting faces creating balloon art and more. Their Web site is www.princesstheclown.com. |
Treci, also known as Princess the Clown, can often be found painting faces at birthday parties or outdoor festivals with husband, Steve, and their three girls.
She chose the name Princess because it has the power to make kids feel like royalty, Treci said."The mandate of clowns and children's entertainers is that each person that you come across you want to make them feel like the most important person," Treci said.
They run Funnie Farm 5 Productions out of their Foristell home. Their company provides costumed face painters, balloon artists, photography and glitter tattoo application for various gatherings.
Steve is a balloon artist, and he will dress in costume according to the whim of the party host.
"But I don't do the clown so much," Steve said.
The only family member who dresses in full clown garb is Treci.
Mairi, 19, and Skye, 14, are face painting artists like their mom. Deena, 11, is a certified balloon artist like her dad. Or to be more accurate, Steve is a balloon artist like his daughter, Deena.
"She's one of the ones who taught me to do balloons," Steve said.
How does an entire family embrace professional tomfoolery?
The story isn't as funny as you'd think.
Treci once was an executive secretary in the aerospace industry and Steve was a professional mechanic for now defunct airline TWA.
When they began having children, Treci left her job to be a full-time mom.
The fantasy fun started with Treci as a hobby about six years ago.
"I happened to meet another clown one day out of the blue," Treci said.
Clowning was catchy.
After dressing up as the Easter Bunny to brighten the holiday for a group of seniors, she was hooked on entertaining.
The Collenders took classes online to get certification in the clowning arts.
"I gravitate more towards the balloons and face painting, that's what I fell in love with," Treci said.
The girls began face painting and balloon art as a hobby, and Treci would work parties on the weekends.
"After Steve got laid off, he got into the act," Treci said.
About three months ago they decided Steve should stop taking up airline mechanic jobs and get serious about full-time clowning.
"With the cost of the insurance, we could make more money doing this in less time," Treci said.
The Collenders keep seeking out ways to branch out; they've created a DVD to demonstrate safe face painting and self-published a children's book.
Deena said she wants to do the work in order to support her family's business.
Skye said when she grows up she'd like to work with animals.
"I wanted to train Seeing Eye Dogs, because I really like dogs and I really like to help people," she said.
Mairi said she isn't sure what she wants to do, but she knows that she doesn't want to stick with the funny business forever.
Mairi illustrated the children's book and said she is working on a novel of her own.
The kids used to get embarrassed when they saw their mom dressed like a clown, but not so much anymore, Treci said.
"I've kind of gotten used to it," Skye said.
