Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Dent IV.

Hi Richard, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved around a lot as a young kid but spent most of my childhood in Lafayette, CA. The people around me were, and still are, my mom, dad, sister, and various dogs. As a child, I loved playing dress-up as different characters. After watching a movie, I would be inspired by a character, gather whatever costume elements I could find, and do my best to become that person. As I grew older, I was naturally drawn and guided to the visual and performing arts. Although I was athletic and played many sports, I felt a bit out of place; the competitive aspect never resonated with me, but the arts allowed me to thrive. Throughout my adolescence, I worked both backstage and on stage at my local theater, as well as in school and summer theater programs. I was fortunate to be raised by two artists: my mom, a singer, and my dad, an actor. They provided a strong foundation and believed in my life as an artist. With their support, I realized I did not want an education focused on academics. Instead, I sought an embodied experience.
I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Juilliard Drama Division in New York City, where I received the education I had always desired. During my four years there, two major experiences profoundly influenced my post-graduation journey: “Clown class” and working with Commedia dell’ Arte masks.
After graduating, I spent six years in New York City, auditioning and acting, working in restaurants, falling in love, falling apart, and meeting dear friends. I started teaching mask and working classrooms to incorporate the spirit of Clown into my teaching. This passion led me to travel to deepen my studies with mask makers in Italy and Bali.
During the pandemic, I made a significant pivot to Wyoming, where I worked on a guest ranch, guiding horseback rides and repairing miles of fence. Most recently, I had the privilege of serving as a visiting assistant professor of clown and mask at Syracuse University. Currently, I am on a cross-country road trip from New York to California, absorbing the Rockies and Cascades as well as beautiful strangers and dear friends along the way.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an artist, I constantly listen to my intuition to guide the next move of my journey. Practicing patience and trusting the process, cliché as it may sound, is the most challenging aspect of my life. I am a blessed individual and do not take for granted the gifts I have, both circumstantial and physical. Within that patience and trust, I am learning to love and how to care for myself. It is terrifying to be alone with your pain, but it is equally, if not more, empowering to see yourself through. While I believe it is important to experience confidence in yourself, it is even more crucial to remain humble.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
During my time at Syracuse University, personal circumstances forced a paradigm shift in my behavior, emotions, and approach to my work. I aimed to offer the best of myself to my students and the people around me, making it essential to live by what I could give. This shift led to a profound exchange of joy and honesty in all aspects of my life. Through this experience, teaching Clown became more than just a class; it became a way of living my life; the pursuit of joy by what you share with others.
Currently, I am a teacher. I have found great joy in stoking my students’ curiosity as they search for “The Clown.” The Clown constantly shares its experience with the audience, always in pursuit of joy. When joy eludes them, they share their despair. My job is to offer people the opportunity to dive into themselves and share their essence, allowing the audience to fall in love with them. While this work is designed for actors, I strongly believe it is a form of self-work that can benefit anyone.
When a person attempts to share their essence it reveals their vulnerability, imperfection and ultimately what makes them beautiful. In this experience they surprise themselves and discover their talent. We often do not know what we can give to others until we astonish ourselves and realize our capabilities. The Clown’s job is to make people laugh, and laughter expands our capacity to be present. No one ever wants a good laugh to stop. Laughter is healing and, in my opinion, it is the conscious version of what our body does when we sleep.
There is a line at the end of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” that refers to a human’s ability to appreciate life as it happens. The main character, Emily, asks, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?” The other character, The Stage Manager, replies, “No. The saints and poets, maybe they do some.” I believe the Clown goes just a little bit further than the poets and the saints. Just a little bit.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Compassion. Listening. Believing in yourself and others. Laughing/Crying. Embracing, and perhaps celebrating, the unknown and as well as discomfort. Surprising yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: richarddentiv.com
• Instagram: @richard.dent4

Image Credits
Florence McCall; Danyon Davis; Nicholas Podany