Healthcare Clowns

Creating unique healing environments where laughter and medicine are woven together.

Mission Statement

Healthcare Clowns (also more recently known as Code: Clown) is dedicated to using the art of comedy, empathy, and awareness to empower and uplift patients of all ages. Our mission is to create unique healing environments where laughter and medicine are woven together within the fabric of the healthcare community.

Madame Mabel Butterfly (L) & Rubie Sneakers (R)

Our Story

We are healthcare clowns who use the art of comedy, empathy, and awareness to connect with patients of all ages, allowing them an opportunity to escape their current emotional state through laughter and integrative play. As a duo, we provide a unique combination of 2000 clowning hours (domestically and internationally), and decades worth of arts administration experience, including youth education, program development, and grant proposal writing.

Meet the Humans

Chae Chaput

Co-Director & Healthcare Clown

Chae Chaput is an actor and healthcare clown with over 20 years experience working in the arts, including arts administration.

She received her MFA in Acting from the USC School of Dramatic Arts and has continued her education at additional bicoastal studios. She has trained in various clowning styles, such as hospital pediatrics, elder-clowning, improv, and circus. Notable clowns she has studied with are Matt Walker, Virginia Scott, Zach Steel, Andrei Belgrader, Magdalena Schamberger, Tim Licata, Amnon Raviv, and David “Dush” Barashi.

Chae has been working as a clown for a decade. Her background in arts administration includes program development, program coordination, program management, and most recently grant proposal writing.

Languages: English (Native), American Sign Language (Beginner; actively practicing), and Spanish (Beginner; actively practicing).

Katie Snyder

Co-Director & Healthcare Clown

Katie Snyder is a multi-faceted performer who has over 12 years specializing in youth arts education. She received her BA in Acting from the USC School of Dramatic Arts, and has worked as a healthcare clown for seven years at locations including LA General Medical Center, CHLA, and The Children’s Bureau.

This past year, she trained with the well renowned Patch Adams as a humanitarian clown in Costa Rica at schools, prisons, and homeless shelters. Other notable clowns she has trained with include Bill Irwin, Amnon Raviv, and David “Dush” Barashi.

Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Conversational)

Meet the Clowns

Rubie Sneakers (L) & Madame Mabel Butterfly (R)

Rubie Sneakers loves splashing in puddles, jumping into big piles of leaves, and snoozing in unfolded laundry. She is an artiste who loves pink and purple. In her spare tire time, Rubie loves going to her American Sign Language class and practicing her Spanish while stargazing with Mabel. You might be thinking, “Wow, Rubie’s dance card sounds very full,” but do not fret, friend! Rubie is a pro when juggling all things, like her schedule, scarves, flower sticks, and more!

Madame Mabel Butterfly loves inventing silly songs on her ukulele, casting magical spells in Spanish, and making animal sounds with her friends, especially Gertie the Bird (who is a puppet, but shhhhh it’s a secret). She is an expert at many things including scarf juggling, but is always improving her skills. Mabel admires Rubie’s American Sign Language abilities, and is practicing to become a fellow ASL master. But her true calling is to create the world’s first unpoppable bubble.