500 Clown to Present Monstrously Funny 'Frankenstein' Feb. 6

Story posted January 14, 2009

500Clown_SUN.jpg

500 Clown, a company that produces theater through circus acts, improvisation, and action-based performance, will present "500 Clown Frankenstein" at 8 p.m. Friday, February 6, 2009, in Pickard Theater, Memorial Hall. The show is presented by the Department of Theater and Dance.

In "500 Clown Frankenstein," three clowns embark on a madcap journey to construct Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. Stymied by elaborate and exaggerated period costumes, the clowns are propelled into acrobatic feats.

Comic mayhem takes a sharp turn to a devastating climax when one clown is forced to play the role of the creature and suffer abuse and abandonment.

500 Clown's shows catapult the performers into extreme physical behavior and rough-style acrobatics, moving rapidly between planned elements and improvisation. The work shifts the audience from passive to active observers and creates a charged environment that celebrates the unpredictable power of the moment. One critic called their work "industrial-strength Chicago clowning."

The group was organized in Chicago's Northwest side, and premiered "500 Clown Macbeth" in a gutted bowling alley in fall 2000. An underground sensation was born. The company alternates between performing and rehearsing, fine-tuning their shows over the years, actively incorporating feedback from audiences.

Free tickets are available at the David Saul Smith Union information desk, by calling 207-725-3375, or at the door.

The performance is sponsored in part by the Alice Cooper Morse Fund.

« Back | « Go to Featured Events | Go to Events Calendar