While this piece was definitely performed by a clown, to me it did not feel like a "clown show." It was an autobiographical solo show based on real life stories of former Cirque du Soleil performer, Michelle Nicole Matlock.
The piece had some hilarious moments, specifically a section where Michelle gambles away the last bit of survival money sent to her by her mother. . . and wins the lottery! It was great fun watching her switch back and forth between the smart, cautious person who intends to use her winnings for good, and the wild party girl who ultimately blows it all in a single week. Michelle's stories are full of wonderful surprises and mini misdirections. Her large "shocked" eyes place the perfect emphasis on her tales of working at the fabulous Jekyll and Hyde restaurant, her desperate need to keep returning to her mother for money, and her realization that she would walk away from her first pride parade no longer a virgin.
Unfortunately, as a whole the show seemed unfinished. I felt that the performance, while energized and passionate, was a bit unpolished. For example, I enjoyed watching Michelle share with us the joy she received from ribbon dancing, but after her initial discovery the joke began to lag as her moves did not seem to heighten either in skill or in their absurdity. Also, at the end of the show, there's a beautiful moment where Michelle finds her oversized clown shoes and understands that this is her new direction in life, but then she bows and ends the show. This is the moment to finally show us the clown that she became. We are all primed to see this newly discovered clown persona that we have caught hints of throughout the show. Instead by ending the show abruptly, I was left feeling unresolved. The night had some great laughs, but overall I think this show needs a bit more work before it is a finished product.
Clown Cabaret with Summer Shapiro
One of the saddest parts of the festival being over is that there will be no more Thursday night Clown Cabarets. What a wonderful experience it has been sitting in a theatre and getting to see so many different acts that truly run the gamut of style. This final cabaret was wonderfully hosted by Summer Shapiro. She kept the evening balanced and moving, throwing herself into each moment as it unfolded. I feel as if this night had the most acts of any of the cabarets, but a few were most memorable to me.
(NB: I am leaving out two of the acts that I loved, because they had full shows, with individual reviews to come).
Anna and Amy
What a fantastic way to start a show. These two cowgirls had loads of energy that immediately hyped the audience up. Their mixture of goofy fun and dangerous violence seemed to only speed up as their choreographed dance spun them out of control. Whether they were flipping, fighting, punching or literally frightening the audience with some close-call whip cracking, their giant smiles infected the crowd with laughter and delight.
Mik Kuhlman
Mik is a performer who truly knows how to command a stage with silence and subtlety of movement. Her "tiny prince" clown is not overly outlandish, wearing merely a crown, a flesh-toned nose, a mustache and an oversized coat. But with just an incredulous look to an unresponsive audience member, we are in love with this tiny-big character. When she finally began to "melt" into the floor, there was little logic and it was not the grand spectacle one might expect from a clown, but her specificity and emotional connection kept us riveted and laughing.
Zero boy
And speaking of specificity, Zero Boy must have an internal file cabinet of thousands of different sound effects at his disposal. Having never seen this main-stay of the downtown comedy scene, I was blown away at his mime and vocal skills. He quickly painted a picture onstage with his voice and actions, and seemed to improvise his way through scene after scene. There was something almost alien about him, and maybe that's why he fits so well into the world of clowns.
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