A Thousand Clowns
by Herb Gardner
November 21 - December 21, 2008
Stage 3 will open its heartwarming comedy “A Thousand Clowns” on November 21. Directed by Van Gordon and featuring a list of the area’s most gifted actors, this Tony Award winning play is Stage 3’s offering for the holiday season.
“Filled with laughter and warmth and sweetness and inspired daffiness,” said The New York Daily News. The New York Post proclaimed it “An extraordinarily funny play” and the Journal-American dubbed it “Merely the best comedy of the season.”
Before we begin, let’s get this clear right off the bat. There are no clowns in “ A Thousand Clowns”. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. We’re just letting you know so you can expect what not to see. What you will see, however, is a tender and moving story, filled with laughter and poignancy. An offbeat comedy about love, family and hope featuring one of the funniest non-conformists of the stage. You also get Chuckles the Chipmunk.
Artistic Director Don Bilotti is enthusiastic. “It’s about time we presented one of Herb Gardner’s plays. I love his characters and his wonderful storytelling.”
This coming-of-middle-age story revolves around Murray Burns, an unemployed children’s TV writer who has found himself raising his sister’s son when she went out for a pack of cigarettes and never returned. Murray is not your ordinary, garden variety type of non-conformist. He has taken his opposition to just about everything the Establishment has to offer and raised it to a fine art. Murray will even talk back to the recorded weather information on the telephone. With humor, style and flair he skewers all comers.
His precocious nephew Nick is now 12 and apparently has blossomed in this non-traditional household. By the way, Nick is not the boy’s real name, just his current one. Since his mother failed to name him, he has been trying on names for size for years. He has been through Mike, Marty, Lamont, Chevrolet, Rover, Woodrow, Toulouse and The Phantom. The two suit each other just fine.
Murray’s steadfast refusal to answer any inquiries from Nick’s school and his opinion that paid employment is not a valid lifestyle has brought the inevitable intervention of the Child Welfare Board. Murray must find an actual paying job in three days or Nick will become a ward of the court and be taken away.
And Chuckles the Chipmunk? It turns out that Murray’s only hope of employment is returning to his old job of writing for that popular TV kid’s show. And you won’t believe what happens when the two representatives of the Child Welfare Board show up.
So thereby hangs a very touching, very human, and very funny tale.
Director Van Gordon is an old hand at serving up heaping helpings of holiday cheer at Stage 3. He has directed memorable productions of, “Over the River and through the Woods”, “Over the Tavern” and “Greetings!”
“This is a beautiful story”, Gordon muses. “We all have a little bit of Murray in us. That wacky, free, fun part of us that leads with our hearts and not our heads. But we must all grow up and, as Murray learns, we must change and ultimately give up some things for those we love. For love to conquer all we must allow ourselves to be conquered.”
Gordon has assembled a top flight cast to bring this story to life. Murray Burns will be played by Sid Marsh who was last seen at Stage 3 as Father Flynn in our powerful production of “Doubt”. Newcomer Dakota Bankston takes on the role of nephew Nick. Susannah Allatt and Ben Adriano will portray the Child Welfare Board investigators. Michael Crich will take the role of Arnold Burns, Murray’s responsible brother. John Bell will play Leo Herman, aka Chuckles the Chipmunk.
Settings will be by Tommy Johnson, Costume Design by Catherine Gordon and Lighting Design by Matthew Leamy. Cisco Garcia will stage manage.
This production is made possible in part by Explore Sonora Magazine - Paul Bell.